Strumelia:
Robin, that was a sweet box dulcimer!
It's a great instrument-- Gary made fantastic instruments.
Gary Sager
Robin, that was a sweet box dulcimer!
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Gary made wonderful box dulcimers and called them Prussia Valley Music Boxes because they weren't reproductions of Tennessee Music Boxes yet paid homage to box dulcimers. All of Gary's instruments were well built and my PVMB sounded great! Though I no longer have this box dulcimer-- a young music friend of mine has it-- here is a photo of it:
updated by @robin-thompson: 03/22/23 07:16:06PM
If I'm not mistaken, Gary was making wonderful and modestly priced box dulcimers at a time when almost no other dulcimer builders were making box dulcimers or Tennessee music box reproductions.
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
marg:
Yes, many of us knew of Gary's health issues but you wouldn't know speaking with him.
You are right, I spoke with him last summer to place an order through his store and he was so pleasant and kind. It was his nature. Similar to my dad, fighting a battle, but strong!
Enjoy that special dulcimer!
updated by @susie: 03/19/23 06:16:52AM
@marg Gary was a great builder and player! You're fortunate to have acquired one of his mountain dulcimers.
Yes, many of us knew of Gary's health issues but you wouldn't know speaking with him.
I was able to get one of his deep body dulcimers not long ago, it is so easy to fret and has such a great overall tone. It is a treasure and more so now. When I did speak with Gary, after getting his dulcimer, he was so pleasant talking about his dulcimers and shop. He will be missed not only by his family and friends but all of the dulcimer community.
Keeping him and his love ones in my heart
Sad news. I hope his family knows how wide Gary's influence was and how many musical souls he touched.
--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
This is indeed sad news. I'm wishing comfort for his family.
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
The dulcimer community has lost another great one. My sympathies are extended to the family and loved ones of Gary Sager.
Though I knew Gary was ill, the news of his death still came to me as a bit of a shock. It was a long-ago visit to Gary & Toni's shop which got me thinking about taking up mountain dulcimer-- and as it happened, Gary & Toni weren't even there that day yet the instruments were and someone else was minding the store. Gary was a great guy, a wonderful luthier, and a really good musician. My heart is with Toni and the Sager family.
That is sad news................I appreciate you posting that and I will surely remember his family and all those grieving his loss.
It is with a sad heart that I share the news that Gary Sager of Prussia Valley dulcimers died this afternoon, March 15, 2023. Gary was an experienced dulcimer maker and an enthusiastic promoter of the mountain dulcimer. I first met Gary and Dave Lynch at the same time at a Harmony Harvest festival in Lancaster, OH. Gary was generous in sharing advice about building and playing dulcimers. He will be missed by all who knew him or shopped at the Prussia Valley Music Store or website.
My sympathy goes out to his wife, Toni, and the rest of Gary's family.
Rest in peace Gary.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
