I am retired and live in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. I built my first mountain dulcimer in 1974. I continue to build mountain dulcimers, hammered dulcimers and do repair work on them as well as guitars and banjos. I enjoy old time music, bluegrass, and folk music from before and after the folk scare of the 1950s and 1960s.
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Latest Group Discussions
AllAnother Tabledit question
Yesterday I updated my Tabledit for Mac to version 3.03 a4a. I can no...
@Ken Longfield 10 months ago - Comments: 10
T - 6
This is my sixth teardrop dulcimer. The shape comes from plans by Scott...
@Ken Longfield 3 years ago - Comments: 12
Latest project - Prichard
I started to build a C.N. Prichard reproduction, but made a mistake...
@Ken Longfield 4 years ago - Comments: 9
Making wood tuning pegs
For those of us who make wood tuning pegs, what finish do you put on...
@Ken Longfield 4 years ago - Comments: 3
Current build
Here are some photos as I near the completion of this project. The...
@Ken Longfield 4 years ago - Comments: 15
Tuning peg knobs
I have a customer who is having the tuning pegs replaced on two of his...
@Ken Longfield 5 years ago - Comments: 23
Wood Choice - Food For Thought
I came across this experiment for classical guitars and found it...
@Ken Longfield 8 years ago - Comments: 13
The Ugly Dulcimer - A Story
Somewhere and at sometime someone decided to build a mountain dulcimer...
@Ken Longfield 6 years ago - Comments: 8
Repairing a Diamond Dulcimer
While this is not a build, we do not have a specific area to show...
@Ken Longfield 10 years ago - Comments: 17
PA German Zitter
Here are some photos of PA German zitter reproduction I'm making. There...
@Ken Longfield 7 years ago - Comments: 17
Not a Mountain Dulcimer
A few folks here at FOTMD know that I was working on a hammered...
@Ken Longfield 11 years ago - Comments: 9
A New "Old" Project
Back maybe 20 to 25 years ago, my sister was wandering through a yard...
@Ken Longfield 7 years ago - Comments: 2
Stanley Hicks article
Although not dulcimer specific, Stanley Hicks played a significant...
@Ken Longfield 8 years ago - Comments: 8
The Story of the Dulcimer, Second Edition
This is just a notice that it is available for pre-ordering on Amazon.
@Ken Longfield 9 years ago - Comments: 14
PA German Zitter
As I understand it, Jean Ritchie saw a PA German Zitter in the...
@Ken Longfield 9 years ago - Comments: 0
Old-time West Virginia bands
County Sales currently has these two CDs on sale for $7.00 each if...
@Ken Longfield 9 years ago - Comments: 1
Wartz Tab Book Corrections
In the Wartz tab book for the DAA "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms," the...
@Ken Longfield 10 years ago - Comments: 2
My First Prichard
It is not quite finished, but I thought I would share a photo of my...
@Ken Longfield 10 years ago - Comments: 14
J. E. Thomas Dulcimer #1465 played by Joe Collins
Here is a link to a video of Joe Collins playing my James E. "Uncle Ed"...
@Ken Longfield 10 years ago - Comments: 6
String tension calculations
Over at the Banjo Hangout I saw a posting for a string tension...
@Ken Longfield 10 years ago - Comments: 5
Latest Photos
AllLatest Forum Discussions
AllRobert N. Lackey, rest in peace
By: @Dusty Turtle
Folklife in Ohio
By: @Robin Thompson
Just For Fun - sayings regarding the...
By: @shanonmilan
Dulcimer Players News demise
By: @Robin Thompson
Everythingdulcimer.com
By: @Strumelia
Gary Sager
By: @Robin Thompson
John Crocker
By: @Ken Longfield
Mike Clemmer
By: @Skip
Don Pedi honored
By: @Susie
Joni Mitchell and Mountain Dulcimers
By: @Dusty Turtle
Zoom group invitation
By: @Ken Longfield
An Interesting News Story from West Virginia
By: @Ken Longfield
Bonnie Carol
By: @Ken Longfield
Newspaper Article
By: @Robin Thompson
Jon Pickow's last performance
By: @Ken Hulme
Sad News -- RIP Ralph Lee Smith
By: @Robin Thompson
Dr. George Orthey, Mountain dulcimer and...
By: @Robin Thompson
Anyone bidding"
By: @Susie
The New ED
By: @Ken Longfield
Guitar project
By: @Susie
Sad News
By: @jeffrey charles foster
Capritaurus Dulcimer - Oh My!
By: @Robin Thompson
Hindman Dulcimer Homecoming
By: @Jan Potts
Ukulele construction
By: @Ken Longfield
Hindman, Kentucky
By: @John C. Knopf
Wayfaring Strangers
By: @Ken Longfield
Clifford Glenn
By: @Ken Longfield
For Old Time Music Fans
By: @Ken Longfield
Folk Music Resources
By: @Ken Longfield
A photo for Patty from Virginia
By: @Patty from Virginia
Comments
I am a stick dulcimer player and was directed to this site because it had a stick dulcimer group. I also like the dulcimer music and tabs that can help me. I would image some dulcimer players also play stick dulcimer. Just looking to expand my knowledge. Should be able to here.
Thanks
Thank you I really love the stick dulcimer but haven't found much info. A little one here though!
Thank you Ken. You have been my teacher and friend for many years. My life has been blessed by adding a dulcimer to it, and all the new friends it gave me.
Well, that's kind of a bummer. I'm a roll off dumpster man, so I generally work from 5:00 AM till 6 PM Monday through Friday. For any north Alabama locals, I work for the guys with the yellow dumpsters 😁
I'm off work recovering from surgery for the next 5 weeks, so maybe I'll be able to hit one once I'm fit for public view 😅 Once I'm back to work, I'll be unable to make it.
Thanks for the info anyway.
Thanks for the welcome. I have been meeting with a local person weekly and have been to 2 jam sessions. So far it is going well. I think it helps that I have been a musician almost my whole life between playing trombone, ringing handbells and singing.
I purchased a never used Enos Yaeger dulcimer. I have discovered that I will need to have a 6.5 fret installed, but other than that it is a beautiful sounding instrument.
Thank you! I am glad I found this site. Looking forward to learning more.
Thank you for the welcome. Honestly, I came across this dulcimer in an estate sale and could not resist picking it up. This dulcimer needs a home with someone who will really appreciate her and I figured who better than this group. I will post pictures and everything soon. Thank you again!
Thank you, glad to be here. I've already learned a lot here. I found my way here while searching for how to tune my AW Jeffreys dulcimer with slipping wooden pegs. Found several possible solutions, and hope to learn more.
Glad to hear you got at least 'half' of your two eyeballs fixed up nicely at this point Ken!
Wishing you good luck ahead for the other one in a few weeks!
Well, you got that right, John. I'm often closing one eye so I can see close up and the other to see far away. Only 44 more days of doing that. Haha.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I know I'm new to the "friends"....but I think I'll just call ya "winky"....
Just noticed you had a "procedure" or two these last few weeks....Thinking of the tune "I can see clearly now...." Hope all went well
Thank you Ken. Robin's link led me right to what I was looking for. I am going to like this site. Thanks again.
DAD, similar in some respects to "Boat's Disease", the feeling that after you get a boat, even if it's just a canoe, you'll need to get another, bigger better one? I hear you and it would actually be great to become accomplished enough that I can "justify" additional instruments. But for perspective, I've known people to spend more in one night at a bar or casino than the cost of even a very high end dulcimer so I think I'll be OK.
Thank you for your offer to be of help if needed. I hope not to wear it out!