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
AllLatest project - Prichard
I started to build a C.N. Prichard reproduction, but made a mistake...
@Ken Longfield one month 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 months ago - Comments: 3
Current build
Here are some photos as I near the completion of this project. The...
@Ken Longfield last year - Comments: 15
Tuning peg knobs
I have a customer who is having the tuning pegs replaced on two of his...
@Ken Longfield 2 years ago - Comments: 23
Wood Choice - Food For Thought
I came across this experiment for classical guitars and found it...
@Ken Longfield 5 years ago - Comments: 13
The Ugly Dulcimer - A Story
Somewhere and at sometime someone decided to build a mountain dulcimer...
@Ken Longfield 3 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 7 years ago - Comments: 17
PA German Zitter
Here are some photos of PA German zitter reproduction I'm making. There...
@Ken Longfield 4 years ago - Comments: 17
Not a Mountain Dulcimer
A few folks here at FOTMD know that I was working on a hammered...
@Ken Longfield 8 years ago - Comments: 9
A New "Old" Project
Back maybe 20 to 25 years ago, my sister was wandering through a yard...
@Ken Longfield 4 years ago - Comments: 2
Stanley Hicks article
Although not dulcimer specific, Stanley Hicks played a significant...
@Ken Longfield 5 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 6 years ago - Comments: 14
PA German Zitter
As I understand it, Jean Ritchie saw a PA German Zitter in the...
@Ken Longfield 6 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 6 years ago - Comments: 1
Wartz Tab Book Corrections
In the Wartz tab book for the DAA "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms,"...
@Ken Longfield 7 years ago - Comments: 2
My First Prichard
It is not quite finished, but I thought I would share a photo of my...
@Ken Longfield 7 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...
@Ken Longfield 7 years ago - Comments: 6
String tension calculations
Over at the Banjo Hangout I saw a posting for a string tension...
@Ken Longfield 7 years ago - Comments: 5
Latest Photos
AllLatest Forum Discussions
AllJon 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
Just For Fun - sayings regarding the...
By: @Strumelia
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: @Ron Larson2
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
The Dulcimer in Eastern Kentucky Videos
By: @Rob N Lackey
2014 National Mountain Dulcimer Champions
By: @John Keane
Encyclopedia of Appalachia
By: @Ken Longfield
Comments
Thank you, Ken. It's nice to be here. I'm looking forward to all of the great information and friendly exchanges.
I am not familiar with the sawmill. I don't have or use one. Gary Sager of Prussia Valley has a sawmill although I don't know what kind. He is a member here. Perhaps he could help.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a new song."
Hi Ken, I remember you from ED, or at least I think I do. You were registered as KWL? I am going by "Geeps" now because that is what my grand daughter calls me. I used my regular name on ED, Mark Olp.
Ken,
That's great information. I appreciate your time and effort. I am leaning towards selling it to you. I like that you knew WM and that the history is important to you. Where this instrument goes does matter to me more than just the money. Also, I detest having to communicate with people I don't feel comfortable with. You are obviously a very respectable sort of a guy. I'm sure you'll have fun with that comment.
(I have a few oddball things I've been recently trying to sell on OfferUp and am so fed up with people not responding that I think I'll just take everything to GoodWill or gift on Freecycle.org.)
I need to do some due diligence on shipping details and costs to PA from South Florida. Without a music case, I'll need to be extra careful. There is a UPS store near me that may be a help. Any experience you have with shipping dulcimers is appreciated.
Kind regards,
Joan Mocco
Ken,
Thank you for your information. It's very interesting that you knew Walt Martin. I've attached photos to help you assess the value of this instrument. Thank you in advance.
Joan
Thanks for the welcome to your group -- if only for a while. I am a guitar player, but dabbled a little with a dulcimer purchased years ago. I'm looking for a little guidance from this group on what they think the value is. I would like to sell it as it is currently sad to be sitting in my closet.
It is a Sunhearth Dulcimer, #582, 1/12/81 by Luthier W. Martin. I have read that he only made 1,000 of these in his career. I purchased it in Bucks County, PA in the very early 80's when I lived in Central NJ. It is in good condition, but has a crack in the back of about 6+ inches that runs vertical. Doesn't seem to have hurt its sound.
I live in South Florida now -- in the general Fort Lauderdale area. I would love to sell it locally, but with advice on shipping I'd be willing to do that also.
Thanks in advance to the community.
Joan
Thanks Ken. I have played the MD off and on since 2005. Now I have time to invest more time and want to become a better player.
Look forward to learning from the group here.
Jerry