Location:
Location: Reedsville, PA
Country: US
Country: US
My Latest Followers:
Stats
youtube videos: 1
images: 72
events: 2
Groups: 1
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.
Latest Activity
All
@ken-longfield
• 9 hours ago
• comments: 2
Posted a new Comment on @billb:
Posted a new Comment on @billb:
"Welcome to FOTMD BillB. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 9 hours ago
• comments: 2
Posted a new Comment on @maizie:
Posted a new Comment on @maizie:
"Welcome to FOTMD Maizie. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions. In May of 2021 we will hold the second..."
@ken-longfield
• 4 days ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "Carved headstock and end piece.Maker?":
Posted a response to "Carved headstock and end piece.Maker?":
"I may have to adjust my guess of the age of this instrument as it has no 6 1/2 fret that I can see. If someone were going for a traditional dulcimore, I..."
@ken-longfield
• 4 days ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "Carved headstock and end piece.Maker?":
Posted a response to "Carved headstock and end piece.Maker?":
"I have no idea who made that dulcimer. I doubt that the peg head and tailpiece are carved. It looks like a simple cut with a band saw. From the look of the..."
@ken-longfield
• 5 days ago
• comments: 4
Posted a new Comment on @dulcimermaid:
Posted a new Comment on @dulcimermaid:
"Welcome to FOTMD Dulcimermaid. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet..."
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 4
Posted a new Comment on @steve-denvir:
Posted a new Comment on @steve-denvir:
"Welcome to FOTMD Steve. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions. As a guitar builder you should have no..."
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 4
Posted a new Comment on @mother-of-hound:
Posted a new Comment on @mother-of-hound:
"Welcome to FOTMD Mother of Hound. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a..."
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 4
Posted a new Comment on @pamela:
Posted a new Comment on @pamela:
"Welcome to FOTMD Pamela. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "Herdim picks":
Posted a response to "Herdim picks":
"Dictum, the company in Germany who makes the Herdim picks, says that they began making them in the 1960s for guitar players and developed by Gunther Dick...."
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
"Here is a link to the issue of DPN in which my article on Everything Dulcimer appears. It is on page 33...."
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 7
Posted a new Comment on @corryvreckan:
Posted a new Comment on @corryvreckan:
"Pete, thank you for the information about your choice of name here. I went back and corrected my typo. It should be correct now.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a..."
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 7
Posted a new Comment on @corryvreckan:
Posted a new Comment on @corryvreckan:
"Welcome to FOTMD Corryvreckan. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet..."
@ken-longfield
• one week ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
"I thought I had posted a response to Lisa's request for the exact year ED started. It was 2002. Bruce began running some tests as he built the website..."
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 9
Posted a new Comment on tru-oil:
Posted a new Comment on tru-oil:
"Sheryl, yes, I had good results using Tru-oil on the fret boards. It provides a good, hard, durable finish. Remember, this stuff is designed to be used on..."
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 6
Posted a new Comment on @schmidtrock:
Posted a new Comment on @schmidtrock:
"Welcome to FOTMD Schmidtrock. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet..."
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 9
Posted a new Comment on @victorianpam:
Posted a new Comment on @victorianpam:
"Welcome to FOTMD Victorianpam. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet..."
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 9
Posted a new Comment on tru-oil:
Posted a new Comment on tru-oil:
"I've used Tru-oil on guitar necks and dulcimer fret boards, but not on the body of the dulcimer. There is no particular reason for that other than I like to..."
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 6
Posted a new Comment on @dchenaul:
Posted a new Comment on @dchenaul:
"Welcome to FOTMD Dchenaul. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet..."
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 4
Posted a new Comment on Runaway Freight Train:
Posted a new Comment on Runaway Freight Train:
"Very nice Ron. Thanks for sharing.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 17
Posted a new Comment on hollow fret board:
Posted a new Comment on hollow fret board:
"You did a good job hollowing out the fret board.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 7
Posted a new Comment on American Chestnut Demo:
Posted a new Comment on American Chestnut Demo:
"Very nice Jack. I like the sound of the chestnut dulcimer. I imagine the wood will darken with age.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 2 weeks ago
• comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @907woman:
Posted a new Comment on @907woman:
"Welcome to FOTMD 907Woman. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
"I did read your post about Jason, but did not realize that Steve and Dan had a played a role in ED. I know Ron Zuckerman did quite a bit of work with the ED..."
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
"I agree with Ken Hulme as I joined ED just after he did. Bruce called me and we did some testing of ED together. I don't remember any Jason involved in the..."
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
"I continue to check in to ED every day and make comments there when appropriate. I also tell people to check it out. It is important to have as many..."
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 0
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
Posted a response to "The EverythingDulcimer website has returned. Whooopie!!!":
"Indeed, it is not the old ED site. I was a moderator on that site and know the frustrations Bruce Ford experienced keeping it a safe place to discuss all..."
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @dulcimerbob:
Posted a new Comment on @dulcimerbob:
"Welcome to FOTMD Dulcimerbob. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet..."
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @curt:
Posted a new Comment on @curt:
"Welcome to FOTMD CURT. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @coop:
Posted a new Comment on @coop:
"Welcome to FOTMD Coop. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 17
Posted a new Comment on hollow fret board:
Posted a new Comment on hollow fret board:
"That's wide for a 3 string fret board. 1 3/8 or 1 1/2 is more than adequate. I usually make the walls of the fret board 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick. I would make..."
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 9
Posted a new Comment on Do I need that fourth string?:
Posted a new Comment on Do I need that fourth string?:
"I don't care for the double melody string. It makes it difficult to do things like hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 17
Posted a new Comment on hollow fret board:
Posted a new Comment on hollow fret board:
"I think so. For one, it reduces the weight of the instrument. It think it also makes the top more responsive.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @syoung:
Posted a new Comment on @syoung:
"Welcome to FOTMD Syoung. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @randy:
Posted a new Comment on @randy:
"Welcome to FOTMD Randy. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
@ken-longfield
• 3 weeks ago
• comments: 6
Posted a new Comment on @connorc:
Posted a new Comment on @connorc:
"Welcome to FOTMD ConnorC. It is good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation in these discussions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.""
Latest Group Discussions
All
Current build
Here are some photos as I near the completion of this project. The...
@Ken Longfield 5 months ago - Comments: 15
Tuning peg knobs
I have a customer who is having the tuning pegs replaced on two of his...
@Ken Longfield 9 months ago - Comments: 23
The Ugly Dulcimer - A Story
Somewhere and at sometime someone decided to build a mountain dulcimer...
@Ken Longfield 2 years ago - Comments: 8
A New "Old" Project
Back maybe 20 to 25 years ago, my sister was wandering through a yard...
@Ken Longfield 3 years ago - Comments: 2
PA German Zitter
Here are some photos of PA German zitter reproduction I'm making. There...
@Ken Longfield 3 years ago - Comments: 17
Stanley Hicks article
Although not dulcimer specific, Stanley Hicks played a significant...
@Ken Longfield 4 years ago - Comments: 8
Wood Choice - Food For Thought
I came across this experiment for classical guitars and found it...
@Ken Longfield 4 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 5 years ago - Comments: 14
PA German Zitter
As I understand it, Jean Ritchie saw a PA German Zitter in the...
@Ken Longfield 5 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 5 years ago - Comments: 1
Wartz Tab Book Corrections
In the Wartz tab book for the DAA "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms,"...
@Ken Longfield 6 years ago - Comments: 2
My First Prichard
It is not quite finished, but I thought I would share a photo of my...
@Ken Longfield 6 years ago - Comments: 15
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 6 years ago - Comments: 6
Repairing a Diamond Dulcimer
While this is not a build, we do not have a specific area to show...
@Ken Longfield 6 years ago - Comments: 17
String tension calculations
Over at the Banjo Hangout I saw a posting for a string tension...
@Ken Longfield 6 years ago - Comments: 7
Not a Mountain Dulcimer
A few folks here at FOTMD know that I was working on a hammered...
@Ken Longfield 7 years ago - Comments: 9
Latest Photos
All
Latest Forum Discussions
AllThe New ED
Posted: Sunday April 19 2020, 10:50 AM
By: @Ken Longfield
By: @Ken Longfield
Guitar project
Posted: Tuesday January 28 2020, 9:13 PM
By: @Susie
By: @Susie
Just For Fun - sayings regarding the...
Posted: Monday April 8 2019, 5:54 PM
By: @Strumelia
By: @Strumelia
Sad News
Posted: Tuesday January 15 2019, 8:16 PM
By: @jeffrey charles foster
By: @jeffrey charles foster
Capritaurus Dulcimer - Oh My!
Posted: Thursday November 22 2018, 7:56 AM
By: @Robin Thompson
By: @Robin Thompson
Hindman Dulcimer Homecoming
Posted: Monday February 26 2018, 12:56 PM
By: @Jan Potts
By: @Jan Potts
Ukulele construction
Posted: Thursday September 14 2017, 9:42 AM
By: @Ken Longfield
By: @Ken Longfield
Hindman, Kentucky
Posted: Saturday November 26 2016, 9:14 PM
By: @John C. Knopf
By: @John C. Knopf
Wayfaring Strangers
Posted: Thursday February 4 2016, 1:05 PM
By: @Ron Larson2
By: @Ron Larson2
Clifford Glenn
Posted: Sunday July 26 2015, 10:17 AM
By: @Ken Longfield
By: @Ken Longfield
For Old Time Music Fans
Posted: Friday April 3 2015, 1:07 PM
By: @Ken Longfield
By: @Ken Longfield
Folk Music Resources
Posted: Wednesday February 11 2015, 1:18 PM
By: @Ken Longfield
By: @Ken Longfield
A photo for Patty from Virginia
Posted: Thursday January 15 2015, 8:28 PM
By: @Patty from Virginia
By: @Patty from Virginia
The Dulcimer in Eastern Kentucky Videos
Posted: Thursday December 11 2014, 5:41 AM
By: @Rob N Lackey
By: @Rob N Lackey
2014 National Mountain Dulcimer Champions
Posted: Sunday September 21 2014, 7:35 AM
By: @John Keane
By: @John Keane
Encyclopedia of Appalachia
Posted: Friday October 19 2012, 10:17 PM
By: @Ken Longfield
By: @Ken Longfield
Comments
05/26/20 04:41:50AM @corryvreckan:
Hi Ken, thanks for fixing the typo although there was no need! I'm currently on furlough from work so I have plenty of time to practice. I take advantage every day - the biggest problem is holding myself back so that I learn the basics thoroughly before I go trying more complicated things. So far so good....
Best regards,
Pete
05/25/20 06:43:57AM @corryvreckan:
Thank you Ken, I'm looking forward to learning more and hopefully sharing more as I learn. Just so you know, Corryvreckan (with a 'k') is a whirlpool off the isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Mull is the home of my clan, hence the choice of name :).
Pete
05/12/20 10:37:59PM @syoung:
Thank you so much! I love the dulcimer and it reminds me of summers spent in the ozarks listening to my grandfather play it when I was young! Im excited to be a member of this group!
Steven
05/11/20 04:20:29PM @becky-park:
Thanks for the welcome-So true -The dulcimer has a sweet sound of its own!
05/11/20 10:58:12AM @connorc:
Thank you for the welcome. I am sure I'll be in the discussions as soon as I have an idea what I'm talking about. I have to lower the action on this cheap dulcimer first, then I can get down to some serious learning! (It's in my profile pic and is all I could afford - hehe)
04/04/20 11:21:34AM @kimmiewilson:
Thanks so much for the 'add'. So excited to have a place to share with my fellow dulcimer lovers.
03/30/20 09:02:51PM @robert-winslow:
Thanks for the welcome. Not sure if I know enough to comment, but will enjoy learning. Be safe.
03/18/20 07:02:55AM @dockildare:
Cheers Ken. I'm wanting to electrify the dulcimer so ordered a L R Baggs bridge with pickup. The nut I reckon I can easily sort as you say. DoC
01/25/20 01:57:36PM @sheltie-lover:
I hope I'm posting in the right place. Have to get used to the site. Thanks for the welcome. Folkcraft is a nice place. My husband and I have visited a couple of times. Small little shop in a tiny little town. Beautiful dulcimers to see and hear!
01/15/20 10:38:59AM @jacques:
Thanks for your kind welcome Ken, I'm looking forward to joining discussion groups and asking lots of questions about this wonderful instrument I' just bought.
