Maintenance & Restoration

deryk · 12-08-2012, 09:47 PM

lol well I never heard of a mountain dulcimer before either but after spending a few hours of reading about it online and listening to them on youtube, I just ordered one today.

Gardners Dulcimer Shop - Grafton Ohio

I got the black walnut teardrop shape with shamrock's. I found a store about 45 minutes away that does lessons, an hour to an hour and a half for $25! I have friends who do irish folk music and I thought it would be great to be able to play with them, well the couple who run the store/give lessons are big into irish music too, so i think this is gonna be fun.

A friend was teasing me what am I going to do with my time since the endless work on my boat is gone, and Im contemplateing a new scamp, or relatively newer one and I didnt really just want to play world of warcraft all winter I will have something to do!

I cant wait to get it! Hopefully by the end of the week. Its my xmas present to myself!

deryk

Byron Kinnaman · 12-08-2012, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deryk

lol well I never heard of a mountain dulcimer before either but after spending a few hours of reading about it online and listening to them on youtube, I just ordered one today.

Gardners Dulcimer Shop - Grafton Ohio

I got the black walnut teardrop shape with shamrock's. I found a store about 45 minutes away that does lessons, an hour to an hour and a half for $25! I have friends who do irish folk music and I thought it would be great to be able to play with them, well the couple who run the store/give lessons are big into irish music too, so i think this is gonna be fun.

A friend was teasing me what am I going to do with my time since the endless work on my boat is gone, and Im contemplateing a new scamp, or relatively newer one and I didnt really just want to play world of warcraft all winter I will have something to do!

I cant wait to get it! Hopefully by the end of the week. Its my xmas present to myself!

deryk

Great.
Some internet sites for you to check out. Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer, is a lot like this site, lots of videos of people playing. Everything Dulcimer is another one. My favorite learning tool YouTube, which is great for a tune I've really that familiar with. I listen to many versions and get the general tune in my head and the cadence.
I've only be at it a year and feel I'm just beginning on great musical journey.
Keep on strumming.

deryk · 12-08-2012, 10:27 PM

Thanks Byron! Looking forward to starting.

deryk

rabbit · 12-08-2012, 10:53 PM

Don't need strings on them dulcimores. Just bounce that music off them mountains. Now banjers irritate some which leads them to tell jokes like this. What do you call a banjo at the bottom of the river? Ans: A start.

Jack

**Jim Bennett** · 12-09-2012, 12:36 AM

I love banjo music. Well, maybe except when I am canoeing.

Green Frog · 12-09-2012, 06:52 PM

My first dulcimer, the one made by my old caving buddy, is made in the teardrop shape and has some special sound holes. Since we both like old Kentucky/Pennsylvania type rifles, he took my suggestion and used the "weeping heart" design for them. Then he started doing abalone inlays, so in the octave spot he put a little toadstool. and in the "valley" under the strings where strumming is done, he inlaid my trademark frog. I've since bought another teardrop with a lighter, spruce top, and an hourglass shaped one. I really ought to get them out and do some strumming.

Froggie

DannyH · 12-09-2012, 06:55 PM

I'd like to see a photo of the inlay and sound holes if you have one.

**Pam Garlow** · 12-09-2012, 07:12 PM

I've got a mountain dulcimer, which I play horribly, but play it anyway. Love it. I've always wanted to take hammer dulcimer lessons... maybe when I retire.

deryk · 12-09-2012, 08:10 PM

As Im sitting around home tonight its cold and dreary outside, wish I had it to play right now lol

deryk

john warren · 12-10-2012, 08:17 AM

very cool. i decided last winter i wanted to play the mountain dulcimer, so i bought a kit and built my own and began playing it.
a great source of information and music is "friends of the mountain dulcimer" web site.

i have played ukulele since 1963, and you won;t believe how i learned to play it.
my stepfather grew up with a guy named fred bear, you may know him from bear archery. in 1963 fred bear went to africa to hunt with his bow and my brother, stepfather and i went along. it was the year fred took an elephant with his bow. pretty heady stuff for a 12 year old lad, bow hunting with a icon like fred bear. no how does this get us to the ukulele? well who should happen to be along as a fellow aveid hunter? aurthur godfrey! so sitting around a campfire in africa with fred bear,,,, aurthur godfrey taught me my first basic cords on the ukulele.
and ukuleles have traveled and collected themselves around me every since. always one in the scamp.

john warren · 12-10-2012, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

I've got a mountain dulcimer, which I play horribly, but play it anyway. Love it. I've always wanted to take hammer dulcimer lessons... maybe when I retire.

i will have mine with me nest sept.n algonac

john warren · 12-10-2012, 08:25 AM

anyone in michigan , every spring they hold the dulcimer festival in evart. great camping,,,great music...silly to miss it.

deryk · 12-10-2012, 08:47 AM

Very cool story John! Also just the fact of goin to Africa on safari is impresessive enough lol!

I might eventually buy a kit and build one since a friend of mine is a carpenter/cabinetmaker and has all the clamps and a router table which would help a whole lot for trimming the top and bottom.

I saw the carving link and would love to have a figure head of a dragon on one one day! I do a medieval reinactment and yes the mountain dulcimer is certainly not a "period" instrument but my carpenter friend and his band does irish folk music and would be nice to be able to sit among them and play a few songs around the fire!

deryk

john warren · 12-10-2012, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deryk

Very cool story John! Also just the fact of goin to Africa on safari is impresessive enough lol!

I might eventually buy a kit and build one since a friend of mine is a carpenter/cabinetmaker and has all the clamps and a router table which would help a whole lot for trimming the top and bottom.

I saw the carving link and would love to have a figure head of a dragon on one one day! I do a medieval reinactment and yes the mountain dulcimer is certainly not a "period" instrument but my carpenter friend and his band does irish folk music and would be nice to be able to sit among them and play a few songs around the fire!

deryk

if you buy a kit you really don't need much as far as tools. i made mine using a coping saw, my pocket knife, a couple handfulls of spring paper clamps, (those black flat clamps with chrome handles)a stack of books for weight and a lot of sandpaper.

james kent · 12-10-2012, 05:07 PM

John
Which kit did you get and how did it turn out?
Up here there aren't many and shipping is another thing.

john warren · 12-11-2012, 07:25 AM

i got my kit from cedar creek. i ordered a dove and vine precut soundhole design with sasafras top and walnut body. i reworked the head to a pretty design i came up with. over all the whole thing went together easily and darn fast. finish is where yyou really want to take your time, mine is in a tung oil varnish.
these folks were easy to work with and the whole thing was a pleasant experiance. i cam away with a very reasonable price on a beautiful sounding dulcimer with a lot of custom touches i added.
heres a link
Cedar Creek Dulcimers, Handmade in the Ozarks

deryk · 12-11-2012, 07:59 AM

Thanks John, Great link! I ordered ateardrop style, maybe I will build the next one an hourglass...Mine should be here wednesday or thursday! Im gonna call for a lesson on sunday If I can.... can't wait