Dad has one of these things, made of walnut. I've played with it, but I
never thought much about it until I heard an interview with a group called
Laliya on the radio. Wow! A mountain dulcimer can sound like that?!

Ever since then, I've been gnawing on the idea that I'd like to have one of
those, and it would probably be a good first instrument project because
they're not terribly complicated.

For starters, I can just copy the one Dad has, which was made by some local
crafstman, not mass produced. Without taking it apart or damaging it
though, I can only guess at some things. Thickness of the top/bottom/sides
for starters. How the top/bottom/sides are all fitted together for another
thing. There's no banding at the joints. I don't have it in front of me,
but I'd say the top and bottom are glued or otherwise fastened directly to
the sides in a simple butt joint.

I guess all the tension is on the neck/fretboard, and it looks like you
could just about make a neck/fretboard as a free-standing piece, and it's
just glued to the box as an amplifier.

What about cutting out nifty little holes in the top? This one's maple leaf
holes are so crisp it looks laser cut, but this was made in the early '80s.
Probably not laser cut then, I don't imagine. I don't think I could get a
cut this sharp and clean on a scrollsaw, but maybe I haven't practiced with
the scrollsaw long enough. (Haven't used it much. It's sloooooow, and
I've found everything that isn't plywood breaks immediately, so it seems
one of the more pointless machines in my arsenal so far.)

What about fret wire? Is this just some standard item I can buy anywhere,
and do the many readily available instructions for installing frets on
guitars apply evenly to a mountain dulcimer?

I guess the biggest question of all is the bending. I've never bent diddly.
It almost looks to me like an hourglass dulcimer is a simple enough shape
that I could bend suitably thin wood to that shape without some steam
contraption. Is that unrealistic?

How much do woods matter? The original is all solid walnut except the
bottom, which I would guess is wormy chestnut salvaged from a barn or
something. I haven't seen a lot of chestnut, with it being extinct and
all, but I think that's what this is.

I guess I should take it to rec.music.makers or something, but I'd rather
just stay here.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 1:31am (Silvan) tells
us:
Dad has one of these things, sni they're not terribly complicated.
snip How much do woods matter? snip

I made a dulcimer. Many moons back, when I was assignned to Disney
East. But I didn't call it a mountain dulcimer. That somds like
something made up by some city folk, something like farm table, or
harvest table, rather than just a table.

Mine was more an elongaed oval shape. A block of wood at each end,
slotted to hold the sides. 1/8" luan plywood for the body. Don't
recall what the other wood was. Did use frets, but only because I had
fret wire. The wires, were that, wire.

I think the Foxfire books have something on making dulcimers, been
a long time since I've looked at mine. I know they have something on
banjo making.

I doubt anyone would say much no matter what wood you used. I'm
sure the people that originally made them weren't too picky. Check some
of the instruments in the Smithsonian, if you ever get a chance. Been
too long since I was there, too. I betcha google images would have some
pictures.

Now that I think on it, might be something nice to make for the
grand-dau.



JOAT
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
- unknown

JOAT responds:

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 1:31am (Silvan) tells
us:
Dad has one of these things, sni they're not terribly complicated.
snip How much do woods matter? snip

I made a dulcimer. Many moons back, when I was assignned to Disney
East. But I didn't call it a mountain dulcimer. That somds like
something made up by some city folk, something like farm table, or
harvest table, rather than just a table.

Yeah, well...I think it comes from record marketing of "mountain" music. We
called it hillbilly music in the good old non-PC days.


Mine was more an elongaed oval shape. A block of wood at each end,
slotted to hold the sides. 1/8" luan plywood for the body. Don't
recall what the other wood was. Did use frets, but only because I had
fret wire. The wires, were that, wire.

I've seen two types, your tear drop and a figure eight type. Both sound great
in competent hands.

I think the Foxfire books have something on making dulcimers,

I kept some of the old Foxfire books after my divorce. I noticed in Books A
Million some time ago that they have newer editions. Must be up to version
40031 or so by now.

Charlie Self
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Sir Winston
Churchill

"Silvan" wrote in message

Dad has one of these things, made of walnut. I've played with it, but I
never thought much about it until I heard an interview with a group called
Laliya on the radio. Wow! A mountain dulcimer can sound like that?!

Ever since then, I've been gnawing on the idea that I'd like to have one
of
those, and it would probably be a good first instrument project because
they're not terribly complicated.

Never made one but recorded some of the best, including Lloyd Wright, who
won Winfield in 2000, and Don Pedi, one of the best known mountain dulcimer
players in the world. Lloyd's father Jerry, patriarch of the Wright Family,
a well known "old time" music group, showed me a couple he built on the
kitchen table, and he professes no skill whatsoever in woodworking.

I have a fairly recent woodworking magazine with step by step
plans/instructions for building one. I'll see if I can dig it up for you if
you're still interested.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

"J T" wrote in message

I made a dulcimer. Many moons back, when I was assignned to Disney
East. But I didn't call it a mountain dulcimer. That somds like
something made up by some city folk, something like farm table, or
harvest table, rather than just a table.

They are truly known as "mountain" dulcimers, or sometimes regionally as
"Appalachian" or "lap" dulcimers.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

"Silvan" wrote in message
...
Dad has one of these things, made of walnut. I've played with it, but I
never thought much about it until I heard an interview with a group called
Laliya on the radio. Wow! A mountain dulcimer can sound like that?!

Ever since then, I've been gnawing on the idea that I'd like to have one
of
those, and it would probably be a good first instrument project because
they're not terribly complicated.


That's the essence of the instrument. It makes pleasant noise no matter how
it's made. The noise is from the strings, the "voice" from the box.

Foxfire is a good source. Reader's Digest folk art book has one, FWW has
had some, but they're woodworking tours-de-force rather than a home-made
instrument.

A number of kids at school made them from Foxfire, which is what I had on
hand. Wood for the sounding board had greater volume if it was coniferous,
though the holes were a big factor. Best -sounding was made from some
resawn spruce 2x8 from a barn of indeterminate age, though even eastern
white cedar sounded better than hardwoods like red oak (tinky brittle).
Tradition had them out of hardwood, though, so I imagine it's a personal
thing. Most beautiful was a face of burled cherry, though I tried to talk
them into quartersawn wood, mostly.

We used hobby shop brass for frets, though some also used simple brazing
rod. Key is the cutting/leveling. I believe the jig in FWW is a good a
place to look at that aspect. I rigged one for a Dremel with router base
that worked well for the rod frets.

The sound holes worked well with anything from overlapping Forstner holes to
fretsaw. I never set up a router template, but that would probably work
just fine.

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 01:31:36 -0500, Silvan
wrote:

Dad has one of these things, made of walnut. I've played with it, but I
never thought much about it until I heard an interview with a group called
Laliya on the radio. Wow! A mountain dulcimer can sound like that?!

Ever since then, I've been gnawing on the idea that I'd like to have one of
those, and it would probably be a good first instrument project because
they're not terribly complicated.

For starters, I can just copy the one Dad has, which was made by some local
crafstman, not mass produced. Without taking it apart or damaging it
though, I can only guess at some things. Thickness of the top/bottom/sides
for starters. How the top/bottom/sides are all fitted together for another
thing. There's no banding at the joints. I don't have it in front of me,
but I'd say the top and bottom are glued or otherwise fastened directly to
the sides in a simple butt joint.

I guess all the tension is on the neck/fretboard, and it looks like you
could just about make a neck/fretboard as a free-standing piece, and it's
just glued to the box as an amplifier.

What about cutting out nifty little holes in the top? This one's maple leaf
holes are so crisp it looks laser cut, but this was made in the early '80s.
Probably not laser cut then, I don't imagine. I don't think I could get a
cut this sharp and clean on a scrollsaw, but maybe I haven't practiced with
the scrollsaw long enough. (Haven't used it much. It's sloooooow, and
I've found everything that isn't plywood breaks immediately, so it seems
one of the more pointless machines in my arsenal so far.)

What about fret wire? Is this just some standard item I can buy anywhere,
and do the many readily available instructions for installing frets on
guitars apply evenly to a mountain dulcimer?

I guess the biggest question of all is the bending. I've never bent diddly.
It almost looks to me like an hourglass dulcimer is a simple enough shape
that I could bend suitably thin wood to that shape without some steam
contraption. Is that unrealistic?

How much do woods matter? The original is all solid walnut except the
bottom, which I would guess is wormy chestnut salvaged from a barn or
something. I haven't seen a lot of chestnut, with it being extinct and
all, but I think that's what this is.

I guess I should take it to rec.music.makers or something, but I'd rather
just stay here.

If you've never made an instrument before, you might want to consider
a dulcimer kit.

--RC

Projects expand to fill the clamps available -- plus 20 percent

J T wrote:
I made a dulcimer. Many moons back, when I was assignned to Disney
East. But I didn't call it a mountain dulcimer. That somds like
something made up by some city folk, something like farm table, or
harvest table, rather than just a table.

That type gets called a few different things. The main thing is
to make difference between the ones that go on your lap and the
hammered dulcimers , kinda trapezoid shaped.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 02:56:34 -0500, (J T)
wrote:

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 1:31am (Silvan) tells
us:
Dad has one of these things, sni they're not terribly complicated.
snip How much do woods matter? snip

I made a dulcimer. Many moons back, when I was assignned to Disney
East. But I didn't call it a mountain dulcimer. That somds like
something made up by some city folk, something like farm table, or
harvest table, rather than just a table.

Actually it's an important distinction. The mountain dulcimer is one
of two common types of the instrument. The other is the hammered
dulcimer, which is completely different.


Mine was more an elongaed oval shape.

That's another common variation on the shape.


A block of wood at each end,
slotted to hold the sides. 1/8" luan plywood for the body. Don't
recall what the other wood was. Did use frets, but only because I had
fret wire. The wires, were that, wire.

Frets are usually made with a special fret wire. It's shaped like a T
with a rounded top. The other side fits into slots sawed in the
fretboard.

If you want to build a dulcimer take a look at some of the kits out
there. Even if you don't build from a kit you can learn about
construction from the web sites.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Kits/Dul...imer_Kits.html
(these people have a reputation for quality kits)

http://www.acousticguitar.net/dulcimerkit.html
(A fancier dulcimer from a more expensive kit)

http://www.folkcraft.com/Merchant2/m...gory_Code=Kits

http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/li...p?action=howto
(A bunch of dulcimer links)

http://thelibrary.springfield.missou...weet/wi73j.htm
(A description of making a dulcimer)

http://hearth-fire.home.mindspring.com/
(pictures of a dulcimer being made)

--RC



Projects expand to fill the clamps available -- plus 20 percent

Swingman wrote:

"J T" wrote in message

I made a dulcimer. Many moons back, when I was assignned to Disney
East. But I didn't call it a mountain dulcimer. That somds like
something made up by some city folk, something like farm table, or
harvest table, rather than just a table.

They are truly known as "mountain" dulcimers, or sometimes regionally as
"Appalachian" or "lap" dulcimers.

To distinguish them from real dulcimers, also known as "hammered dulcimers,"
which are an entirely different animal:

http://www.rtpnet.org/~hdweb/

The real dulcimer is a much older instrument, and it's #1 at the top of
things I would buy if I had a few thousand bucks to spare. Too complicated
to build. Especially as a first instrument project. Maybe eventually.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

wrote:

If you've never made an instrument before, you might want to consider
a dulcimer kit.

Nah. Building a wood project from a kit is like doing a paint by numbers
set. The result might be pretty, but it ain't art at the end.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 11:07am (EST+5) otforme
(Charlie=A0Self) says:
Yeah, well...I think it comes from record marketing of "mountain" music.
We called it hillbilly music in the good old non-PC days.

No telling, but if you've ever heard any of the OLD, old timers,
they just called them dulcimers. I see some people are saying they are
called "mountain" or "lap" dulcimers to tell them from hammered
dulcimers - except I've always heard a hammered dulcimer refered to as a
hammered dulcimer, period.

I've seen two types, your tear drop and a figure eight type. Both sound
great in competent hands.

If you leave out the hammered dulcimers, there's probably as many
styles as makers - at least before people tried to standardize them.
I've sean rectangular, sorta trapazoid, double, all sorts. Way I figure
it, if you're making it from scratch, and not for a customer, you can
pretty well make it anyway you want.

I kept some of the old Foxfire books after my divorce. I noticed in
Books A Million some time ago that they have newer editions. Must be up
to version 40031 or so by now.

I think I've got about 7 of them. I think I'll check and see if I
can track down some I don't have. Good books.



JOAT
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
- unknown

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 6:57am (EST-1) (Swingman)
says:
They are truly known as "mountain" dulcimers, or sometimes regionally as
"Appalachian" or "lap" dulcimers.

Maybe now, but I bet if you asked one of the really old timers what
they were, they'd just say dulcimers.



JOAT
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
- unknown

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 3:00pm (EST+5) says:
snip Frets are usually made with a special fret wire. It's shaped like
a T with a rounded top. The other side fits into slots sawed in the
fretboard. snip

Yeah, I said I used fret wire. Fretless would have worked too.
But, I should have said the strings on mine were wire - thin wire,
worked great.



JOAT
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
- unknown

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 10:21am (Silvan)
says:
Nah. Building a wood project from a kit is like doing a paint by numbers
set. The result might be pretty, but it ain't art at the end.

Eh, sometimes a kit will get you thru some of the first time
puzzles; but, I wouldn't get a dulcimer kit. Besides being simple to
build, I think most, if not all, the kits are waaay overpriced.



JOAT
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
- unknown

I think the main point of "mountain" dulcimer is to distinguish it from
a hammer dulcimer.

bob g.

J T wrote:

Wed, Dec 15, 2004, 1:31am (Silvan) tells
us:
Dad has one of these things, sni they're not terribly complicated.
snip How much do woods matter? snip

I made a dulcimer. Many moons back, when I was assignned to Disney
East. But I didn't call it a mountain dulcimer. That somds like
something made up by some city folk, something like farm table, or
harvest table, rather than just a table.

Mine was more an elongaed oval shape. A block of wood at each end,
slotted to hold the sides. 1/8" luan plywood for the body. Don't
recall what the other wood was. Did use frets, but only because I had
fret wire. The wires, were that, wire.

I think the Foxfire books have something on making dulcimers, been
a long time since I've looked at mine. I know they have something on
banjo making.

I doubt anyone would say much no matter what wood you used. I'm
sure the people that originally made them weren't too picky. Check some
of the instruments in the Smithsonian, if you ever get a chance. Been
too long since I was there, too. I betcha google images would have some
pictures.

Now that I think on it, might be something nice to make for the
grand-dau.



JOAT
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
- unknown

In article , george@least says...
That's the essence of the instrument. It makes pleasant noise no matter how
it's made. The noise is from the strings, the "voice" from the box.

Foxfire is a good source. Reader's Digest folk art book has one, FWW has
had some, but they're woodworking tours-de-force rather than a home-made
instrument.

I've got a book that I picked up at a library sale a few years ago.
It's called "How to Make and Play the Dulcimore" by Chet Hines. The
copyright is 1973.

I haven't made one yet so can't really say how good the book is, but it
looks pretty good. Roughly 100 pages on making, 50 on playing, and a
few patterns in the back. Take a look on ABE.

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

Visit http://dulcimerden.net/
It has lots of pictures and information about dulcimers.

Dick

J T wrote:

I've sean rectangular, sorta trapazoid, double, all sorts. Way I figure

Trapezoid. You're right. Good thought too. No bending. Good first try.

I wonder how a fretless would work. Just draw the fret locations but no
wires. They make fretless guitars and basses. Might be interesting, and
would solve a lot of complicated problems.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

J T wrote:

Yeah, I said I used fret wire. Fretless would have worked too.
But, I should have said the strings on mine were wire - thin wire,
worked great.

As opposed to what? Cat gut? I've never seen one that didn't have metal
strings, come to think of it. I figure I'll use D'Addario dulcimer strings
on it, and use tuners from my Washburn 12-string that is in extremely dire
need of a neck job and needs more work than the guitar is worth. Good
tuners.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

In article ,
Silvan wrote:

Ever since then, I've been gnawing on the idea that I'd like to have one of
those, and it would probably be a good first instrument project because
they're not terribly complicated.

Have you seen
http://www.diynet.com/diy/hb_musical...,2033,DIY_1388
1_2944780,00.html?

--
Hank Gillette

I think that "mountain" is because it was a folk version which originated in
the Appalachian _mountains_ rather than the hammered version which is
closer to its zither roots, with maybe a bit of clavichord....

"Robert Galloway" wrote in message
...
I think the main point of "mountain" dulcimer is to distinguish it from
a hammer dulcimer.

You can use any string material. Had one girl who made hers out of twisted
sheep intestine. The wood "bending" is really not much, if you're talking
the convex designs. Even the waisted variety is easily steamed.

You can actually string high and then experiment with fret placement, though
musical theory and generations of players have already worked it out for
you. Some kids needed the confirmation that only self-involvement gives,
and I was not going to discourage experimentation.

"Silvan" wrote in message
...
J T wrote:

Yeah, I said I used fret wire. Fretless would have worked too.
But, I should have said the strings on mine were wire - thin wire,
worked great.

As opposed to what? Cat gut? I've never seen one that didn't have metal
strings, come to think of it. I figure I'll use D'Addario dulcimer
strings
on it, and use tuners from my Washburn 12-string that is in extremely dire
need of a neck job and needs more work than the guitar is worth. Good
tuners.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

"Robert Galloway" wrote in message

I think the main point of "mountain" dulcimer is to distinguish it from
a hammer dulcimer.

I think that may be more true of the term "lap" dulcimer. A hammered
dulcimer is generally a fairly large instrument with its own stand.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04.

Check out this place:

http://www.folkcraft.com/
and go to the Dulcimer Builder's Supply page

You can get the wood you need - either in kits or rectangular pieces
palned to thickness.
You should DEFINATELY get a pre cut Fret board - the formula for the
measurements of the frets is pretty exact, and the boards come slotted
to accept fret wire

Give them a call (or email) and tell them what you want to do, -
they'll answer your questions and fix you up.

JD

Hank Gillette wrote:
Have you seen
http://www.diynet.com/diy/hb_musical...,2033,DIY_1388
1_2944780,00.html?

I have now. Thanks.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

wrote:

You can get the wood you need - either in kits or rectangular pieces
palned to thickness.

Not worried about the planing, but...

You should DEFINATELY get a pre cut Fret board - the formula for the

....a pre-cut fretboard seems like it might just be worth the bother. I've
got a chart right here telling me just where they need to go, but I have no
idea how to measure to four decimal places across 26" or whatever I pick
for the scale length. Seems like some real good opportunities to screw the
pooch on that deal.

they'll answer your questions and fix you up.

I'll check'em out. Getting excited about this whole idea. I was going to
make another chess box, but I probably would have made another chess box
long before now if I REALLLY wanted one. I've just been looking for
something to do I guess. This seems like it.

Although any desire I have to do stuff is greatly tempered by the 40 pounds
of medical bills I know will soon begin to flow into my mailbox. sigh

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Nothing like the feeling of taking wood and making it into a musical
instrument.

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 10:45:30 -0500, Silvan
wrote:
wrote:

You can get the wood you need - either in kits or rectangular pieces
palned to thickness.

Not worried about the planing, but...

You should DEFINATELY get a pre cut Fret board - the formula for the

...a pre-cut fretboard seems like it might just be worth the bother. I've
got a chart right here telling me just where they need to go, but I have no
idea how to measure to four decimal places across 26" or whatever I pick
for the scale length. Seems like some real good opportunities to screw the
pooch on that deal.


Wasn't the old rule of thumb the "Rule of 17?"

The distance to the next fret is 1/17th the remaining distance down the
neck?

Seems you could make slide-rule device with a logarithmic scale to
calculate that measure directly.

U-CDK_CHARLES\Charles wrote:
On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 10:45:30 -0500, Silvan
wrote:
wrote:

You can get the wood you need - either in kits or rectangular
pieces
palned to thickness.

Not worried about the planing, but...

You should DEFINATELY get a pre cut Fret board - the formula for
the

...a pre-cut fretboard seems like it might just be worth the
bother. I've
got a chart right here telling me just where they need to go, but I
have no
idea how to measure to four decimal places across 26" or whatever I
pick
for the scale length. Seems like some real good opportunities to
screw the
pooch on that deal.


Wasn't the old rule of thumb the "Rule of 17?"

The distance to the next fret is 1/17th the remaining distance down
the
neck?

Seems you could make slide-rule device with a logarithmic scale to
calculate that measure directly.

Pre slotted fret boards are cheap enough - and they're perfectly
slotted for both fretwire and nuts. Better to spend your time on nice
inlays for the fret board.

U-CDK_CHARLES\Charles wrote:

Wasn't the old rule of thumb the "Rule of 17?"

The distance to the next fret is 1/17th the remaining distance down the
neck?

Dunno. Seems plausible.

Seems you could make slide-rule device with a logarithmic scale to
calculate that measure directly.

'Cept I'm one o' them newfangled whippersnappers and I don't have the
foggiest clue how to use a slide rule, or what a logarithmic is.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

wrote:

Pre slotted fret boards are cheap enough - and they're perfectly
slotted for both fretwire and nuts. Better to spend your time on nice
inlays for the fret board.

How many crafstman points would I lose for using a canned fret board? They
really are quite cheap, seems to me. I forget what it added up to, but
pre-cut with frets installed and everything was less than $20, I think. It
would save a lot of fiddly work that sounds easy to screw up.

I don't remember if they offered options though. I'd want a full chromatic
scale. Playing Dad's dulcimer drives me nuts because of all the missing
frets.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

"Silvan" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Pre slotted fret boards are cheap enough - and they're perfectly
slotted for both fretwire and nuts. Better to spend your time on nice
inlays for the fret board.

How many crafstman points would I lose for using a canned fret board?
They
really are quite cheap, seems to me. I forget what it added up to, but
pre-cut with frets installed and everything was less than $20, I think.
It
would save a lot of fiddly work that sounds easy to screw up.

Yes, it is. You could be the greatest Dulcimer builder in the world, and I
don't think anyone would notice how exact your Fret Slots were sawn, or the
fact that they were perfectly square (unless, of course, they weren't)



I don't remember if they offered options though. I'd want a full
chromatic
scale. Playing Dad's dulcimer drives me nuts because of all the missing
frets.

Yes, they do. You can get it with the "6 1/2 Fret" in order to be fully
chromatic. (it's halfway between the 6th and 7th frets)
Without it, you'd be missing the "Ti" (as in Do-Ray-Me-Fa.......etc)


--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

"Larry" LVenickATcomcastDOTnet wrote:

Yes, it is. You could be the greatest Dulcimer builder in the world, and I
don't think anyone would notice how exact your Fret Slots were sawn, or
the fact that they were perfectly square (unless, of course, they weren't)

I'm not actually so much worried about square as getting them in just the
right spot.

Yes, they do. You can get it with the "6 1/2 Fret" in order to be fully
chromatic. (it's halfway between the 6th and 7th frets)
Without it, you'd be missing the "Ti" (as in Do-Ray-Me-Fa.......etc)

I don't think so, would I? I haven't paid that much attention to the scale
on Dad's, but I think it's a diatonic instrument. So it has a ti as well
as everything else in a normal major scale, but you can't play any
accidentals on it.

Anyway, so I seem to have one vote for "we'll still respect you in the
morning if you cheat on the frets." Do I hear a second?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Have you done a web search? Lots of books and other resources on this

Silvan wrote:
Dad has one of these things, made of walnut. I've played with it, but I
never thought much about it until I heard an interview with a group called
Laliya on the radio. Wow! A mountain dulcimer can sound like that?!

Ever since then, I've been gnawing on the idea that I'd like to have one of
those, and it would probably be a good first instrument project because
they're not terribly complicated.

For starters, I can just copy the one Dad has, which was made by some local
crafstman, not mass produced. Without taking it apart or damaging it
though, I can only guess at some things. Thickness of the top/bottom/sides
for starters. How the top/bottom/sides are all fitted together for another
thing. There's no banding at the joints. I don't have it in front of me,
but I'd say the top and bottom are glued or otherwise fastened directly to
the sides in a simple butt joint.

I guess all the tension is on the neck/fretboard, and it looks like you
could just about make a neck/fretboard as a free-standing piece, and it's
just glued to the box as an amplifier.

What about cutting out nifty little holes in the top? This one's maple leaf
holes are so crisp it looks laser cut, but this was made in the early '80s.
Probably not laser cut then, I don't imagine. I don't think I could get a
cut this sharp and clean on a scrollsaw, but maybe I haven't practiced with
the scrollsaw long enough. (Haven't used it much. It's sloooooow, and
I've found everything that isn't plywood breaks immediately, so it seems
one of the more pointless machines in my arsenal so far.)

What about fret wire? Is this just some standard item I can buy anywhere,
and do the many readily available instructions for installing frets on
guitars apply evenly to a mountain dulcimer?

I guess the biggest question of all is the bending. I've never bent diddly.
It almost looks to me like an hourglass dulcimer is a simple enough shape
that I could bend suitably thin wood to that shape without some steam
contraption. Is that unrealistic?

How much do woods matter? The original is all solid walnut except the
bottom, which I would guess is wormy chestnut salvaged from a barn or
something. I haven't seen a lot of chestnut, with it being extinct and
all, but I think that's what this is.

I guess I should take it to rec.music.makers or something, but I'd rather
just stay here.

tzipple wrote:

Have you done a web search? Lots of books and other resources on this

I have since, and yes, I've got more resources than I can shake a stick at.

I also found and bought a book about making hammered dulcimers too. At a
grand to buy a decent one, it seems like maybe I ought to give it a crack
after all.

Heck, if I could make these things I might even sell one once in awhile.

Think I might try a bowed psaltry too. Been wanting one of those for years,
but too cheap to pay for one. Think SWMBO would let me have her hair to
make a bow?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 23:45:37 -0500, Silvan
wrote:

tzipple wrote:

Have you done a web search? Lots of books and other resources on this

I have since, and yes, I've got more resources than I can shake a stick at.

I also found and bought a book about making hammered dulcimers too. At a
grand to buy a decent one, it seems like maybe I ought to give it a crack
after all.

Heck, if I could make these things I might even sell one once in awhile.

Think I might try a bowed psaltry too. Been wanting one of those for years,
but too cheap to pay for one. Think SWMBO would let me have her hair to
make a bow?

She might consider it a very romantic gesture. And a psaltry is even
easier to make (and play) than a mountain dulcimer.

BTW: Do you know that the mountain dulcimer and the highland/Irish
bagpipes are the only instruments tuned in parallel 5ths? Explains why
"Amazing Grace" works so well on the pipes.

--RC

Projects expand to fill the clamps available -- plus 20 percent

"Silvan" wrote in message
...
"Larry" LVenickATcomcastDOTnet wrote:

Yes, it is. You could be the greatest Dulcimer builder in the world, and
I
don't think anyone would notice how exact your Fret Slots were sawn, or
the fact that they were perfectly square (unless, of course, they
weren't)

I'm not actually so much worried about square as getting them in just the
right spot.

Well.... if it's not square, then it's not in the right spot, is it?


Yes, they do. You can get it with the "6 1/2 Fret" in order to be
fully
chromatic. (it's halfway between the 6th and 7th frets)
Without it, you'd be missing the "Ti" (as in Do-Ray-Me-Fa.......etc)

I don't think so, would I? I haven't paid that much attention to the
scale
on Dad's, but I think it's a diatonic instrument. So it has a ti as well
as everything else in a normal major scale, but you can't play any
accidentals on it.

Anyway, so I seem to have one vote for "we'll still respect you in the
morning if you cheat on the frets." Do I hear a second?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

"Larry" LVenickATcomcastDOTnet wrote:

don't think anyone would notice how exact your Fret Slots were sawn, or
the fact that they were perfectly square (unless, of course, they
weren't)

I'm not actually so much worried about square as getting them in just the
right spot.

Well.... if it's not square, then it's not in the right spot, is it?

Huh? I could make lots of perfectly square cuts at random places down the
fretboard, and it wouldn't play music very well. Cutting perpendicular to
the length is easy. Placing the cuts in the right spots is another matter
entirely.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/