Dulcimer anyone?

[Renaissance-Man]

... I can't imagine tackling playing sitar. That must have been fun to have your friend play sitar while you played guitar.

The sitar seems daunting, but it's not really difficult. There are drone strings and sympathetic strings, as well as fingered ones.
You also commented on the gifted dulcimer. Those same ladies also gave me a glass flute in a hardwood case. Our current dogs won't let me play the glass flute, my recorders, or my penny whistles. The pitch irritates them. They're fine with fiddles though. Critics!

 

[Joyful Uke]

The sitar seems daunting, but it's not really difficult. There are drone strings and sympathetic strings, as well as fingered ones.
You also commented on the gifted dulcimer. Those same ladies also gave me a glass flute in a hardwood case. Our current dogs won't let me play the glass flute, my recorders, or my penny whistles. The pitch irritates them. They're fine with fiddles though. Critics!

I have a dog who is very sound sensitive, too. She is very picky about music and various sounds. Fortunately, she doesn't mind my ukulele.
There were some advantages when I had a completely deaf dog, (birth defect), LOL.

I love hearing about people like those generous ladies. Kindness is a wonderful thing.

 

[MarTay6]

I purchased a Blue Lion and a McSpadden years ago- probably 20 years ago- and have never touched them.... just in their cases! The McSpadden has a pickup in it- I believe its a baritone... gorgeous instruments- just never learned to play them. Was heavily involved in Fingerstyle guitar.

 

[kkimura]

I purchased a Blue Lion and a McSpadden years ago- probably 20 years ago- and have never touched them.... just in their cases! The McSpadden has a pickup in it- I believe its a baritone... gorgeous instruments- just never learned to play them. Was heavily involved in Fingerstyle guitar.

Maybe time to open a case and see how it goes?

 

[Joyful Uke]

I purchased a Blue Lion and a McSpadden years ago- probably 20 years ago- and have never touched them.... just in their cases! The McSpadden has a pickup in it- I believe its a baritone... gorgeous instruments- just never learned to play them. Was heavily involved in Fingerstyle guitar.

As kkimura said, maybe now is a good time to learn to play them?

I would guess that 20 years ago, there weren't as many resources available to learning. One good thing about the internet is that it opens us up to a lot of possibilities. But then, you were involved in fingerstyle guitar, so maybe just didn't have enough time. I would think that your fingerstyle skills might help with learning this type of playing:



But then again, I could be totally wrong.

I haven't gotten started yet either. But winter is coming, and that always seems like a good time to stay indoors when I can, and learn new things.

 

[Renaissance-Man]

Thanks Joyful Uke for posting that fine video of Whiskey Before Breakfast. I flatpicked that tune for so many years on guitar. It's all muscle memory now; no need for a brain.

 

[frets alot]

I just received my 7th dulcimer. DAD (dulcimer acquisition disease) is as bad as UAS!

 

[Joyful Uke]

I just received my 7th dulcimer. DAD (dulcimer acquisition disease) is as bad as UAS!

Just from my browsing of dulcimer possibilities, I could see how that would happen.
Enjoy all 7 dulcimers!

 

[frets alot]

Just from my browsing of dulcimer possibilities, I could see how that would happen.
Enjoy all 7 dulcimers!

Thank you. Yes, some great options and some options to run away from. Knowledge is important. My 7 come from only 3 different builders.

 

[AZChris]

There is so much I don't know. At a folk festival a few years ago I saw some autoharp players that woke me up to autoharp not being that strummy elementary school out of tune thing. They had custom autoharps and could even play melodies on them and they stayed so well in tune they could jam with guitar players. I had no idea.

2-3 years ago I could not name a high quality brand of ukulele and did not realize uke could be a ton more than just strumming chords for accompaniment. I certainly didn't know the rabbit hole is so similar to guitar where I feel like I need lots (ALL) of sonic options.

I also had no idea the depth of the dulcimer world until this thread got me interested. I guess maybe I had not heard anything really played well on it and my recollection was a lot of droney everything-in-D sound. I've checked out videos and read up on some things that tell me that now I have to get one. I'm noticing tonewoods, sizes, string configurations are a thing in this world too.
I saw a 70's vintage McSpadden on offerup that the guy will take $120 for so I might jump into this thing a little. There is also one by a builder named Dorsey Williams that looks nice but I'm not finding much info on him. I will fight the obvious solution of buying both.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Well, you darn Dulcimerists have gone and got me interested. Which are the most popular — the tear drop kind or the hour glass kind?
Just what I need — another instrument . . .

 

[frets alot]

Well, you darn Dulcimerists have gone and got me interested. Which are the most popular — the tear drop kind or the hour glass kind?
Just what I need — another instrument . . .

The hourglass body is the most popular.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Where does one best obtain a Mountain Dulcimer?

 

[Down Up Dick]

McSpadden and Folkcraft are my two favorite. There are other fine builders too.

More than I wanna pay, What about some in the $200 range? What about Roosebeck or Apple Creek?

 

[frets alot]

More than I wanna pay, What about some in the $200 range? What about Roosebeck or Apple Creek

For $200, you're likely to get an instrument that is cheap and hard to play. The intonation, tone, and set-up will be substandard. They generally aren't like ukes, where you can get something pretty decent for $200. A used McSpadden would be the better way to go, and you can sometimes find them around $300. I would never recommend a Roosebeck or Apple Creek, if you really want to learn and give yourself a fair shake at it.

 

[Renaissance-Man]

More than I wanna pay, What about some in the $200 range? What about Roosebeck or Apple Creek?

I'm making this offer public to dissuade the notion that I'm making a direct solicitation. I have two dulcimers, and countless other musical instruments. I have a handmade hourglass mountain dulcimer that's about 40+ years old. It was made by Mr. Sams. Taken from Reverb.com, "J.D. Sams built high quality dulcimers between 1965 and 1973. He was a respected woodworker from North Carolina." Upon close inspection, there is a single crack on the back, running from the right end and ending about center. There are no cracks on the top soundboard or anywhere else.
If anyone is interested, you can message me directly from my profile.

 

[Down Up Dick]

For $200, you're likely to get an instrument that is cheap and hard to play. The intonation, tone, and set-up will be substandard. They generally aren't like ukes, where you can get something pretty decent for $200. A used McSpadden would be the better way to go, and you can sometimes find them around $300. I would never recommend a Roosebeck or Apple Creek, if you really want to learn and give yourself a fair shake at it.

Well, thanks for the info. I didn’t know they were that expensive. I don’t usually buy anything second hand, and I suppose I could live without another instrument. I‘ll think about it somemore.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Thanks, Renaissance, but I don’t think so.

 

[kkimura]

Well, thanks for the info. I didn’t know they were that expensive. I don’t usually buy anything second hand, and I suppose I could live without another instrument. I‘ll think about it somemore.

My brief experience with dulcimers is their cost roughly parallels the cost of ukuleles with the same parallel in quality.

 

[AZChris]

I ended up getting the McSpadden that I saw on offerup for $120. I suspect from what I have read that this was a good deal. According to the label it was made in March 1970 by L. McSpadden, model M12W (walnut, I'm sure). The guy has an amazing junk shop and showed me a big hammered dulcimer buried under some stuff that somebody could get real cheap I suspect. I need to keep track of this guy in case he runs across ukes. Now to tune this up and find some info on beginner tunes.