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Old School

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 5:35 pm
by Dale Penrose
Was recently asked to build a "old style mountain dulcimer", three strings, hand carved pegs, and staple frets. Twas a fun build, had to learn how to make the frets. Here's a short clip of the new owner with his dulcimer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4uOuN0Ky4M&t=3s

Re: Old School

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 6:26 pm
by Gordon Bellerose
Very nice! Beautiful black walnut.
Nice tone too!

Re: Old School

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:07 pm
by Bob Francis
Sounds great!

Re: Old School

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:24 am
by Karl Wicklund
That’s nice sounding Dulcy-more! Did you bend the staple wire for the frets yourself or did you source some found industrial piece for it? I’ve seen staple frets on a very few instruments and they’ve all been a little different, as I guess befits a folk instrument.

Great work!

Re: Old School

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:51 am
by Bryan Bear
Very nice!

Dale, are you also in the St. Louis area?

Re: Old School

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:59 am
by Mark Wybierala
I've really got to build a dulcimer. It looks like it would be such a wonder instrument to sit and noodle lending itself to sound like you know what you're doing when you really don't -- always open to actually learning for real like I've done with mandolin. I call it faking talent really well. Your dulcimer is beautiful. I appreciate that there is a tradition behind these beautiful instruments.

Re: Old School

Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 10:21 pm
by Steve Sawyer
Years ago, I started a dulcimer. Every so often, I "find" the bundle of parts, or the plans, and think "I really should finish that".

I really need to put this into the build queue. After the current build. And the bass that's next up. And the re-fret on my Strat...

Re: Old School

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:46 am
by Dale Penrose
Karl Wicklund, I bent the staples myself out of .042 music wire. Once I got the hang of it, it went quickly.
Bryan Bear, I'm in Webster Groves, we'll have to meet up for a beer someday at Urban Chestnut.

Re: Old School

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:51 pm
by Bryan Bear
Dale, we have a gathering every year at Hibdon Hardwoods. It pretty low key, just a day of showing your work, some demos and hanging out talking about instrument making. We get folks from around the area come in for the day. You should come. I just found your Facebook page, so I know you are on FB. Look for Gateway Area Luthier Assembly.

Re: Old School

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 8:00 am
by Mark Wybierala
Got wood yesterday for dulcimer. Curly maple and Spanish Cedar for soundboard.

Re: Old School

Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 8:38 am
by Clay Schaeffer
Hi Dale,
Nice to see you are still building dulcimers. Is the Sweet Music Digest still going? Somewhere in changing computers over the years I lost track of it. John Stockard visited here several years back, but I haven't kept up with the people from the group to know how they are doing.