Anyone made a mountain dulcimer?

[Chris Barton]

I have been interested in making some mountain dulcimers lately and have gotten some plans and have all the equipment needed. I also have one video on making the particular dulcimer that I have in mind but, wondered if anyone else had given these a try and what insights you would have on their construction.

Thanks,

Chris

[Michael Stafford]

Chris, as close as you are to John C. Campbell Folk Art School near Murphy, NC you should take a class there in making a dulcimer. They hold classes in making them fairly frequently. This school is a wonderful way to spend a week. You stay in cabins, eat family style in a dining room with a wonderful chef preparing your meals. There are no TV's, telephones, or other distractions and most of the people there are about our age. One of my favorite places in the world. If you are interested just go to:

www.folkschool.org

and order a catalog.

Take my word for it, a wonderful place to visit. They offer courses in nearly everything at one time or another.

[Chris Barton]

Hi Mike,

I have considered taking some classes there as well as Arrowmont but, more specifically classes in advanced hollow form turning and marquetry/veneering advanced techniques. JCC has Larry Hasiak teaching a hollow form class in early September that I am planning to attend. You are correct in that both of these school offer great programs and that the experience can be second to none. So, I know that I will be spending 2 weeks this summer at one or both of these schools. Another great offering is from Tennessee Tech at their center for the arts on Center Hill lake.

Thanks,

Chris

[Rick Whitehead]

I used to make them 30 years ago. I made about 35 of them.
I hand-bent the sides over a hot pipe and used an outside mold for assembly.I used mostly spruce for tops and koa for backs and sides.I used a hollow fingerboard for most of them, and felt that it did make a difference.
I still have most of my molds and patterns and some wood.If you're interested in them, send me a PM.
PM me with your questions, and I'll do my best to answer them.
Rick

[Chris Barton]

Thanks Rick for your generous offer. The design I will be using is from Gary Mahoney of Berea College and incorporates a hollow fret board. I plan to use some spalted curly maple for the body of my first one and some kingwood for the fret board. I am certain I will be in touch! Thanks again Rick.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Chris.........I built 1.........over 30 years ago..........for one of my sisters. I don't remember enough to give you any advice.

[Corey Hallagan]

Chris, I hope you post your progress when you start your dulcimer. I always thought it would be cool to make one of these. Are you a fan of DIY's Handmade Music? I have enjoyed that whole series.

Corey

[Chris Barton]

Chris, I hope you post your progress when you start your dulcimer. I always thought it would be cool to make one of these. Are you a fan of DIY's Handmade Music? I have enjoyed that whole series.

Corey

Hiya Corey,

In fact, that is the very dulcimer that I plan to make, with a few modifications. I downloaded the plans from their site and have done a lot of research about dulcimers in general. So, I am going to give it a go. I just received my fret wire and tuning pegs (I chose to buy mine as machine heads). You can bet that I will post my progress on this project. I too have enjoyed the Handmade music program and Lynn Dudenbostel who made the guitar and mandolin lives just to the east of me in Knoxville (Dick Parr country) DIYNET's home base.

[Joe Stallard]

Hey Doc,
Did you know that on the eastern end of the state lived the king of dulcimers? Mr. Robert Mize of Blountville, TN was known as the master dulcimer maker. His dulcimers were presented to past presidents, other country leaders, and locals that keep mountain style music alive. Our Senior Center in Kingsport has classes every winter. By meeting one night a week for 8 weeks the enrollee can build their own dulcimer. My brother and I attended one winter and a suprise guest one night was Mr. Mize. He brought several of his masterpieces and they were beautiful. Brother and I have made 20 some, using every kind of wood we had at the time. You will be surprised at the difference in sound from the woods. We made a simple steamer of PVC pipe with steam coming from a tea kettle. We would bend our sides around our chosen form, made by drawing the shape onto plywood and then using dowell pins to make the shape. They were fun to build and give away. Have you ever heard the beautiful melody coming from a hammer dulcimer? ;)

[Chris Barton]

Hey Doc,
Did you know that on the eastern end of the state lived the king of dulcimers? Mr. Robert Mize of Blountville, TN was known as the master dulcimer maker. His dulcimers were presented to past presidents, other country leaders, and locals that keep mountain style music alive. Our Senior Center in Kingsport has classes every winter. By meeting one night a week for 8 weeks the enrollee can build their own dulcimer. My brother and I attended one winter and a suprise guest one night was Mr. Mize. He brought several of his masterpieces and they were beautiful. Brother and I have made 20 some, using every kind of wood we had at the time. You will be surprised at the difference in sound from the woods. We made a simple steamer of PVC pipe with steam coming from a tea kettle. We would bend our sides around our chosen form, made by drawing the shape onto plywood and then using dowell pins to make the shape. They were fun to build and give away. Have you ever heard the beautiful melody coming from a hammer dulcimer? ;)

Joe, Thanks so much for this information. I have heard of Mr Mize! Thanks for your information about the steam unit you guys made from PVC and a kettle! I have seen similar rigs and I guess the bottom line is that whatever works for someone should be considered as a possible solution. I have considered the torch and steel pipe method as well as the steaming method and I think I will probably try the steaming method first because I think I might be more successful at making two symetric sides (traditional teardrop shape) using a steamer and forms than relying on my hand bending skills. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

[Chris Barton]

Joe,

PS: I am in your neck of the woods every few months. maybe we can share a meal one day.

[John Bailey]

Chris,

I've made a couple dozen mountain dulcimers. They were my own design. I think you'll find they are relatively easy to make. There are two things I was taught by Art West, of Mt. View, AR when he taught me to make mountain dulcimers. The first was, don't heat bend the sides. He felt soaking the sides in water for a couple of days, clamping them to a jig and letting them dry formed the curves enough. He said the tension that was left in the wood after the sides were glued was good for the tone. I don't really know if he was right about that, but that's the way I've always done it. The second, was to make sure the bridge can be adjusted, up and down the fretboard, a bit. As heat and humidity change, or different size and type strings are used, the strings will need a slightly different length to play in tune. After playing many dulcimers, I can attest that the dulcimers with this feature do play in tune easier.

I made most of mine out of cherry, maple and walnut. Most people make them out of hardwood for the sides and back and spruce or cedar for the top. Probably half of mine were made like that, but I tended to like the all hardwood ones best. They had a little "dirtier" tone to them that I felt sounded more folky. My favourite was made out of wormy chestnut, although it's hard not to get splits in the wood. I read in a Foxfire book that wormy chestnut was popular for duclimers.

I attached a picture of my most recents dulcimers that I made a couple years ago. Feel free to ask any questions.


36445


John

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John......the dulcimer on the right is nearly identical to the one I made 30 years ago. I have it on a shelf at home. You'd be shocked how much alike they are! I made this one for a nowdeceased younger sister out of mahogoney(sp?).

[John Bailey]

Ken,

I made that one out of cedar for the top and walnut for the sides and back. It's been done for about a year now and I still haven't put strings on it. I started building my shop and I wanted to wait to get a drill press to drill the holes for the pegs. I seemed to always get those a little crooked doing them by hand.

Maybe you could figure out a way to turn one on your new lathe.

John

[Chris Barton]

Chris,

I've made a couple dozen mountain dulcimers. They were my own design. I think you'll find they are relatively easy to make. There are two things I was taught by Art West, of Mt. View, AR when he taught me to make mountain dulcimers. The first was, don't heat bend the sides. He felt soaking the sides in water for a couple of days, clamping them to a jig and letting them dry formed the curves enough. He said the tension that was left in the wood after the sides were glued was good for the tone. I don't really know if he was right about that, but that's the way I've always done it. The second, was to make sure the bridge can be adjusted, up and down the fretboard, a bit. As heat and humidity change, or different size and type strings are used, the strings will need a slightly different length to play in tune. After playing many dulcimers, I can attest that the dulcimers with this feature do play in tune easier.

I made most of mine out of cherry, maple and walnut. Most people make them out of hardwood for the sides and back and spruce or cedar for the top. Probably half of mine were made like that, but I tended to like the all hardwood ones best. They had a little "dirtier" tone to them that I felt sounded for folky. My favourite was made out of wormy chestnut, although it's hard not to get splits in the wood. I read in a Foxfire book that wormy chestnut was popular for duclimers.

I attached a picture of my most recents dulcimers that I made a couple years ago. Feel free to ask any questions.



36445




John

Thanks so much for sharing your experience John! And, the picture is great. I have a lot to learn about this undertaking and I will certainly be in touch. Keep up the good work!

[John Bailey]

Thanks Chris,

Just an aside, the first time I saw a mountain dulcimer was in Berea, KY. I wonder if it was Gary. It was a long time ago, can't remember how long, and the guy said he had just opened his shop. The way I remember it, it wasn't at the college, but in the downtown area. It had to be 25, maybe 30 years ago.

John

[JOHN E Tarro]

John, was his name Warren May? If that was him, he still has a nice shop there. with his Ducimers, he makes furniture. He is quite a guy.

http://warrenamay.com/Default.htm

[John Bailey]

John,

That was so long ago I'm not sure I remeber what my name was back then. But it could have been. Let's see, it was before son #1 (1983) and after wife #1 (1978). That means it was somewhere between 23 and 28 years ago. Too long for this mind. My secretaries always said I had sometimers disease, sometimes I remembered, sometimes I didn't.

John

[Frank Fusco]

John, I live near Mountain View, Arkansas. Never made one but am familiar with it's huge popularity around here. I do know that some folks will argue that a dulcimer never gets 'out of tune'. ;) And, double surprised you didn't ressurect the old argument that the dulcimer is really an Ozarks instrument, not Applalachian. Those easterners stole the idea. :)
Frank








Chris,

I've made a couple dozen mountain dulcimers. They were my own design. I think you'll find they are relatively easy to make. There are two things I was taught by Art West, of Mt. View, AR when he taught me to make mountain dulcimers. The first was, don't heat bend the sides. He felt soaking the sides in water for a couple of days, clamping them to a jig and letting them dry formed the curves enough. He said the tension that was left in the wood after the sides were glued was good for the tone. I don't really know if he was right about that, but that's the way I've always done it. The second, was to make sure the bridge can be adjusted, up and down the fretboard, a bit. As heat and humidity change, or different size and type strings are used, the strings will need a slightly different length to play in tune. After playing many dulcimers, I can attest that the dulcimers with this feature do play in tune easier.

I made most of mine out of cherry, maple and walnut. Most people make them out of hardwood for the sides and back and spruce or cedar for the top. Probably half of mine were made like that, but I tended to like the all hardwood ones best. They had a little "dirtier" tone to them that I felt sounded more folky. My favourite was made out of wormy chestnut, although it's hard not to get splits in the wood. I read in a Foxfire book that wormy chestnut was popular for duclimers.

I attached a picture of my most recents dulcimers that I made a couple years ago. Feel free to ask any questions.



36445




John

[John Bailey]

Frank,

I like the saying "Thar ain't no notes on a dulcimer, you jist play the dang thing!!"

I don't have any idea where they originated. I've seen similar instruments in Greece also. I suspect, because of the simplicity of the sound and drive of the drones, "folks" all over the world have similar instruments.

I was in Mt. View last year. I hadn't been there in 25 years or so. It sure has changed.

John

[Frank Fusco]

Frank,

I like the saying "Thar ain't no notes on a dulcimer, you jist play the dang thing!!"

I don't have any idea where they originated. I've seen similar instruments in Greece also. I suspect, because of the simplicity of the sound and drive of the drones, "folks" all over the world have similar instruments.

I was in Mt. View last year. I hadn't been there in 25 years or so. It sure has changed.

John

Changed since then too. They now have TWO traffic lights!
Cheers, Frank