John Bailey's dulcimer pic...WOW!!!!!

[Terry Hatfield]

John was having a bit of pic trouble. Perhaps someone who knows more about it than me (nearly anyone qualifies) can help him. The file is a psd. I assume that is not a file extension that can be posted here. I converted it to jpeg and here it is. Beautiful work John!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John Bailey]

Terry,

Thanks a million!! You made my day. BTW, the dulcimer on the right was a present to my wife for her birthday. I probably don't have to tell you guys that gifts like this can ease the costly purchase penchant some of us have for our hobby. Thanks again Terry.

John

[Jim Becker]

Beautiful instruments, Terry! BTW, "psd" is the Adobe Photoshop native format...something was likely changed or layered as you were playing and it was trying to save it in the native format which preserves things like layers.

[Terry Hatfield]

Beautiful instruments, Terry! BTW, "psd" is the Adobe Photoshop native format...something was likely changed or layered as you were playing and it was trying to save it in the native format which preserves things like layers.

j,

Johns sent it to me already in psd..which I had never heard of but then again what do I know. I opened it in PhotoImpact and then saved it in jpg after brightening it just a bit.

I'm just tickled to see the pic. Amazing work John. I think I better stick to square furniture.

t

[John Bailey]

Terry and Jim,

My wife says she has the camera set up to take pictures in "raw" format for an organization who uses the pictures in their literature. That's probably what caused the problems. It's a new camera and we are just figuring things out. I'll have to try to change it to jpeg before I send the next ones. Thanks!

John

[Steve Beadle]

Those are beautiful, John! I'd like to see a couple more pictures, from other angles, too. I have some luthier ambitions myself, and I aim one day to get into making a guitar from scratch. I think making a musical instrument out of wood is a very noble application of the woodworking art.

[Gary Whitt]

Very nice job!!!

Hope they sound as good as they look!!!

[John Bailey]

Steve,

We'll get some pictures up in a day or so. What kind of guitar do you plan to make?

John

[Jamey Amrine]

John, great looking dulcimers! Where is East Jordan? I am in Ann Arbor. I don't know if you saw my post in the design forum with the pictures of my fretless banjo: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...6&page=2&pp=15

This is the second banjo I have built. The first was mostly from parts, where on this one, I built the neck entirely myself.

I would love to discuss all things lutherie with you. How close are you to AA?

-Jamey

[Marc Hills]

We have a luthier in the house! Those are exquisite, John. Do they sound as good as they look? It doesn't look like they were stringed yet when the photos were taken. If I remember correctly, they take two drone strings and two more strings on which you play the melody.

Once upon a time, a very naive, romantic version of myself built a string dulcimer from a kit for my highschool sweetheart. I did all the work from my college dorm room with extremely limited tools. I recall getting very creative with rubber bands and clothes pins because I didn't own a single clamp.

I "stained" the wood using a particularly red 3 in 1 machine oil.

The amazing thing is that in spite of everything, it came out looking pretty good and sounded even better. The girlfriend is but a fond memory, but from what I last heard, she still owns and plays it.

It goes without saying that your work is considerably better than that of a teenager. Even one who was very much in love. Sorry about the reminisncence; it does take me back.

[John Bailey]

Jamie,

East Jordan is about 20 mi. East of Gaylord. It's close to Charlevoix. The banjo looks great. Do you play it? If so, you'll have to come up to the homestead and we can have a good ole' Arkansas "pickin'."

Marc,

The first dulcimer I made was down in Mt. View, Arkansas. I had a cheap one that wouldn't play in tune before that. There's a guy in Mt. View who makes, or made, dulcumers at the Signal Hill Music Shop. I went down and made the offer that I would pay him for one of his dulcimers if he let me build it with his guidance. He was great to work with and that dulcimer was probably the best one I made. I've made a couple dozen over the years. That first one had carved daisys instead of the traditional hearts for sound holes. My wife, at the time, liked daisys. I put a love note inside the dulcimer and gave it to her. That was wife #2 and I'm on wife #4, so that probably tells you I'm better at making dulcimers than holding on to wives. She kept the dulcimer. Seems that dulcimers pull on the heart strings of us woodworkers. BTW, they sound pretty good. The teardrop is on its second set of strings and I haven't fit the nut and strings on the other one yet. The teardrop is maple body, sides and fretboard with Sitka spruce top. The other is walnut body, sides and fretboard with western cedar top. While traditionaly there are two drones, I often play using all the strings in chord form.

John

[Marc Hills]

There's a guy in Mt. View who makes, or made, dulcumers at the Signal Hill Music Shop. I went down and made the offer that I would pay him for one of his dulcimers if he let me build it with his guidance. He was great to work with and that dulcimer was probably the best one I made.

One of the wisest investments you ever made, I'm sure. Ideally, something like that is how everyone should learn woodworking.