Almost 10 Years of LAP-JO Building!
Good Morning, Y'all!
Wouldn't it be fun to be able to play every instrument on earth? Most of us don't have time to learn them all, and I totally understand. Making our dulcimer/banjo hybrid, the Folkcraft LAP-JO, was totally a selfish (for me) endeavor. I loved the banjo, and the sound of a banjo, but recognized that as a self-employed entrepreneur, I didn't have the thousands of hours available on my calendar to learn a brand new instrument. Making the LAP-JO allowed me to have the sound of a banjo, with the techniques I had already (to some degree, at least) learned for the mountain dulcimer.
A Full Decade Of LAP-JOs
Steve (my brother) and I prototyped a slew of instruments that eventually became the LAP-JO back in January of 2016, and next month we'll have completed 10 full years of LAP-JO building. Kind of cool. There are a slew of LAP-JOs out there, now, and I suspect a lot of them went to dulcimer players who are in the same boat as me - we love the sound of a banjo, but don't have time to learn a new instrument.
Recent Fascination
Lately I've been fascinated with an instrument usually found in Austria and Slovenia. (And probably other countries, too, but the instrument is most common in that particular part of the world...) The instrument is diatonic, like a dulcimer (which only adds to the cool factor, of course). It is a type of accordion, called the "steirische harmonika." I came across this beautiful version of "Verena Waltz" the other day, and decided to share it in one of our weekly newsletters. If you're up for a YouTube video that isn't about cats, or dulcimer players, check this out:
Verena Waltz Played On The Steirische Harmonika
This particular video has a younger player, but there are thousands of videos online featuring this amazing instrument, with players of all ages. Enjoy, and leave a nice comment for the player if you liked her performance!
In the shop this week? We're making dulcimers. Of course. Cheyenne was sanding a dulcimer top yesterday, and when he moved from our sanding table (30" x 42" of sandpaper, glued face up to a flat surface) to the assembly table, he left behind an interesting pattern of sawdust:
Our vine heart sound hole design (close-up view above) was left behind on the sanding table, with sawdust as the "paint." How cool is that? Cheyenne was sanding the top of the dulcimer, in preparation for attaching the fretboard. He was using the sanding table's grit to hold on to the "inside" of the top as he used very fine sandpaper on the "outside" of the top. It looked pretty neat, to me, so I took a couple of photos to share with you.
Question For Y'all
So I have to ask you: What's your goal, musically, for 2026? Learn a new instrument (banjo, steirische harmonika, ukulele, etc.)? Learn a new tune? Finally master "Over The Waterfall"? (Here's my cousin Joe playing that tune on guitar to get you inspired.) Maybe go to the Black Mountain Music Fest for the first time? Let me know, I'll share a few of your ideas in an upcoming newsletter. Just maybe, you'll inspire someone who hears your goal into doing something neat with their own music.
I sure appreciate you reading this! Let me know if one of your goals is to have a new dulcimer made. It just so happens, I know somebody who can help with that.
Thanks for reading - have a great weekend!
Richard Ash - luthier-who-is-seriously-considering-buying-a-steirische-harmonika-that-can-play-in-the-key-of-D
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LUCY BOTTCHER
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Lucy: I got my first dulcimer about 35 years ago, but I didn’t really start playing until I retired 3 ½ years ago.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Lucy: I got my first Folkcraft dulcimer used from Reverb about 3 years ago. My favorite Folkcraft is the one I’m holding in the picture. It was custom-made by Richard Ash out of black walnut from a beloved old tree in our yard that died and had to be removed. If you look closely, you can see the walnut leaf sound holes that Richard and I designed together.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Lucy: The only time I’ve ever played with others was at the Dulcimer Week at the Wallowas in Oregon last June. Normally, I just play on my own. I have my dulcimers within reach, and a table set up with...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF LUCY'S INTERVIEW AND READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE LUCY AND YOU!
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!
We are thrilled to usher in our first new member of 2026 to our world-wide, online dulcimer community. Welcome to the family, Lucy! Maybe it could be you next week?
Who's Going To Write In Next? Keep The Family Growing?
It really is super-easy to join our online dulcimer community. Just three easy steps:
1) Send an email to: newsletter@folkcraft.com
2) With the answers to the four questions below
3) Attach a photo of yourself with your Folkcraft dulcimer(s)
We look forward to receiving your submission & featuring you in our newsletter real soon!
1. How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
2. When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
3. Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
4. What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing dulcimer?
WE'RE OFFERING A $25 FOLKCRAFT GIFT CARD TO ANYONE WHO ANSWERS THE FOUR EASY QUESTIONS LISTED ABOVE, AND SENDS IN A PHOTO (OF YOU WITH YOUR FOLKCRAFT DULCIMER). IT'S REALLY SO EASY TO DO!
WE JUST LOVE HEARING FROM Y'ALL!
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
Here's the second video in our three-part series. Hosted by Bing Futch - newer players should watch and learn! Click on the image below to listen & learn.
We have a slew (that's a fancy luthier word for "bunch") of videos for you to watch on our YouTube channel. Click here to see the full list. Be sure to comment on a video, and subscribe to the channel - either action helps us a LOT with YouTube's suggestion algorithms.
HOEDOWNS & BREAKDOWNS
by Larry Conger
You can't have a dance (hoedown or otherwise) without some great music. You won't find any crooked tunes here (well, not many) - you'll find great melodies, danceable rhythms, and a ton of fun. There are 28 traditional American fiddle tunes designed to challenge and develop the skills of the advancing intermediate player. All songs are in DAD tuning with no capo needed. Standard musical notation and guitar accompaniment chords are included. You NEED this book in your dulcimer music library. (29 pages) See below for the complete song list.
This book is published by Dulcimerican Music, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SONGS INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK:
Bear Creek Hop
Black Eyed Susan
Bob-Tailed Mule
Bug in the Taters
Cherokee Shuffle
Cluck Old Hen
Cumberland Gap
Devil at the Groundhog
Dirty Sheets
Dry And Dusty
Folding Down The Sheets
Forks of Big Sandy
Fortune
Georgia Railroad
Golden Slippers
Hair In The Butter
Hawks & Eagles
Hoe The Corn, Moses
Lost Indian
Martha Won't Let You Have Some Good Old Cider
Old Yeller Dog
Ora Lee
Sally In The Garden
Shove That Pigs Foot A Little Farther In The Fire
Spotted Pony
Throw The Old Cow Over The Fence
Goodbye Liza Jane
Great Big Taters in Sandy Land