Dulcimer Mysteries And Histories
Good Morning, Everyone! And Happy Friday!
Today we're going to re-feature an "In The Shop" from November of 2023. It's the tale of a mystery dulcimer of unknown origins, dating way back to 1997. That's almost 30 years ago! As I shared with you last week, Richard has asked me to keep recycling his newsletter posts for the remainder of this month, so he can devote his time and energy into completing the move from Indiana to Michigan's U.P.
So today we're going to revisit a bit of dulcimer mystery and history.
Until next week,
Toya-Folkcraft-newsletter-editor-who-loves-mysteries-and-being-a-part-of-our-awesome-dulcimer-community
(November 10, 2023)
Good Morning, Y'all!
It has been a crazy week! Now that festival season is finished for the year, we're back in full "making instruments" mode. We have a good supply of orders which we've promised for Christmas, and barring machine breakdowns (or personnel breakdowns - Cheyenne, don't hurt yourself on that band saw!!!), we're on track for getting them all delivered in time.
Most of you know that Folkcraft started out in Vermont, and spent most of its life (before I took the reins in 2007) in Winsted, Connecticut. Well, here's an interesting bit of history for you! (and I have permission from everyone involved to share their stories here).
Monday morning's batch of emails included one with this message:
"I am trying to find information on a dulcimer I recently purchased. I am told it is a Folkcraft, however the label inside reads as follows:
Wil-Eze Would's
A Division Of JTW Enterprises
Mfg. for Common Treasury from
'Folkscrap'
2 July 1997
It is a beautifully-built instrument and I would just like to know more about it. The person who sold it to me said that he thought the person who built it was a craftsman named Wil at Folkcraft."
The label inside, visible from the sound hole, glued to the back of the dulcimer.
The dulcimer in question. The cat sound hole design is definitely Folkcraft's, and the instrument mostly looks like a 1990's FSH Series instrument. Mostly...
The person who sent the email mentioned that he lived in Winsted when he purchased the dulcimer.
The scroll head is correct for a production instrument from the 1990s.
It has a beautiful Western red cedar top, but the sound holes aren't placed quite right for the body shape. Something is "off"...
Mystery Solved
My first thought was that the instrument was a kit dulcimer, since the label inside was clearly NOT a Folkcraft label. But one of the top pieces clearly had a Folkcraft sound hole, which (to my knowledge) David (Marks) didn't sell with the dulcimer kits. By now, I was intrigued, so I contacted the expert, David Marks. David's reply was highly interesting:
Many of you knew both Dallas Cline and George Haggerty, and there definitely IS a lot of dulcimer history with just THOSE two people! There were a LOT of dulcimer luminaries associated with Folkcraft - even in those early days of the company. David seemed to have a knack for picking great people.
Dulcimer Side Hustle
So, long-story-to-short: A man named Wil sometimes worked at Folkcraft, and as a side hustle, assembled dulcimers from cast-off Folkcraft parts. Thanks to David (not Marks) the dulcimer's owner, and to David (Marks, this time) for giving me permission to share the information exchange with you all. Both of the Davids' messages to me were edited for clarity and brevity, so any typos introduced are all from my keyboard.
I love learning about the history of both Folkcraft Instruments and FolkRoots Dulcimers. A lot of history has been made over the decades. Click the link below for a high-level overview you might find interesting:
https://folkcraft.com/pages/folkcraft-through-the-years
Thanks for reading - I hope you all have great weekends!
Richard Ash, luthier-who-has-immense-respect-for-the-geniuses-who-made-Folkcraft-what-it-is-today
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: BECKY SROUFE
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Becky: Since around 2012 or so after watching someone play what I thought was a sideways guitar and finding out it was a mountain dulcimer
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Becky: In 2021, and it's still a beauty and a joy to play!
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Becky: Usually indoors at home with family, but occasionally I get brave enough to...
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!
To say we are thrilled to welcome new Folkcraft player, Becky Sroufe, to our world-wide, online dulcimer community doesn't even come close to expressing our delight! Thanks for showing the newsletter some love, Becky! There's still plenty of room in the Folkcraft family, folks! We know there are a lot more of you out there! Maybe we could feature you and your Folkcraft dulcimer(s) 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:
This week Mandy shows you another fun bluesy lick using that 1.5 fret. We'll put the skills and techniques we worked on in our previous two lessons into practice: 1) using the 1.5 fret; 2) practicing our alternate string picking; 3) using our flat picking techniques; and 4) paying attention to specific fingering. We encourage you to use these licks as examples to build your own, spice up your arrangements, and remember to have fun! Tabs included below. 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.
BAKER'S DOZEN #10 - RAGTIME & HONKY TONK
by Shelley Stevens
This fun, quirky book of sheet music features 13 classic American ragtime tunes arranged by Shelley Stevens. You'll be playing favorites by Scott Joplin and Hughie Cannon on your mountain dulcimer, and impressing your friends with your ragtime and honky tonk skills!
All arrangements include both standard notation and dulcimer tablature. (22 pages)
This book is published by Fingers Of Steel, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SONGS INCLUDED:
Alabama Jubilee - Composed by: George Cobb And Jack Yellen
Alexander’s Ragtime Band - Composed by: Irving Berlin
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? - Composed by: Hughie Cannon
Darktown Strutters’ Ball - Composed by: Shelton Brooks
Dill Pickle Rag - Composed by: Chas. E. Johnson
Down Home Rag - Composed by: Wilbur C. Sweatman
Down Yonder - Composed by: L. Wolfe Gilbert
Dulcimer Rag - Composed by: Shelley Stevens
Hello Ma Baby - Composed by: Joseph E. Howard And Ida Emerson
Hot Time In The Old Town - Composed by: Joe Hayden And Theo A. Metz
Peacherine Rag - Composed by: Scott Joplin
Ragtime Cowboy Joe - Composed by: Grant Clarke, Lewis F. Muir, and Maurice Abrahams
Waitin’ For The Robert E. Lee - Composed by: Lewis F. Muir And L. Wolfe Gilbert