Dulcimer Sound Holes Extravaganza
Good Morning, Y'all & Happy Friday!
Here's a gentle reminder for each and every one of you: "Playing your dulcimer is better for your health, both physical and mental, than scrolling on your phone."
So once you've read through today's newsletter, put your phone away, and go make some music. It is good for you. Trust me. (Actually, it IS good for you - making music has all kinds of health benefits for humans of all ages. Lots of studies show better brain performance (and slower age-related declines), better happiness levels, and better physical health (lower blood pressure for all, but better lung capacity for those of us that sing while playing our instruments).
I suppose you could get some of those benefits from running a few eight-minute miles, but playing dulcimer (and singing while playing) is definitely more fun. And easier on the knees.
Enough about that - let's talk about sound holes for a moment!
Existing Sound Hole Options
We get a lot of people requesting custom sound holes for their new dulcimers. I'm happy to do the extra work, for sure - sometimes Y'all come up with some really great ideas. I'll break this into three levels of complexity:
1) Most of our existing sound holes have four of the same cutout: two holes at the upper bout, two holes at the lower bout. Here's an example:
The dulcimer pictured above has our "Classic F" sound hole. Times four. (The "Classic F" is absolutely our most popular design - traditional and elegant.)
But what happens if you don't want (for example) four of our "F" sound holes? What if you want two F's, and two of our "heart" sound holes? Not a problem. I'm happy to mix and match any of our existing sound holes. (Click on the image below to take a look at all the sound hole options we have available.)
We have more than a few choices!
Some of you are already planning a dulcimer, and you'll ask next (if we were talking on the phone) "What does this cost? How much extra?" The answer is "no extra charge." I'm good enough at manipulating images that I can do this in just a few minutes.
A Little More Complicated
So let's get a little more complicated, and a little more "custom!"
2) Original design. Something unique to you, for your instrument.
If you have a computer file, I can probably turn an outline into a simple cutout pretty quickly. An hour or two tops, sometimes a lot faster, depending on the complexity of the design, and the format of the computer file you provide. Something like this:
can be turned into a sound hole pretty quickly. Search for a "vector file" - this is the most common file format for images like this. Start your search with images.google.com, describe what you're looking for in the search, and add the phrase "vector" or "line art" to your search. To find the above sample file of an orange, I searched for "orange line art." There are lots of companies selling images like this, and they'll charge you a few dollars for the file. It is definitely money well spent, because it'll save a lot of time. You'll want to send me a link to the file, first (before buying), so I can let you know if I think it'll work for a sound hole!
What About Something Really, Really Cool?
3) At this point, you have left the realm of "Richard is okay with computer graphics, he can make this work" and now we've reached "we need a genius graphic artist that understands dulcimers, sound holes, and the tool Richard has (a laser cutter/engraver, by the way) to cut the sound holes into a dulcimer top." We're lucky enough to have Jon Tyner (Mandy's husband - you know Mandy as Banjo Lemonade) as a fantastic resource. He's designed several sound holes for us recently. He's a brilliant artist, one who happens to be an expert in computer graphics. Here's one of the sound hole designs Jon came up with for us:
Our customer asked for "blueberries and vines" and I think that Jon took this as a personal challenge, and came up with something utterly amazing!
If you look really closely, you'll see that each blueberry is a tiny hole. This dulcimer has dozens and dozens of tiny holes, which work the same, acoustically, as four larger sound holes. And it looks great!
Something like this is a lot of work for Jon, and I still have to edit his graphic work (he'll send me a vector file!) to make it laser cutter compatible. So it isn't cheap - this level of work can easily run into the hundreds of dollars. But if you're putting it on a custom rosewood dulcimer with a pickup, a Galax back, and an ebony fretboard veneer? It adds maybe 10% to an instrument's total cost. It can be a lot, but in the scheme of things, it isn't that bad. (And if your design inspires me, I might just pay for part of Jon's time, so that I can use the image for future dulcimers!)
So, what's going to be the sound hole for YOUR next dulcimer? Start dreaming now. And call me when you're ready to move forward!
Will Folkcraft Be At Any Festivals This Year?
I've gotten several emails this week asking about "Are you going to Evart?" or "Are you going to Black Mountain"? (Evart, MI, and Black Mountain, NC, are the cities that host two of the largest dulcimer festivals.) The short answer is "No, I'm not going this year." Perhaps next year, but I'm not planning on vending at any festivals in 2026. There's a folk music festival not far from our new shop, and I know at least one of the performers. So I'll make a day trip, and take a dulcimer to jam with, but that's not a "work" festival, it's a "Richard go have fun and enjoy the music" festival. And it's less than an hour's drive!
Racking Up The Miles
As a contrast, the four festivals I've attended most often over the past 15 years?
Evart, MI (ODPC Funfest) - 5-hour drive from Rock, Michigan.
Bardstown, KY (Kentucky Music Week) - 12-hour drive from Rock.
Black Mountain, NC (Black Mountain Music Fest) - 16-hour drive from Rock.
Homosassa, FL (Florida Gulf Coast Dulcimer Retreat) - 23-hour drive from Rock.
Keeping Busy Building Dulcimers
My focus this summer is to 1) get dulcimer orders caught up (thanks for being patient, Y'all!), 2) build up a supply of "ready to ship" dulcimers, and 3) get the new shop set up and working productively. The move from Indiana to Michigan put me way behind on dulcimer orders, ran my "in stock" selection down to just a few instruments, and took a well-oiled workshop and turned it into a jumble of boxes and "tools that are in one of those boxes, but which one?" We're gaining on things in all three fronts - special order instruments, ready-to-ship dulcimers, and getting things unpacked. I will sleep better at night when we have things back to "normal." I need shop time to make "normal" happen, and that's why we're not vending at any of this year's dulcimer festivals.
Thanks for reading, Y'all - Have a great weekend. Now think about the first paragraph of this email. And do it, please. Put your phone away, and go make some music!
Richard Ash - luthier-who-loves-to-make-the-instruments-that-go-on-your-laps
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: DOUG LONDRAVILLE
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Doug: I have been playing hammered dulcimer since 2005.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Doug: I bought my L16/17 hammered dulcimer in 2005, when Folkcraft/Legend was making dulcimers in Winsted, CT.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Doug: I play my hammered dulcimer daily, in my music room. Of all my instruments (drums, piano, vibes, marimba, hammered dulcimer), my dogs prefer the hammered dulcimer. (In this photo, I am performing at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA.)
Folkcraft: What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing the dulcimer?
Doug: I am a drummer and percussionist (since 1961). As the hammered dulcimer is a percussion instrument, I thought I’d better get one. I met Paul Reisler after a Trapezoid concert and told him I was a percussionist, and vibraphone player, and was interested in the hammered dulcimer. Paul said that I should be able to adapt quickly to hammered dulcimer. (Twenty plus years later I’m still adapting.)
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE DOUG & YOU!
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE WANT TO INTERVIEW YOU!!
No new player to add to our online dulcimer community today, but we are glad to be able to re-feature Folkcraft hammered dulcimer player, Doug Londraville, who's had his L16/17 for over 20 years now. Hope you're still out there playing & adapting, Doug.
There's still plenty of room for more of you, folks! 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:
With this video, Mandy adds a picking pattern to our three chords for the "Boil Them Cabbage Down" song we've been working on. Picking patterns can add variety to our playing and greatly improve our pick accuracy, so it’s a great way to practice. 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.
If we're all going to act on Richard's advice to do something good for our health and play our dulcimers this weekend - how about a couple of books full of fiddle tunes to keep us company? There's nothing better in life than learning a new fiddle tune. Slight hyperbole, maybe, but it is a great feeling! Here's a great book of classic fiddle tunes by Shelley Stevens, and another bookful of fiddle tunes by Larry Conger which might not all be as familiar. Since they're both available as downloads, you can start enjoying these songs right away. Click on either cover to download and get playing!
We're happy to introduce Volume 2 of the "Baker's Dozen" series from Shelley Stevens! This great collection includes 13 classic American fiddle tunes, each presented with both standard notation and dulcimer tablature. Enjoy playing these beloved tunes on your mountain dulcimer with this fun and engaging songbook. (21 pages)
Larry Conger has put together a fine new book that has a bunch of songs that most of us don't yet know. It has great arrangements (Larry!), and the tunes are a ton of fun. Add this collection to your library today! (All tunes in DAD, some capo required - 36 pages)
SONGS:
Blackberry Blossom
Flop-Eared Mule
Flying Hog Reel
Folding Down The Sheets
Jenny Lind Polka
Johnson Boys
Petronella
Shady Grove
Shakin’ Down The Corn
St. Anne’s Reel
Staten Island
Whiskey Before Breakfast (Fiddle Style)
Whiskey Johnny
SONGS INCLUDED:
Bumble Bee In A Hollow Log
Captain Jinks
Denis Murphy's Slide
Farmer's Jamboree
Happy Jack
Jock Tamson's Hornpipe
Liverpool Hornpipe
North Shore
Off She Goes
Rickett's Hornpipe
Smash The Windows
Soldier's Joy
The Old Red Barn
Yonder She Goes
These books are published by Fingers Of Steel, and are made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
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