It Takes A Lot Of Parts To Make A Dulcimer Kit
Good Morning, Y'all
Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is going to be as awesome as mine is! We'll be seeing John and Karen Keane this afternoon, as they arrive just in time for tomorrow's Second Saturday Clinic. This is our last Clinic of 2024, I'll be posting our 2025 schedule later on this fall. We've had a great year, with classes by Bing Futch, Dave Haas, Mandy Tyner, and (tomorrow) John and Karen Keane. Some of the best artist/instructors around - for sure!
It has been a busy week for us here at the shop, I'll share some photos of Dad's project for the past few days.
Dad's been making heads for our walnut hourglass dulcimer kits. He started with a plank of lumber ten feet long, and two inches thick:
He ripped the planks to width (4 1/8"), cut them to length (32"), and then to thickness (1 3/8"). Just a bit oversize to start with, then he sanded each piece to the exact finished dimension.
Then he used his router to cut the heads to shape:
In this photo he's using a jig to hold each head upright, so the table saw can cut the side notches:
A nearly finished head looks like this:
You can see the notch about an inch from the right side of the head. There's a matching notch on the other side of the head. As a kit dulcimer is assembled, the side slides into the notch (along with some glue) for a secure connection.
Cheyenne made a batch of kit fretboards last week, and Casey made some side sets this morning. We're almost ready to make a dozen walnut hourglass kits. Which is good, because we're out of them. Again!
Here's what we include with each hourglass kit:
There are a lot of parts - precision cut - and the parts will make a beautiful instrument for a hobbyist to assemble and play. Who would have thought that a two-inch-thick plank of wood could make a nice-sounding dulcimer?
Anyway, that's it for this week - thank you for reading - have a great weekend!
Richard Ash - luthier-who-oozes-walnut-sawdust-when-he-gets-too-warm
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: KNOX WELSH
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Knox: My name is Knox Welsh and I live in Tauranga, New Zealand. I have been playing the dulcimer for a number of years.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Knox: I purchased a Folkcraft dulcimer in 2017. It is beautifully made with a lovely tone. It has 4 strings, a butternut top and walnut back and sides. I think it is my most treasured instrument.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Knox: I enjoy playing the dulcimer on my own and creating tunes with other musicians who play guitar and mandolin. I find Bing Futch’s playing inspiring.
Folkcraft: What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing the dulcimer?
Knox: I also play guitar — finger-style and classical — and banjo.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE KNOX & YOU!
HELLO OUT THERE - FUTURE FEATURED FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS
WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM MORE OF YOU SOON!
We are thrilled to welcome Knox Welsh to our global online dulcimer community today.
Who's Going To Write In Next? Keep This Thing Going?
It really is super-easy to join our online dulcimer community. Just three easy steps:
1) Reply to this newsletter email
2) With answers to the four questions below
3) Attach a photo of yourself with your Folkcraft dulcimer(s)
We look forward to hearing from you and 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?
FOR JUST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER 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)
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
Learn how to spice up your melody! Mandy starts out the video with a simple tune, then adds some decorations. Hammer-ons, pull-offs, and all kinds of fun fluff. Perfect for a strong beginner, or intermediate player. Just click on the image below to watch.
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.
SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL FLATPICKING
by Aaron O'Rourke
"Flatpicking." Not that hard, right? You play your dulcimer with a flat pick. Got it. Done. Moving on...
Not so fast, there! When we talk about flatpicking, we're discussing a whole range of skills and techniques, from using (of course!) a pick, but also where to pick, how to pick, when to choose one string over another, how to hold the pick, how to hold the instrument, and so much more.
This is the perfect book for someone that already plays the mountain dulcimer, either as a fingerpicker (don't get me started again) or as a strummer. Once you get your head around the techniques that Aaron lays out for us here, you'll be able to create your own, unique style of play, mixing flatpicking with strumming and (if you're up for it) a bit of fingerpicking.
The more you know, the better you play. The better you play, the more fun it is.
As usual, you can't go wrong with any of Aaron's books, and this is one of his very best.
This book is published by Folkcraft Instruments, under the Fingers Of Steel imprint, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
