Making Magic Happen With Creativity & Epoxy
Good Morning, Y'all!
This is the last newsletter of October, 2024. And at this point, you've missed the chance to order custom-built dulcimers for Christmas gifts, or even for Valentine's Day. But, St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and if you order in the next week, you'll have your custom-built dulcimer in time for that holiday!
Your St. Patrick's Day dulcimer doesn't have to have an Irish theme, but it definitely COULD. Here are a couple of appropriate sound holes:
Steve (my brother) designed these sound holes (pictured above) for the police chief of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, quite a while ago, and they have been popular ever since.
Ready to order your St. Patrick's Day dulcimer? Here's the link for our "Design Your Own" Custom Series dulcimers.
But if you're still thinking "Christmas" for your next dulcimer selection, here's what we have in stock as of today. Almost all of these dulcimers are set up as 3-string, standard dulcimers. But they can all be set up as baritones, or as basses. And a pickup can be added to any of them. And they can (nearly) all be set up with four strings, instead of the stock 3-string setup. All you have to do is ask, and we can usually make it happen for you.
Flipper Fretboard Inlay Project
Speaking of "ask" - here's a special fretboard we just finished for a customer's instrument. It has a nice looking dolphin inlay between frets 4 and 5:
We've done a few instruments over the years with inlays, or special fretboard decorations. This one started out as a "hole" in the fretboard. Dolphin-shaped, of course:
Dad (Jim Ash) built a dam around the hole, then mixed up a special batch of epoxy (the same stuff they make carbon fiber material with):
The epoxy we use is hard, durable, and a great adhesive. We mix it in small batches (a few ounces at a time) then use it right away, before it cures. Epoxy doesn't "dry" like regular glue, it hardens in place, without losing liquid. There's no "evaporative" process involved. Epoxy is impervious to moisture changes, which is why we use it for gluing fretboard veneers to our fretboards. (This makes a more stable fretboard, which is kind of important for playability!)
Epoxy is generally clear, so we have experimented with adding pigments to give it some color. We tried adding mica powder (mica is a mineral that, even in powder form, is really sparkly, and looks awesome mixed with epoxy), but it turns out that even under vacuum, we couldn't get rid of the bubbles that came with mixing in the powder.
So Dad found a white pigment made specifically for epoxy, and when cured, the pigmented epoxy looks very nearly like a mother of pearl clamshell. We use mother of pearl clamshell position dots, so getting that "look" was perfect!
Our test fretboard, after sanding off the dam, and the extra epoxy:
Please ignore that frets 4 and 5 got filled up with epoxy - this is a TEST fretboard, not an actual customer's instrument! You can see where the double dots would be installed (at fret 7) if this was a good fretboard. I think this chunk of mahogany had a big knot on one end, so we couldn't use it for a "real" fretboard, but it was perfectly useful for testing epoxy.
It is neat, what we can do with interesting graphics, epoxy, and wood. This dolphin inlay took us several hours of shop time, but I think we can get it down to under two hours with some practice.
Thanks for reading, Y'all - have a great weekend!
Richard Ash, luthier-who's-been-singing-the-"Flipper"-theme-song-as-he-typed-this
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: KAREN Z
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Karen: I have been playing my dulcimer since 2017. However, I bought my first dulcimer in 1978 at the Ann Arbor, MI, Art Fair because I loved the sound of it. I couldn't find an instructor or anyone to help me learn to play, so it ended up in my closet. Then, in 2017, I visited a friend who was recovering from surgery. She was very excited to show me the instrument that she was learning to play through a group that met at our senior center. It was a mountain dulcimer. She introduced me to the group and an instructor. Together they helped me get my dulcimer and playing up to snuff. I love it!
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Karen: I have always had my eye on the Folkcraft line of dulcimers. And this year (2024) I decided I deserved to have one. Richard graciously let me play the one I am holding in the photo during a class at Dulcimer Doin's in Ohio - and I fell in love with it. I call her Melody Rose. (I think that sounds very Mountainy)
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Karen: I jam with a group nearby twice a month. We perform at one of the Senior Living Centers monthly. I have also played with a group called the Strumboli's at parties and events. I enjoy playing on my back porch, too, and at the lake. The dulcimer has introduced me to many wonderful people and music. Richard Ash is one of those people.
Folkcraft: What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing dulcimer?
Karen: When I'm not playing I enjoy reading, hiking, Zumba and water aerobics. I am blessed to be able to travel with my husband who enjoys playing the guitar. My retirement years have been the best years for this new Folkcraft owner.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE KAREN & YOU!
HELLO FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE KNOW THERE ARE MORE OF YOU OUT THERE! WRITE HOME SOON!
No new Folkcraft Player today, but we are glad to re-feature Karen and her beloved Folkcraft dulcimer, "Melody Rose."
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:
This week is an intro to the baritone dulcimer - and how to play it with standard dulcimers - in two ways. Have fun! 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.
CHRISTMAS SONGS FOR THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER
by Judy House
While it might be too late to order a custom dulcimer in time for Christmas, there's still time to get this book of Christmas tunes by Judy House. What makes this book so special, you might ask?
This is one of the best-ever books of Christmas (plus a few holiday tunes!) for mountain dulcimer, because of Judy's fine arranging skills. She's put enough harmony and interesting stuff on top of the melodies to make your performances sound rich and full. These aren't "over the top" arrangements, too difficult to play for most people, but they're far more than the "here's a melody line with chord symbols" approach that many arrangers take.
The right balance of holiday tunes and Christmas tunes, the right balance of easy and difficult. All around, the right choice for most of us. Enjoy! (66 pages)
This book is published by Judy House, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SOME OF THE SONGS INCLUDED:
Angels From The Realms Of Glory • Auld Lang Syne • Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella • Deck The Halls • Go Tell It On The Mountain • Good King Wenceslas (Melody & Harmony) • The Holly And The Ivy • Jingle Bells (Melody & Countermelody) • Jolly Old Saint Nicholas • Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming • O Come All Ye Faithful • Rise Up Shepherd And Follow • Silent Night (Melody & Harmony) • Toyland • Up On The Housetop • We Wish You A Merry Christmas