The Strings Are The Thing
Good Morning, Y'all & Happy Friday!
We've been plugging away at making instruments this week - of course! But also working on a slew of other jobs.
It seems like we've put together more string sets than usual this week. Hours and hours of making string sets. We buy our strings by the gross, from a company in Michigan that makes them in-house. We buy plain steel strings, both ball end and loop end. Bronze wound strings, both ball and loop. Stainless steel strings, both ball and loop. Roller wound (brass wound) strings, both ball and loop. And ukulele strings, both plain monofilament, and silver wound.
Add it all up and that's 113 different varieties of strings!
Here's part of our "string area":
Each of the tubes pictured above holds a single variety of string. One tube might have ".020 plain steel loop end" strings, the tube next to it might have ".022 plain steel loop end" strings. And on and on, for each variety of string. The tube racks are 30 tubes wide, and four tubes deep, giving us 120 tubes in total. Plus the extra string varieties that didn't fit, standing in front of the big tube racks...
We sell the strings in single string packs, 12-of-the-same-string packs, and assembled sets for instruments.
I look at strings like I look at books. We don't make much income on either, but they're vitally important to our customers, so we keep both in inventory as a service. But each player has a preference for string gauge and string material, and some dulcimers require ball ends, while others require loop ends. It is a lot to keep track of!
But all these strings? They go on instruments, which is where things get fun!
Show-and-Tell Time
Last week I shared a photo of (most of) my dulcimer collection. Instruments that are in my active rotation.
Now you get to see a few of your collections. Thanks to all of you who sent in these photos. Here goes:
Lucinda says we should have "this many" dulcimers!
Georgia's two Folkcraft dulcimers flanking the one she takes camping.
Beth's Beauties.
Toya's Fab Five.
Awesome instruments, right? Good "starter collections." But each of these people needs at least "one more dulcimer," wouldn't you agree? Absolutely!
Thanks for reading, Y'all - Have a great weekend.
Richard Ash, luthier-who-still-needs-several-more-instruments-to-make-his-personal-collection-complete
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: SHARON SEARS
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Sharon: I've been playing for about 13 years.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Sharon: I got my first Folkcraft dulcimer in 2016, the week after Steve passed. It was one of the last instruments that Steve (Richard's brother) made. It's beautiful and sounds wonderful. I'm grateful to have it.
Sharon: I like playing my dulcimer everywhere and anywhere. I enjoy times I play alone, as well as any workshop, jam, festival, or get together.
Folkcraft: What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing the dulcimer?
Sharon: I enjoy swimming, bike riding, concerts, festivals, fish keeping, church, friends, traveling, ukulele, and mandolin.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE SHARON & YOU!
HELLO FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!
While we don't have a new player to add to our online global dulcimer community this week, we are still happy to re-feature community member, Sharon Sears. How's life been treating you, Sharon?
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!
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
This week, Mandy will teach you a fun note separation exercise. She'll walk you through it step-by-step. We'll work on defining certain notes while strumming. We do this by selectively picking out some notes. Try to apply this technique to the songs you are working on. Have fun! Just 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.
THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS - BOOK 2
by Judy & Kirk House
Judy House and Kirk House, dulcimer ensemble pioneers, present Volume Two of their acclaimed "The Whole Is Greater" series. This book includes a variety of arrangements ranging from Holst to Satie. Give your audience a unique and spellbinding experience with this timeless volume.
Includes 11 tunes, each with either four or five parts. (105 pages)
SONG LISTING:
12th Street Rag (4 parts) - E.L. Bowman
Barcarolle (5 parts) - Jacques Offenbach
Country Gardens (4 parts)
Early One Morning (4 parts)
Gymnopedie No. 1 (4 parts) - Erik Satie
Idumea (4 parts) - Charles Wesley and Ananias Davisson
Jupiter (5 parts) - The Planets Gustav Holst
La Bamba (4 parts)
Minuet (5 parts) - Mozart
St. James Infirmary Blues (4 parts)
Tarantella Napoletana (4 parts)