Gene Helmer
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Gene: Just started recently and broke a string. Who knows how old the strings were when I acquired the dulcimer?
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Gene: Fall of 2025. It was a gift from an elderly couple who go to thrift sales and auctions looking for items for their own shop. So far, they have brought me the handmade dulcimer (pictured above), an 1890's "turtle-back" mandolin, a 1957 South American parlor guitar, a vintage Hohner harp, and a build-your-own tenor ukulele kit.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Gene: Currently, I'm slowly learning the dulcimer at home. Once it warms up in Wisconsin, I'll be bringing it to our Sunday jam sessions.
Folkcraft: What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing dulcimer?
Gene: Playing ukulele and harmonica. Bluegrass festivals, live music in general, woodworking, turkey hunting, fishing, and cooking/smoking foods.