Old School

[Dale Penrose]

Was recently asked to build a "old style mountain dulcimer", three strings, hand carved pegs, and staple frets. Twas a fun build, had to learn how to make the frets. Here's a short clip of the new owner with his dulcimer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4uOuN0Ky4M&t=3s

[Gordon Bellerose]

Very nice! Beautiful black walnut.
Nice tone too!

[Bob Francis]

Sounds great!

[Karl Wicklund]

That’s nice sounding Dulcy-more! Did you bend the staple wire for the frets yourself or did you source some found industrial piece for it? I’ve seen staple frets on a very few instruments and they’ve all been a little different, as I guess befits a folk instrument.

Great work!

[Bryan Bear]

Very nice!

Dale, are you also in the St. Louis area?

[Mark Wybierala]

I've really got to build a dulcimer. It looks like it would be such a wonder instrument to sit and noodle lending itself to sound like you know what you're doing when you really don't -- always open to actually learning for real like I've done with mandolin. I call it faking talent really well. Your dulcimer is beautiful. I appreciate that there is a tradition behind these beautiful instruments.

[Steve Sawyer]

Years ago, I started a dulcimer. Every so often, I "find" the bundle of parts, or the plans, and think "I really should finish that".

I really need to put this into the build queue. After the current build. And the bass that's next up. And the re-fret on my Strat...

[Dale Penrose]

Karl Wicklund, I bent the staples myself out of .042 music wire. Once I got the hang of it, it went quickly.
Bryan Bear, I'm in Webster Groves, we'll have to meet up for a beer someday at Urban Chestnut.

[Bryan Bear]

Dale, we have a gathering every year at Hibdon Hardwoods. It pretty low key, just a day of showing your work, some demos and hanging out talking about instrument making. We get folks from around the area come in for the day. You should come. I just found your Facebook page, so I know you are on FB. Look for Gateway Area Luthier Assembly.

[Mark Wybierala]

Got wood yesterday for dulcimer. Curly maple and Spanish Cedar for soundboard.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Hi Dale,
Nice to see you are still building dulcimers. Is the Sweet Music Digest still going? Somewhere in changing computers over the years I lost track of it. John Stockard visited here several years back, but I haven't kept up with the people from the group to know how they are doing.