Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on June 24, 2011 at 4:26pm

Technically, a "dulcimer" is a very long soundbox with a fingerboard that runs the whole length of the soundbox, and does not have a neck.  In the Cigar Box Instrument world, that would be the ones built with multiple cigar boxes butted together.  And typically  they have diatonic fretting.

 

A single-box, more guitar-looking instrument with a diatonically (or blues-ically) fretted  neck is an instrument still in search of a name.  "Strumstick" is legally claimed by McNally's Strumstick.  Other people call them strummers, picking sticks or like that, at least on line.  So you can basically call it it what you like!  Diatonically fretted guitar-like instrument: DFGLI?

 

For a 3 string instrument, your 3/4 might be a bit narrow.   I think mine are 1-1/8 at the narrowest.

 

As far as tuning, most are 1 5 1 tuning, but  there are lots of "dulcimers" that are 1 1 1,  Ddd  other same-note-, droney kinds of tunings.  In that case, most of the melody is run up and down the  high string and the others chant along.  That is an aquired sort of taste -- I like it, but it might not be for everyone.

 

(In fact, if I really want to do the drone thing, I think it sounds better in a minor key -- in which case you change your tuning to Ddc,  {or comparable 1 1 7}, and the home note  on the melody string is now at the first fret rather than the open string, and the diatonically placed frets automatically give you the minor scale.  Great for those sad tunes like Shady Grove and Star of the County Down.)

 

Build it tomorrow - they are tons of fun to play!

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on June 24, 2011 at 6:04pm

Hi Mikey,

The other difference between stick dulcimers (aka strum sticks, strummers, call it what you like) and mountain dulcimers is that the position of the melody string and bass string are reversed. A mountain dulcimer is designed to sit on a table or be played in the lap, so the melody string is the one sitting closest to you, where as a stick dulcimer is designed to be played like a guitar and the melody string is the one closest to the ground as you hold the instrument in playing position. This difference becomes important when you look for tabs to play more songs on the strum stick, since an important source for these tabs are mountain dulcimer web sites and the tabs they have written for the mountain dulcimer.

 

@Diane

Thanks for the tip on 1-1-7  (Ddc) tuning, I will have to try it sometime. As to "1-5-1 tuning", I prefer to call it  "1-5-8 tuning" because the melody string is tuned an octave above the base string and the "1-5-1" nomenclature does not communicate this. And as you probably gathered by now, my preferred generic name for strum-sticks is "stick dulcimer" as the design obviously arose from mountain dulcimers and the word "stick" aptly describes their narrow necks. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Now I see that "1-1-7 tuning" (or "Ddc tuning") might better be called "1-8-7 tuning" by my same reasoning. 

-Rand.

 

Permalink Reply by Wiley Rutledge on June 25, 2011 at 4:44am

I agree that 3/4 of an inch doesn't give enough room for three strings but I suppose you could offset the bass string IF you're going to play drone style--like the 5th string of a banjo. A standard 1x2 will give enough room to double the melody if you like. For a 3 string you could taper the 1x2, but I'd cut fret slots before tapering. There's several alternate tunings, and one of the perks (IMO) of a 3 string longneck (stick) dulcimer is the quick adaptation for different keys and modes.

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on June 25, 2011 at 5:59am

Hi All,

I like Wiley Rutledge's idea. You can make a dulcijo. I think they are musically more interesting than a standard stick dulcimer (strum stick) design. A dulcijo has 2 strings and a 3/4 length short drone string that terminates at the 4th fret instead of the nut. This makes the drone sound differently than a stick dulcimer's drone. A dulcijo is typically tuned A'-A-D (instead of D-A-D or G-D-G), with the drone string tuned high (re-entrantly) so you can play it using frailing (clawhammer style) in addition to playing the melody on strings 1 & 2, like a strum stick. Also, you can play the melody on the 2nd string and use the outer two strings as drone strings, which makes some songs sound better, and some not so good. So, more ways to play the instrument.

In your case, to make a dulcijo, ignore the drum style sound box and go with the cigar box you have. Then glue on a small strip on the left side of the neck, long enough to reach from the cigar box to just above the 4th fret (maybe an inch above the 4th fret). Then glue on another small strip of wood, about 1" long between the 4th fret and the top of the previously added strip. This is the place you will mount a tuner for the third string. You can shape (round) this area so its more visually pleasing. I suggest using a ukulele friction tuner (more available, cheap and easy to install), but you can order a banjo 5th string tuner (friction or geared) and that will cost maybe $10 (friction) to $20 (geared).

 

For more information on Dulcijos, check out this link: www.dulcijo.com

 

I also made a cookie tin dulcijo, but I routed the 3rd string under the fretboard between the 3rd fret and the nut so I could use a 1x3 set of tuners. I have photos and information on CBN.  Here's that link: 3 String Dulcijos

 

Well, good luck on your builds,

-Rand.

 

Permalink Reply by Mike Whisenhunt on June 25, 2011 at 12:39pm

Wow, the dulcijo sure looks intriguing. Certainly on my list now. I think I even have the "scrap" laying around to make it, mixing some oak and poplar. Now I'm just trying to gather all the info on styles. The clawhammer and "re-entrant" are bugging me but I'll dig until they explain themselves. I'll go check out some videos and see if that helps me any. Thanks for everyone's input on this, Rand you've helped quite a bit with those links.

 

Mikey

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on June 25, 2011 at 6:03pm

Here's a photo showing how you could add a short string to your instrument:

Notice the short string's tuner is on the tail end of the black neck extension. That's another way you can mount the tuner. This 4-string instrument was made and later extended to be a 5-string CBB by Uncle John, an active CBN member. For a dulcijo, you would want to extend the extension up and slightly past the 4th fret. On Uncle John's banjo, the bridge is more toward the tail end of the cigar box, allowing his extension to be shorter than you'd expect. I'd expect it to extend up to the 5th fret. I'm not quite sure why he did it that way.

-Rand.