Posted by Bluesheart on September 29, 2009 at 10:43pm
I've got some small but nice boxes that I think will make nice dulcitars. I know I can get fret calculators but don't want to do all the precise measuring. Unable to access fret templates as I'm a Mac. I just did a rubbing of the frets on my Ovation and transfered that to my recent 3 string and that seemed to work well. I have a small first act kids guitar I got for parts that I assume is a 1/2 size guitar. My question is, can I just transfer the fret spacing from the small guitar and just leave off the"wrong note" fret positions to end up with dulcimer fret spacing?
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Yes you can but don't do a rubbing use a piece of wood right next to the neck and put your marks on there.
When you use a piece of paper the paper dips down in between each fret and isn't as accurate.
Then take your little piece of wood with marks on it and keep it as a template to make more.
And yeah the just omit the right frets and you got a dulcimer.
Great link; I bookmarked it. Thanks for sharing it.
Doug
Diane said:
You can use Fretfind2D, it is web-based so works fine in mac. When you print, specify multi page pdf, and it prints out a tidy little template all ready to go. Highlight the frets you want to use (think twice, highlight once) and you are in business. I think you'll get more accurate placement that way, especially if you use a pointy pencil.
fretfind asks lots of questions (number of strings, width of fingerboard, etc.) but you don't really need to specify that if you don't want to.
But to actually answer your question, yes you can use the fret spacing off your existing fingerboard, and leave off the non-dulcimer frets. Just be sure your bridge is the right distance from the nut (twice the octave fret distance.)
Hey Bluesheart - once you done the build - try a capo on the first or any frets for some really far out modal playing :) Really gets you outside the normal scenario!
Bluesheart said:
What can I say? The amount of help that shows up in here is just amazing!! I have learned so much in the short time I've been a member. The fretfind2d thing is just great , and just what I needed. With a tool like that, I can build with confidence that I at least started out on the right track! Thanks again for all of the comments and advise, very much appreciated.
What can I say? The amount of help that shows up in here is just amazing!! I have learned so much in the short time I've been a member. The fretfind2d thing is just great , and just what I needed. With a tool like that, I can build with confidence that I at least started out on the right track! Thanks again for all of the comments and advise, very much appreciated.
Yep, that helps a lot actually. I guess part of the confusion on my end was StewMac's fret calculator calls the octave fret #8. Your calling it #7 makes much more sense, especially in regard to the 6 and the 6+. Thanks tinyguitars!
That whole business with the 6 1/2 fret really threw a wrench into what I thought I understood. :-)
As I understood it, if you took a "regular" guitar and took away the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th and maybe the 10th frets, you'd be good.
Is the 6 1/2 fret what would be the 10th fret? Or is there actually another fret between the 6th and 7th, which would give you a quarter step between frets?
I appreciate any further insight into this... maybe a picture would help my brain to better grasp this concept. I guess I never realized how deceptive a dulcimer was until lately.
Actually Tres, the 6th fret on the middle string is the "flattened" 7th note as used in the the A7 chord in Dmaj key, likewise the 6th fret on the melody string gives you the 7th note for a D7 chord. The 6 1/2 fret completes the major scale on the melody string, being the Db in the D major scale to which the dulcimer is normally tuned, others would disagree, but I believe this was the sole purpose of its addition. I never understood why the 6th fret note was originally included and the actual note of the scale was not. As a side note, I don't like the look of the frets with both the 6th and 6 1/2 frets. The 4 frets together just looks unnatural to me, like 4 black keys on a piano, so you'll notice that on some of my vintage looking builds I leave off the 6th fret, since it isn't in the scale anyways.
Thanks for the correction -- I obviously don't have any dulcimers (yet:). The flatted 7th is part of lots of "important" scales outside the classic "Ionian" / major scale: the minor pentatonic and blues scales use it, as does the Dorian variant on the minor scale (think playing D-to-D on the piano white keys). Those scales are used in lots of "ethinc" music outside the "Western classical / art music" tradition.
HOLY CRAP is this thing neat. Have you seen what this thing can do? Tidy little template?!? Heh, yeah.
Thanks!!!
Diane said:
You can use Fretfind2D, it is web-based so works fine in mac. When you print, specify multi page pdf, and it prints out a tidy little template all ready to go. Highlight the frets you want to use (think twice, highlight once) and you are in business. I think you'll get more accurate placement that way, especially if you use a pointy pencil.
fretfind asks lots of questions (number of strings, width of fingerboard, etc.) but you don't really need to specify that if you don't want to.
But to actually answer your question, yes you can use the fret spacing off your existing fingerboard, and leave off the non-dulcimer frets. Just be sure your bridge is the right distance from the nut (twice the octave fret distance.)
Wow, thanks to everyone for all the great info and your eagerness to help. Just another testament to the friendly folks you meet in here! I will try the Fretfind 2d templates first, but if that doesn't work, I'll take Mojobone up on the offer. I'm not sure what the scale length will be yet, as this one is only being built in my head so far. Is the 6 1/2 fret just what it sounds like? An extra between the 6 & 7th of the dulcimer fret spacing?
Yes, you can just hold up your neck against a guitar and start at the appropriate fret, leaving out the ones you don`t need. Should, however , look to making as exact a marking as you possibly can on your new fretboard, as even a millimetre away at short distances will lead to out of tune results......
Replies
When you use a piece of paper the paper dips down in between each fret and isn't as accurate.
Then take your little piece of wood with marks on it and keep it as a template to make more.
And yeah the just omit the right frets and you got a dulcimer.
Great link; I bookmarked it. Thanks for sharing it.
Doug
Diane said:
Bluesheart said:
As I understood it, if you took a "regular" guitar and took away the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th and maybe the 10th frets, you'd be good.
Is the 6 1/2 fret what would be the 10th fret? Or is there actually another fret between the 6th and 7th, which would give you a quarter step between frets?
I appreciate any further insight into this... maybe a picture would help my brain to better grasp this concept. I guess I never realized how deceptive a dulcimer was until lately.
Thanks for the correction -- I obviously don't have any dulcimers (yet:). The flatted 7th is part of lots of "important" scales outside the classic "Ionian" / major scale: the minor pentatonic and blues scales use it, as does the Dorian variant on the minor scale (think playing D-to-D on the piano white keys). Those scales are used in lots of "ethinc" music outside the "Western classical / art music" tradition.
Thanks!!!
Diane said:
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