Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on June 3, 2012 at 6:43am

Yea, you have it right.  What you can do is go to the StewMac fret calculator http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator , and generate a chart for guitar and then one for dulciimer.  That will definatively tell you when to mark your dulcimer positions.  Or just mark the 2,4,5,7,9,10,11,12.  Most dulcimers have (at least) the 10th fret (61/2 position with open = 1).  This practice started in the 1960s(?) when folk music was starting to be played and this position was needed.

 

The StewMac calculator automatically includes the 6 1/2 fret....

 

the best,

 

Wichita Sam

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on June 4, 2012 at 1:20am

Here's a thread that will answer your questions, likely more answering than you'd really want!

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/dulciworld/forum/topics/fret-sp...

Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on June 4, 2012 at 1:35am

http://www.harpkit.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=...  real easy fret chart for dulcimers...guitars...mando...banjo...bass...scales from 13" - 31" with 1/2" incruments...large paper chart 2 foot x 3 foot when unfolded...i have mine mounted on a piece of plywood. Just lay your fretboard or a template stick along the desired scale and mark off the lines for your fret slots. Also shows what lines to use for dulcimer fretting. Well worth the price for something that well become a helpful tool for any builder who does more then one scale length. I`ve had mine going on 20 years now and have turned this chart onto alot of builders such as Old Lowe, Bones, Steve Howard and alot more.

Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on June 4, 2012 at 12:08pm

Thank you for the great info folks. I am always kind of impatient so I went ahead and did it! Glad to see I had it figured out mostly right anyway. I'll post a pick when I get it done . It does make the edge of the fretboard kind of busy since I used paneling nails for markers but I went with function over form.