Announcements and Events

New Dulcimer!

2012-01-22T15:12:00.003-06:00

We have a complete new dulcimer design that I have been working on for quite some time. We call it the Robin. It is a 19/18/8 extended range chromatic, and it has a wonderful rich solid sound. Love the strong low notes! I believe this is the best dulcimer I have ever built. The tone is strong and solid without being overpowering, and I can play it very hard without it breaking up. Absolutely great leading a jam without being dominant.

This is how it came about. In about 1998 I had a vivid dream in which I saw this dulcimer. The dream included the extended range, chromatic, the 5 sided sound holes with the bevel to the inside, the asymmetry, and the bracing inside. The bracing is completely different than anything else we have made. This dulcimer is my 4th attempt at building the design in the dream over the years. It took until last year to accumulate the understanding to build it right. One of the problems with these big dulcimers is they have to be really long to stretch the strings enough for good tone. But getting any longer or lower than our other dulcimers requires custom made wound strings. So in order to be able to actually build this dulcimer long enough, I had to first build a machine to wind strings, and learn how to use it. Which I did, and hope to post a video of it in operation some time.

Am I glad I went to all that trouble! Adding the third bridge with the wound strings makes it go all the way down to low D. There's a low E, low G, and low C also on that bridge, and it opens up a whole new world of things that can be done to embellish tunes. Since this was the first experimental dulcimer in this series I decided to just make it out of our baltic birch plywood that we use to build the Phoebe. I happened to find a sheet that was wildly figured, and you can see it in the photo, but functionally it is just birch plywood. There'll be more following it made of other materials to see what we can do. But this one is so good, it is hard to imagine that something else will sound better. It may be that we eventually settle on building these of plywood. It certainly sounds good, and has a lot of other advantages like stability and durability. We'll see. Stay tuned....

If you are want to hear more about this, give us a call. Otherwise, I hope to have final models ready before summer.

Finishes

2012-01-14T19:06:00.003-06:00

I have been spraying lacquer for twenty years now. Hated it the whole time. It is nasty stuff. I have to wear a complete hazmat suit, respirator, rubber gloves, boots, and still I can't help getting a small dose. It is also bad for the environment. I can't see how I am being a good steward of the Earth by spraying these chemicals out into the air. But it is fast, and looks good.

I have been looking for an alternative for years. I looked at water borne lacquers, but they require a warm environment, and warm materials, which I can't guarantee year round. Whatever I do has to be sprayed. Brushing or wiping finishes on are too slow, requiring multiple coats and risk dust settling on them before they cure.

So last year I discovered that I could spray shellac, then when it is dry lightly sand it, then rub out with steel wool and wax. This is a very nice finish with a soft satin glow, and feel that is out of this world. We like it a lot. It is an all natural finish, completely non toxic, and totally green. Shellac is an insect resin that is collected in India and comes as flakes of various shades which are then dissolved in denatured alcohol. It can be sprayed on all in one session, unlike the lacquer which requires two. And also unlike the lacquer, it doesn't gas off (stink) for several days. The shellac is well cured within a couple hours, and can be rubbed out the same day. So we are switching all the Phoebe and Wood Thrush dulcimers to the new shellac and wax finish as of this year.

Still experimenting with another natural finish for the Warbler and Whippoorwill dulcimers. I have discovered that a few drops of Japan driers added to Tung oil makes it cure super fast, almost as I am rubbing it on. So at least two coats can be applied in a day, and a third the next day develops a very nice semigloss shine. This one will have to wait for more experimenting, but looks promising.

Two years ago I developed a completely different approach. Since I was a cabinet maker, I am know how to work with high pressure laminates (Formica). So I designed a dulcimer made of Okoume marine plywood that I could then cover with whatever laminate the customer chooses. They work just great, sound wonderful, are water proof, and stay in tune. And the design possibilities are unlimited. We have built a fair number. They never fail to get noticed. One of our friends had us make one for her the color of blue jeans. Another one looked like a beautiful piece of dark marble with mica flecks in it. There are wood grain laminates, some with textures, metals, and every color imaginable. Call us if this sounds interesting.

Avenir AC3 bike computer programming

2011-06-30T08:45:00.002-05:00

I have an old Avenir AC3 bike computer from 2000 for which I had to change the battery. Of course it forgot everything it knew, and needed reprogramming. And the manual was long gone. In searching the web I found nothing but misinformation, so just sat down and started fiddling with it. After 45 minutes of frustration, I finally put 2 and 2 together, so here it is. Hope this helps some one else.

My computer has 2 buttons. press the right one until you get to the screen that has the ODO reading. Then press and hold down the right button until it changes to a different screen, and the M/h (or KM/h) icon is flashing. You can then use the left button to choose which of these you want M/h is miles per hour, and KM/h is kilometers per hour. Press the right button, and the last digit of the 4 digit number below is now flashing. This 4 digit number is very important, and is how you set your computer to know what size tire you are using, and is THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE IN MILLIMETERS. You can find this in 2 different ways. You can measure the exact height of the tire fully inflated in MM, and multiply that by 3.1416 (pi), or you can do as I did, and put a metric tape measure on the ground, make a mark on the tire, then roll it 1 revolution next to the tape then see where it came to. My recumbent has a 20" front tire, and the measurement happened to come out to 1527mm. You can set this number one digit at a time on the ODO screen. Keep pressing the right button, and eventually you will get to the actual odometer reading. You don't have to change that if you want. The next press will bring you back to the normal screens. You can set the clock in a similar fashion. Get to the clock screen, then press and hold the right button until the time starts flashing, then set it with the left button. If you want to erase the trip information, and start a new trip log, get to the ATM screen (this is the time elapsed) then press and hold the right button, and press and hold the left button. The number will go to zero, and also DST (distance traveled) number on the next screen will go to zero as well as the AVS (average speed) number on the next screen. The odometer reading will remain unchanged.

Hope this helps somebody else. If you have one of these, don't throw it away just because you lost the manual. It is really a nice computer and very accurate once you get it properly set. If this has helped you, please write me, and let me know. Chris Foss songbirdhd@iowatelecom.net

Wood selections

2011-06-03T20:43:00.002-05:00

For many years we built the Whippoorwill and Warbler dulcimers with solid Honduras Mahogany tops. We were buying it from some folks in St. Louis that imported it directly. Otherwise known as "Genuine" Mahogany, it was a truly great tone wood. But in the very late 1990s an international ban was put in place on trade of Honduras Mahogany taken from its native range. By 2007 the supply of it had dwindled to the point that it became unavailable for most purposes. Even the big guitar companies that have depended on it historically can't get it, and all of us as instrument builders have scrambled to find substitutes.

There are several African woods that are now in use and called mahogany. They may look similar, but none are as good. They are harder to work, not as stable, and won't sound quite the same. The most prevalent is Sapele. It is the right color, and all of it that is imported is quartersawn because it has to be to remain stable. It has a striped look to it because the grain is constantly changing directions, and it gives it a shimmer under a finish that can be very pretty. Another wood is Khaya, which is slightly darker and more dense. Just beautiful under a finish, but too dense for hammered dulcimers.

We decided since Genuine Mahogany was no longer available that we should quit using tropical hardwoods altogether. A lot of wonderful wood grows right here in the USA, and it is all sustainable. In fact, American forests have increased in volume of board feet every year since 1911! So for us it was a matter of figuring out which woods to use. After trying several different woods, we settled on Cherry for our Whippoorwill and Warbler models, and a surprise; Poplar for the at the time new model Wood Thrush. We tried Quartersawn Walnut which is a great tone wood, but couldn't find a source for it. The best Walnut in the world grows right here in Iowa, but nobody cuts it quartersawn which would be necessary for stability of a piece as large as a dulcimer top. We would occasionally find a few quartersawn boards in a randomsawn pile, but couldn't get our supplier to sort out the stuff for us we'd need.

No matter, Cherry turned out to be just great. Here's where experience as a woodworker comes in. The Forest Products Lab publishes tables of data on various woods and their properties. They have shrinkage tables on all the major woods, but their figures are for percent shrinkage from green to oven dry. This is good for a general idea, but the figures we really want are percent shrinkage from 12% to 6% moisture which is the range a kiln dried board will go through in a normal year. There aren't any figures like that out there anywhere. You just have to know what works, and what doesn't. According to the FPL figures, Douglas Fir ought to be good, and we made some dulcimers from it. But it moved a scary amount within our range, a 20" wide board would shrink 1/2"! According to the FPL numbers Cherry should not work for us, but it does! It is wonderful, and within our 6% to 12% range of moisture seems totally stable. A very worthy substitute for Genuine Mahogany indeed! And it sounds great. And best of all it grows right here in Iowa. There is a producing mill 3 miles from our house, and they do a wonderful job with their saw mill and kiln. Absolute quality. I buy most of the lumber we use from them, and feel good that it is locally grown, locally milled, and used locally.

I believe that the market was used to Mahogany dulcimers, and still wanted them. Don't blame them, the old stuff was great. But Sapele and others are not the same, and we as consumers should not demand it. We are contributing to the cutting down of the tropical rain forests. If we ask for products made from American woods, we are contributing to our own economy and the use of sustainably produced local woods. This in turn enhances the value of our forests. They are a treasure.

Dulcimer Trade Up Policy

2011-05-17T07:04:00.000-05:00

We have had a trade up policy for several years, but have somehow never gotten it on the web sit, so here it is.

If you bought one of our products directly from us (not from a dealer), and within a couple years or so decide to upgrade to another of our products, we will give you 100% of the retail value of your old dulcimer as a trade in. Just as long as it is in relatively good condition, and we can sell it as used. So for example if you bought a Phoebe package from us, the retail value of just the dulcimer is $395.00, and that is what we would allow for it on a trade in for something else of greater value. You would keep all the accessories that you got with your Phoebe to use with your new dulcimer, and just return the instrument.

This is how it works: We make the agreement to do the trade in, which you pay for with your card. We send you the new dulcimer packed in a case and box. When you get it, you take the new dulcimer out of the box and case, and use the box and case to ship the old dulcimer back to us. We keep your card number on file as security until we get the old dulcimer back from you. The only extra costs to you for this will be the shipping both ways. We will charge you for the shipping to you along with the difference of the dulcimer prices, and you will have to pay the shipping back to us to whatever carrier you decide to use. If you don't already have access to FedEx or UPS and their discounts, we recommend Priority Mail at the post office, it's cheaper.

Going Green

2011-05-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

I have been a cyclist all my life, mostly for commuting and fun. I came across this 1965 Huffy Sportsman last fall at the Salvation Army. Got it for $10.00, and all it needed to be ridable was a new plastic cable stop for the shifter cable and a whole lot of TLC and adjustment. It even had good tires. A friend contributed a junker like it which had the fenders, and a smaller chain ring to get it into the right gear range. The rack and kick stand came off other bikes I had, and I put my good Brooks saddle on it. This bike is almost like the Huffy I grew up on, and has the same Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub which is bullet proof. This one works perfectly after 46 years.

The bike was so much fun to ride! It is solid and smooth, a really nice ride, and so nondescript I can slip through town and no one even notices me. No one would ever want to steal it.

It was so much fun I decided to make this trailer for it so I can carry my hammered dulcimer across town every week to our jam session at a local pizza place. The frame of the trailer is made of wood, bolted together. It is pretty light. The wheels I had lying around from 10 years ago and another project. The tires are 40 years old, and came off one of our English folding bikes. The drop outs are steel that I cut from a piece of 2" square tube. The hitch I am especially proud of, it is a ball type hitch. A smaller version of one on a car. The ball is a plastic knob off one of my drill press handles. I found it to be a perfect 1 1/8" diameter, which I had a drill bit that matched. So the hitch is birch plywood with a 1 1/8" hole drilled through it, and another thin piece of plywood glued on top of it. Then a keeper piece that comes up under the ball to keep it in the hitch. To make the cavity of the hitch spherical to match the ball, I coated the ball with wax, then filled the hole with epoxy and stuck the ball it it till it dried, then pulled the ball out. It works great! This trailer tows smooth and quiet and easy. And my dulcimer rides on it just great. This is really fun, and feels good knowing I am getting there without starting up our van. I am convinced on level ground that a person could tow a very large load indeed on a bike trailer.

Since this was all stuff I had lying around I don't have much in it, just the bolts that I bought, maybe $5.00. I have a total of $35.00 in the bike except the seat, which will migrate to something else one day. So if I used the old saddle that was on the bike when I got it, I'd have a total of $40.00 in this very useful and fun rig. I also hope to use this rig to deliver dulcimers to FedEx, but think 2 is all I can carry with this bike, since it isn't geared low enough. I'm working on another that is geared low enough. If this interests you, google bicycle trailers and see what you find. There's a world of creativity out there that is really fun. Also google cargo bikes.

When my friends saw this they said, "Now that's green!"

schedule for 2011

2011-05-16T07:35:00.000-05:00

Festivals we will be at in 2011:
1) Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Festival, Morris, IL June 11, 12
2) ODPC Fun Fest, Evart Michigan, July 14-17 Come early, folks shouldn't be allowed to have this much fun!
3) Red Hill Dulcimer Festival, Sumner, IL Oct. 8

Other fun events we will be doing:
1) Lake Pepin 3 speed tour. May 21,22 Red Wing, MN A bike ride around lake Pepin in Wisconsin and Minnesota on our old English 3 speed bicycles. Fun! Check it out on the web, they have a fun site. Melanie has made me a pair of knickers so I will look appropriate.
2) RAGBRAI July 24-30 I am going to ride my recumbent bicycle across the state of Iowa!

Major event: We hope to do a major upgrade to our house in August and September. A new basement, the old one is crumbling. This will involve raising the house up off the old basement, and digging it our, and pouring a complete new basement. We have the contractors arranged for, and are currently working on the financing. Most of the work will be done by others, but we will be pretty busy supervising, and we have to do all the preparation work ourselves including taking down 2 brick chimneys. We and our 2 cats and 1 dog will have to move out and live in our camper for a month or so.