Off-Topic: Dulcimer

[shelly0312]

I was in the process of selling my FolkCraft dulcimer from about 8 years ago---to support my concertina vice. My first attempt on Craig's list was a bust. A guy took one look at the dulcimer and noted that there was a seperation between the scroll head and the neck. and declared it "junk". After seeing some of the crumbling concertinas brought back to life I cannot help but wonder if it cannot be "epoxyed". I did loosen the strings and there does seem to be some rebound--the opening does close. I have to think there is some solid piece more in the front of the dulicmer that extends from the neck up into the scroll head as an attachment. Would doing an epoxy job affect the tone?? Do you guys think it is junk? Let me see if I can attach a picture......shelly[attachment=8351

[Geoff Wooff]

There surely is not much String tension on a Dulcimer ... not that I have ever had one.. I would think a Luthier could re- glue the joint without much problem... but I would not try to Epoxy it if I were you.

[John Adey]

I agree with Geoff; a straightforward job for a competent luthier, but please don't use epoxy on a decent instrument.

 

From the look of the scroll, neck and saddle this doesn't look like 'junk' to me.

[Myrtle's cook]

I'd certainly agree with Geoff not to use Epoxy, what ever glue is used needs to be easily reversible.

 

I also play the mountain dulcimer and have encountered this same problem - a local luthier repaired it by cleaning the joints then using a water soluble glue of some sort. A cheap repair and I think he was happy to be wotrking on something other than a guitar. You might want to visit the Everything Dulcimer website for some further advice (I am sure this Q & A will have come up there).

 

Folkcraft certainly make good dulcimers - I have a lovely Folkcraft 6 string in dark walnut - a lovely rich dark tone and very well made.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Myrtle's cook

[David Barnert]

You don't need to be gentle with it. Epoxy, nails, coffin screws would probably all be fine. Howie Mitchell, in the liner notes to his album, "The Mountain Dulcimer, How to Make It and Play It" from the 1970s, describes a series of experiments he did using a strung fingerboard with no body placed against various flat smooth objects (kitchen table, plate glass window, etc) and they all sounded great. FWIW, though, if gluing wood I would use aliphatic resin glue ("carpenter's glue" or "yellow glue").