December 25: Late one night about a week ago, I was working on the computer when there came a groan, a whong! and half an hour of popping and pinging from the dulcimer. When all was quiet, I peeked out through my fingers and saw that the top of the rightside pinblock had pulled away from the rail by a couple of millimeters. The upper courses had gone one or two notes flat, the bottom few courses were unaffected. I retuned, but I also considered some new options. I could install screws, or braces, or otherwise try to add strength. Or I could reduce the number of strings to relieve a lot of tension.

After the brass beam, adding things seemed near (or beyond) the point of dimishing returns, so I pulled some strings off. Each bass course remains a threesome, but the treble courses are mere couples (the inverse of Don's dulcimer). That's 14 strings removed, and 500 - 1000 lbs of pressure relieved. I can also re-route some strings through now-vacant holes in the sidebridges to reduce torque on the soundboard. That can wait until I take a careful census, select strings from the stash of spares (or order what I need), and feel like fighting with thin steel wires again. Not today.

It's a much happier instrument with the lessened pressure. Its tone is better, clearer, livelier. It seems much more willing to ring, and it stays in better tune for days (maybe weeks) at a time.

James Jones was right (of course). I'll write and tell him so soon.

I've been running through the "Ode to Joy" with fair regularity and less success. On a good day, I can play through it once simply, then with a little elaboration, and finish with counterpoint with harmonics an octave, or a fifth, or a third removed. One of these days I'll put a recording on this site. Along about 2009, I expect.

 

 

.

Now with 3 strings per bass course,
but only 2 per treble course.

 

Amy with her Christmas Beaux. Bow. She hasn't missed a
day practicing since Swannanoa. When she saw this
shadow cast by a Christmas candle, she asked if
I could photograph it. But of course. . .

(iso 1600, 1/2 sec, F4 handheld, Canon 20D,
17-85mm IS Canon)

 

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Building: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Refinements, etc: 16 17 18 19