Wild Meadow Dulcimers

A Brief History

Back in 1978, I was attending college at Southwestern College in Winfield, Ks. The first fall I was there, I saw an ad for help at a local Bluegrass Festival. A college student, broke, chance to make extra cash? I was all over this, so I signed on. Not only did I get paid, but I received free tickets to the festival. So there I was, walking around on Saturday, when on one of the back stages was a mountain dulcimer workshop given by three attractive women. I still remember two of them, Cathy Barton and Mary Faith Rhodes. I sat back and watched. I also fell in love with the dulcimer. Here was a simple instrument that originated in the USA, the Appalachians in fact, and made with woods that I was very familiar with due to my families mid western logging business. I went to these ladies shows, watched the Dulcimer Championships. I spent my earnings on a very cheap dulcimer. I could not learn to play.

The strings were too high, it was poorly made. The next June, there was a June Jamboree segment of the fall festival. Once again, I worked it, this time I spent my earnings on a dulcimer kit. I built this with less than half the recommended tool list, I remember using a rock to pound in the frets and a stack of bricks for clamps. I ended up with an instrument that was more playable, and amazingly enough, better looking.

It was at this time I transferred to Iowa State. A few years into school there, I discovered that there was a wood shop available for student use. Wood from the family sawmill, and my first dulcimer was made. Again I looked at it, thought about it, saw my mistakes, a cherry board from Dad, and I built number two. It was an hourglass, all cherry, natural knotholes for the upper sound holes. My Mother still has this one, A-2. I made 5 dulcimers at Iowa State, except for #2, I have no idea where or who has them.

I ended up back at home next, worked for the family logging business, built a few more in the basement of my parents house. One of those was shipped back to Winfield, Ks. I also entered one in the county fair, it received a ribbon. Can't remember how many I built in Woodbine, but they were numbered W-6 on.

I ended up back in Winfield, Ks next. Here I decided to get serious about the dulcimer business. It was here that I also took first place in a major art show with one of my dulcimers. These dulcimers were numbered Wf-XX. Not sure the starting number, but when I moved I was in the 50's.

My next shop was in Wapello, Ia. Here I got busy. The last dulcimer built there was Wp-149. Formed a loose partnership with a singer/teacher named Pat Walke. She had me build a student model. These were very simple in shape and design, allowed me to use a lot of scrap lumber and also try out new and "exotic" woods such as mulberry and honey locust. It was here that I also branched out into other instruments. I built two 3/4 size guitars, 18 old-time banjos, 2 hammer dulcimers, some kalimbas, and assorted other things.

My next move was to Winfield, Iowa, where I built WFI-150 for my wife. That was over ten years ago, and I am ready to re-open my shop in Webster Groves, Mo.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Lumber shopping

Pam and I are going out to hopefully restock the shop with walnut Saturday. I found a company in St Louis that saws reclaimed logs . Trees are cut down in the city for a variety of reasons, new construction, storm damage, etc. Most of the time, these logs end up in a landfill, this company saws them up, and I'll turn them into musical instruments. Can I get greener than that?

Sunday, January 12, 2014

The Shop

It is fully insulated and drywalled, slowly mudding it in. Have put the first finish coat on 154 and the top is glued onto 155. Things are progressing once again!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Christmas vacation.

Took a couple days off from work, have the whole week off, wiring in real outlets and lights in the shop, hope to insulate the walls over vacation, make this a four season shop.

Monday, October 7, 2013

I love Pam

She cleaned out a closet today and found my peg shaver and peg reamer. Time to start building banjos again and very traditional dulcimers!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

New toy!

Played with my new scroll saw today, cut out a set of figurines for the church. I bought a Craftsman 16" scroll saw, an entry level model, but to cut soundholes out, should be good to go. It made quick work of 4/4 silver maple, so 1/8 inch tops should be a piece of cake. #154 has the scroll glued on today, it is looking really good, next up is a piece of crotch walnut, going with either a butternut top or more chestnut..... Still thinking.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Chestnut

Joined a wormy chestnut top today, not real fond of how the butternut top soundholes turned out. The line is drawn whether to scrap the top or fix them, guess I'll try the latter first, hopefully it will work. The chestnut will have hearts, very traditional!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Things are progressing

The back is on #154, #155 has its sides bent and its back joined. Tomorrow I'll cut the soundholes in 154 then do end blocks and lining on the next, followed by gluing on the top of 154. Need more clamps, etc.!

Why do I always print work schedules on this? Needless to say those things did not get done yesterday, or today (watching my 2 year old grandson today :-))