GroundedSausage Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 I propose a project for Gibson. First of all you should produce a prototype model of a lap dulcimer. Then, show it to the public. If people like it, make an electric prototype and start pumping out acoustics. If the electric lap Dulcimers go fine, start pumping them out! It's that simple! The dulcimer community would really enjoy to popularity! If you are reading this, write what you think. Should Gibson expand it's business to new instruments?(Gibson started out with Appalachian Instruments, why not finish the list!) Or stay Guitar.... It's up to you what you think!!! GroundedSausage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Well Appalachian dulcimers are great. We've used one on a couple of songs. They are one of the easiest instruments to make and a lot of luthiers make one as their first instrument when they are training. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a Gibson Appalachian Dulcimer, but I've never seen an electric one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroundedSausage Posted May 14, 2010 Author Share Posted May 14, 2010 Well Appalachian dulcimers are great. We've used one on a couple of songs. They are one of the easiest instruments to make and a lot of luthiers make one as their first instrument when they are training. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a Gibson Appalachian Dulcimer, but I've never seen an electric one. You should see one, they are pretty nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 I have a stunning electro-acoustic Appalachian Dulcimer which was made for me by the luthier who looks after my guitars. The thing is absolutely stunning, with incredible decorative touches, intricate inlays and amazing attention to detail. A Gibson Dulce would be a thing to behold :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 The first instrument I ever made was in 1977. It sounds as good as it looks. *cough* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 It looks good to me, Scott...is that all-Hog? I love playing mine. The fact it's almost impossible to play a bum note on it anywhere due to the tuning and fretting makes it very appealing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 The body is made from the finest mahogany plywood. It was actually a kit. Some of the parts were roughly bandsawed out and how well it was finished was up to the end user of the kit. It would have been much nicer if I had taken the time to sand it more, but try telling that to a 17 year old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 You should see one' date=' they are pretty nice! [/quote'] Are you talking about an all electric dulcimer here or an amplified acoustic dulcimer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodehopper Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 Sorry...my bad. I only read this thread because I thought the subject line was "Lap Dances" . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroundedSausage Posted May 15, 2010 Author Share Posted May 15, 2010 Are you talking about an all electric dulcimer here or an amplified acoustic dulcimer? Actually, both! There are amplified acoustic dulcimers but very rarely there are actually electric ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Back in the 1970s, I slapped a Bill Lawrence soundhole pickup on a dulcimer. I screwed the pickup down to two pieces of wood and then used some thick rubber bands to hold the whole thing on the dulcimer. Gibson once took a stab at making a solid body uke (the problem was the expense that went with coating the nylon string with metal) so why not a dulcimer with a P-90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Gibson once took a stab at making a solid body uke (the problem was the expense that went with coating the nylon string with metal) so why not a dulcimer with a P-90. I think it would at best be about as successful as a Fender Electric solid body mandolin. There may be a market for an electric dulcimer (as opposed to an amplified acoustic dulcimer), but if there is it will be a very small market. I think most dulcimer players are not looking for an electric sound. How often do you see musicians using solid body mandolins? Not very often is the answer . . . they are great, but very limited. I think a solid body electric dulcimer would be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 3 or 4 years ago I had a serious rash of repairs come in. Not repairs but customizations. There was a flock of crazy old tweed ladies who got together and played dulcimer. Must have been at least a half dozen of them because I put pickups in at least that many. Seems like they were just some type of contact pickup or transducer. I kinda blocked it out of my memory, thinking about a circle of old Judy Collinses producing cacophonous dulcimer music. In '94 my four year old daughter wanted something to make music on (the phrase "make music" should be taken in the most liberal sense). Someone gave me an old busted up uke. I glued it back into one piece, spray painted it purple, then took the element out of a cheesy cassette recorder mike and hot glued it inside. It actually worked, much to my chagrin and dismay. Luckily the novelty wore off soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 I think they call the electrified dulcimers "Lap Steels" Just curious KSDADDY. The fret work on lap dulcimers defy common sense. Can you explain? I mean there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the spacing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted May 17, 2010 Share Posted May 17, 2010 I think they're spaced like that so that you'd only be playing the notes in the scale. If you had a string tuned in C for example, the frets would give you the notes C D E F G A B C.... if it was tuned in E it would give you E F# G# A B C# D# E. I just call it a major scale but that's probably not even the right name. It probably originated as a function of making it easy to play and stayed that way simply due to tradition. Just a guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted May 17, 2010 Share Posted May 17, 2010 OH! I see it now. whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted May 17, 2010 Share Posted May 17, 2010 On the subject of solid-body mandos, I did a gig a year or two ago with Alyssa Bonagura, and her mando player used an amazing solidbody mando made by UK boutique luthier Jimmy Moon. It sounded like angels' teardrops. He said he picked it up for next to nothing on eBay, due to the fact that nobody really understood or appreciated a solidbody mandolin, and therefore the market was minimal. He let me have a chop on it and the action was insane...I've never played such a slinky feeling stringed instrument. Gorgeous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnt Posted May 17, 2010 Share Posted May 17, 2010 There was a flock of crazy old tweed ladies who got together and played dulcimer. . I told you Scott!!! What takes place in Vegas................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroundedSausage Posted May 17, 2010 Author Share Posted May 17, 2010 Great replies guys! I wonder if Gibson is actually around the forums listening to this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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