Dewdrop Concert Model #3-1X

Dewdrop Concert Model X

Sassafras Sides, Back, Soundboard, Fretboard.
Curly Maple on the ends.
Persimmon tuning pegs.
Bone Dual Bridges and Nut.
Piece of green painted salvaged sheetmetal for the tail decoration.
One coat of BLO.

I'm calling the tuning Unison Octave.
Melody Strings= 24 inch vsl .013s tuned dd to 4th octave.
Inner Drone String= 27.5 inch vsl .021 tuned d to 3rd octave.
Outer Drone string= 15 inch vsl .010 tuned d to 5th octave.

This design has been in planning for nearly a year and I finally got around to doing it.

As can be seen in the photos it has two bridges. One bridge for the two melody strings. And one for the two drone strings. 

Currently taking limited orders

Prices beginning June 2021

I'm currently not taking orders on the standard Hogfiddle Lineup or the Travel Dulcimores.

These prices could be higher for special woods and due to the current price hikes and fluctuation of wood prices.

Premium Lineup. 

All come standard with:
Fiddle sides.
Poplar or plain maple.
Bronze frets.
Copper or brass nut and bridge.
Pythagorean Temperament.
Iron Oxide Antique Finish at no extra charge if wanted.
Any options may or may not add to the cost.

Mckinley Craft= $450
Standard with:
Poplar or plain maple wood.
Feet.
Bronze frets.
Copper bridge and nut.
Pythagorean Temperament.

Signature Virginian= $475
Options are:
Wood choice.
Bronze or steel frets.
Bone/antler, brass or copper nut and bridge.
Equal or Pythagorean Temperament.

Honaker Hogfiddle= $500
Options are:
Wood choice.
Bronze or steel frets.
Bone/antler, brass or copper nut and bridge.
Equal or Pythagorean Temperament.

Dewdrop Concert Model= $525
Options are:
Wood choice.
Bronze or steel frets.
Bone/antler, brass or copper nut and bridge.
Equal or Pythagorean Temperament on the unison tuned 4 string model.
Option of other temperaments on the Modal 3 string.
Prices do not include shipping costs.

50% deposit required to start the order.

As most of you know I've been busy helping my Dad. I've managed to get freed up a bit but not completely as I'm now behind on my own home and property. So with that said, I'll only be taking one order at a time. Once I get an order I will notify on this post that orders are on hold. Once the order is completed I'll notify I'm ready for another order.
I know that sounds confusing but in the past some people that have wanted to be put on my order list have gone ahead and sent the deposit or full payment. I don't want to get tied up with several deposits or payments and feel rushed to fulfill orders. Additionally, in the past I've had folks message me on facebook, TTAD, FOTMD, email, and this blog wanting to be put on the list. That's just too much to keep up with at this time, so I also won't be trying to keep up with a potential order list.

Cumberland 4.4.2021

 Finished this little Cumberland up.
Various woods with iron oxide stain and a coat of boiled linseed oil.

Options were:
Copper nut and bridge.
Bronze staple frets.
Brass string anchor pins. 
Fiddle sides.

The Mckinley Craft Model.

 The Mckinley Craft Model is kinda special to me.
In the past I've turned down customers wanting me to build them an hourglass model and my reason has always been that I'm from Virginia and the hourglass dulcimore isn't a tradition of the old Virginia builders.

Now that has changed.

A few years ago Mike Slone (RIP) who worked at the Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindman Kentucky contacted me. Mike asked me if I had been doing my Ancestry and that he thought from some research he was doing that he found I was related to an old builder from Kentucky named McKinley Craft.
So after several times searching and following leads I did in fact make the connection with William McKinley Craft. His great grandfather is also my great, great, great, great, great grandfather...... Archelous Craft. You can read about Archelous Craft at the following link. It seems he was quite the character and hero: Click here to read more about Archelous Craft 

Mckinley Craft was also quite the character is seems. You can go to the following link and download an audio interview of him: Click here for McKinley Craft Interview

Here's McKinley's connection to Archelous Craft:

And here's my connection to Archelous Craft:

He is however a very distant relative and I don't claim to get any talents from him, but for me it's a very interesting fact that in 2006 I began building dulcimores without having ever heard of a dulcimore before, only to find out that one of my relatives was a mildly popular builder back in the day. And I also feel it qualifies me to build a Kentucky Dulcimore! 
My Mckinley Craft version won't be a direct, exact replica, but it will be close. Due to covid-19 I am unable to view a vintage McKinley Craft dulcimore in person, so I am going by a tracing and detailed photos sent to me by my friend Steve Carney who owns one. Perhaps in the future I can view one in person and make any changes needed to get my version closer to an exact replica, but I don't feel that's extremely important because like me, even the old time builders didn't make every dulcimore exact and some even varied from their pattern a lot.

Here's some more information about McKinley Craft I borrowed from my friend David Bennett:
April 17, 1900 McKinley Craft (1900-1981) was born in/near Bath, Kentucky. McKinley was a brick mason and carpenter and he was a neighbor of James Edward Thomas and Balis Ritchie.

Old-time string banjo master George Gibson, was also born in Bath, Kentucky, and grew up on Burgey’s Creek and was a neighbor of McKinley Craft. The house in which Gibson was born was built by James Edward Thomas. Gibson still maintains a cabin there that Thomas built in 1900. Most of the Appalachian Dulcimers on display in the Museum of the Mountain Dulcimer in Hindman, Kentucky are on loan to the Center from Gibson.

In 1978 George Gibson interviewed McKinley Craft and Morehead State University has the recording that is in the James Still collection. McKinley told Gibson he learned to make Dulcimers from Uncle Ed in 1917. By October 1978 McKinley had made 214 dulcimers.
EDIT: Uncle Ed (James Edward Thomas) is a famed dulcimore builder from Kentucky for my readers who don't know dulcimore history.

There's also a newspaper article about McKinley Craft and his casket making. Click here to read article.



So there you go. Some information about McKinley Craft. Here's a few photos of some of his dulcimores:

Photos from Steve Carney:

Photo from Mike Slone per the FOTMD website:

Photos Dulcimore Dan Cox shared with me:

Specs and prices for my McKinley Craft Dulcimores:

McKinley Craft
Standard with:
Poplar or plain maple wood.
Feet.
Bronze frets.
Copper bridge and nut.
Pythagorean Temperament.
27-1/2 inch vsl.
3 string modal tuning. Approximately 33 inches long.
7 inch wide lower bout. 5-1/4 inch wide upper bout.
1-1/2 inch tall sides.
Options available.

12-9-2020

Beginning work on the template and form for the McKinley Craft:

Mckinley Craft #1.

Cherry Soundboard, Sides, Back and Feet.

Curly Maple on the Ends and Fretboard.

Persimmon Tuning Pegs and String Anchor.

Copper Nut and Bridge.

Bronze Frets.

Pythagorean Intonation.

Coming soon!

I've got a few more new dulcimores planned for my lineup!

Next, The Dewdrop Modal X Model
Based on the Dewdrop Concert Model the Modal X model will be modal specific. The X stands for something EXTRA! I'm not yet going to reveal what is extra about this dulcimore, but I'm currently working on one so it will be revealed before long. You pick what mode and temperament you want it set up for.
Price will be $550.

Next, The Dewdrop Bagpipe X Model
Again, based on the Dewdrop Concert Model, this one will be tuned for the unison Bagpipe tuning. Ddd, but will have something EXTRA about it! This one will be offered in Equal temperament or Pythagorean temperament.
Price will be $550.

Next, The Honaker Hogfiddle
Most of you know about the Honaker. I recently discontinued making it, but due to recent interest and no-one else making it available, I've decided to start making it again. It will be unison tuned only. There will be few options, but it will be based on the one in the photo below.
Price will be $450.

Slate Creek Dulcimers in the local paper!

I enjoyed this very much. 
Hopefully more folks will get interested in them!