Just Days: To Val!

Saturday, August 23, 2014, was the official day that I was certified by Dwain and "granted the rightand privilege to build Standard Teardrop dulcimers on the mold exclusively inherited from Walter P. Martin, Master Luthier of Sunhearth Folk Instruments. Mr. Runge is further authorized to use all devices, emblems and designs, excluding any Bear Meadow marks, learned during his apprenticeship." What?! That is right folks, I've made it up the first step of this part of my journey to build instruments. I have three left to go.

So I am done for this second session, too. But Mark, you query, why are you done with the second session and just receiving acknowledgement of your first session? Because the sessions finish according to the completion of the instrument being built during that session. And as you know I'm done with the first--and cannot wait to show it off this week in KY at The 2nd Annual Homer Ledford Dulcimer Festival.

I've been playing the heck out of it, I broke my first string, and it is a sweet little instrument that stays in tune and sounds great. But I still have nightmares that it is going to rattle apart as soon as someone plays it.

I've been spending a lot of time, I've had some down time since the session ended, so I've been playing music on whatever instrument people are presenting to me. Of course by people I mean Gretchen and Jim. Gretchen has a tampura, and I played that for a while one night. It was fun, and it has a really nice voice. I'm sure I was doing it all wrong, but nobody was there to complain.

I don't know if I told you about Jim and his Martin guitars, but he has some--some really nice ones! He has a '51 that was born just down the road from him that same year. He has a '53, which is so pretty, and its voice is so smooth and rich. This one is my favorite of his collection. But the others are really as pretty, but they are different flavors of Martins.

The '53 is a 00, so it is a good size. I actually like the size of the '51, which is a 0, better, but overall the '53 wins out. He has a Woody Guthrie 000 18 that is remarkably pretty and sounds great. He just got one back from Martin yesterday because he had some work done to it, and it booms like a cannon that shoots beautiful music! Jim is really happy with the design changes that he made to that one. And today he gets another that is made out of sinker mahogany, and I bet it will sound as good in person as it did through the recording that was sent to Jim.

When did I learn to play the guitar, you ask. Well I don't know how to play the guitar. But I certainly strum the heck out of it and move my fingers as if they know where they are going. Sometimes it sounds really pretty and at other times it sounds just bad. But part of me breaking out of the confinement of my past is to play more freely. If my authenticity and exuberance offends, well, that is not a problem on my end.

There are a bunch of interesting things about Jim that make me glad he is my neighbor while I'm here. He knows about tools and doing some repairs on his Martins. So we can talk tools and shop, and I can share with him what I'm doing in the dulcimer building world. Sure, he doesn't quite get it when I say that I had to cut .030 of an inch worth of bone to get my instrument's intonation right on, but he does understand intonation. And he is impressed when I show him what I'm doing, like my scroll carved peghead.

On the last day of our session I asked Dwain to take me back to the wood store so that I can go through wood stuff with him again because I plan on connecting with a wood dealer in Maryville or Knoxville. It was timely because Dwain needs more walnut to make fretboards.

We went through the entire store twice, as they had walnut scattered about in various forms of dress. But there was only one small piece that was acceptable. It was really nice to watch Dwain dissect the piece in his head to determine the cost of each fretboard. There was a second piece of wood, but the cost per fretboard was $10 greater than the piece he selected. Lesson grasped!

I was talking to Dwain about making strings, so he showed me his operation. And I got to practice making a few strings so that I have an extra set to take with me. As part of my dulcimer business I plan on making and selling strings and whatever else I can.

Rochester is a great city, and I'm really glad that I've found such a warm and friendly community because there is enough pressure on me to do well in my studies to have to stress over location and logistics. I walk and run here, a lot. I bike eight miles every day. And people are always friendly. I've not felt ill at ease once. But I'ver heard from those who live here the horror stories about the winter. So I'm sure glad that I'll be done in the fall.

Today I'm going to run, do laundry, pack and read. I'm not planning anything major. But I will be reflecting on my second month here and on how much I've learned. I'm so excited to get to TN to live--not that I want this to end because I really don't. But I want so much to share my craft with others. Val and I have great plans to do music and instrument building workshops. We want to grow in our community as persons with something to say and not something to sell.

"Let these presents show that Mark Runge has acquitted himelf with distinction in the Initiate Apprenticeship, the selection, preparation and usage of the basic tools and materials of the art of lutherie.

Furthermore, Mr. Runge has demonstrated, through the construction of an Appalachian dulcimer, all the qualities necessary to the art and craft of making stringed musical instruments of the highest quality, fulfilling all requirements and instructions attendant on the duties, responsibilities and artistic judgement of inititate luthier.

Mark Runge, in recognition of this achievement, is hereby granted the approval of Dwain Wilder, Luthier at Bear Meadow, to excersize his art as he may henceforth. Specifically, he is granted the rightand privilege to build Standard Teardrop dulcimers on the mold exclusively inherited from Walter P. Martin, Master Luthier of Sunhearth Folk Instruments. Mr. Runge is further authorized to use all devices, emblems and designs, excluding any Bear Meadow marks, learned during his apprenticeship.

Mark Runge is hereby accorded the full faith and confidence of Bear Meadow in the pursuit of lutherie in his own right

by my hand and seal this twenty-third day of August,

A Dwain Wilder, Luthier"

Days 56 and 57: My First Build is My First Repair.

The main work today and yesterday was on my scroll-head peg box. And I must say that I love doing this. Today I said that there is no real pressure on me to do well so I'm working hard and good things are happening, like finishing the first dulcimer and loving to carve. Of course god balanced me out with dropping my instrument and breaking it. I'll get to that one. Dwain reminded me that I'm not doing this to eat yet, either.

These past few days in the shop have been great. Dwain gives me a lesson in what he does, and I'm expected to reproduce what he did. Most of the times I can-ish. I definitely need more practice, but I'm enjoying what we're doing. So the practice will come as I make instruments.

Dwain does a demonstration with whatever tool he uses, and uses so many! He'll show me how he use a chisel or gouge throughout a process. And if while he is doing so he has to use another tool--this really always happens--then he shows me how he uses that, too.

This is a great way for me to learn because I get to see what the end is and work backwards if I get stuck on something. This doesn't always work, though, like when I cut off the marks I was supposed to follow. But I didn't realize it until I needed the marks. I was already committed by that point, so I just finished it up. I had to ask Dwain twice to listen to me talk him through what I'm doing so it was right in my head. He never complains, and he is a really good listener. Sometimes that leads into another demonstration, which also happens a lot! There really is so much to learn. I could be here for a year and would never be bored.

So Dwain demonstrates on the one that he is working on--which is different in size and some embellishment. And I have to keep those differences in mind plus consider that the wood that I used was a bit bigger than one that is normally used for this instrument. But that just keeps things interesting. Dwain did have to twice draw lines on my peg box so I would get it. Then I work on my piece and he goes and drops his thang, like putting in these abalone dots--can I use all that in this sentence?

So my peg head is really pretty. It is not straight, and some of my curves have slight corners. But it is the first time in my life I've done anything like this. What does this mean for my artwork other than my dulcimers?

I'm really focused on being here now, so I've not been doing much else in the way of art. But I have been playing more these days. Just tonight I played and sang for over an hour. I'm as bad as I was when I started, but what a great way to spend time and learn about the dulcimer!

Of course now I have to match the other side to this one. I started on that today, but I didn't get too far. It was raining lightly just after 4pm, so I decided to get home so I didn't have to ride through the rain and the traffic. It barely sprinkled as I rode, and the sun was shining, a lot! It was just like FL. So I'll pick that up tomorrow.

Today we also opened up my first instrument. It really is funny and wonderful that my first build is my first repair. It was a bit hair raising because the little guy really has nice tone. Of course, I'm not doing anything new to it, but still; you get it. Using a palette knife I did not cut it open as much as work the fish glue apart. This was a great lesson because I got to see how one of my machines comes apart. Now, if someone else drops one of my instruments I'm confident that I can fix it.

The impact that happened in the great drop separated two of the three braces, which is exactly what was supposed to happen. This way the machine doesn't get broken beyond repair. The glue simply lets go and waits to get reconstituted and stuck again. It'll be dry by the morning, and I'll restring it. I'm so excited to get it home to play!

So I was carving away for two days. Dwain said that this can be a seven hour process, but I cannot see that yet. I will have to practice this a lot, so I hope people are interested in buying my dulcimers. But this got me to thinking about pricing. I'm being trained by one of the best there is, my instrument when drops and doesn't break irreparably, it sounds great, and looks really pretty, soo why wouldn't somebody want one? So I'm working up a price sheet so that Val and Dwain can look it over too, as they are both important for this, although Dwain did say it is non of his business. And while he knew that he was training his competitor, I ain't that yet! Did you see what he said there?!

Today was full of treats, and one of the great ones was that I got to watch Layla take a bath. His momma was spraying him with a bottle and he would get in that for a few squirts, and then he would dunk himself in his bath. It was really remarkable to watch, so find a dirty parrot if you've never seen this!

We talked a bit about products and other business stuff. I keep saying this, but this is some of the most important information that I am getting.

 And when the work is done I get to sit on the porch and do my homework, which is to blog, research products or information, and think about the wonderful life that I have with Val, Dwain, Gretchen, Noel, and the others with whom I'm sharing this time.

And I guess I'm eating really well, too!

Day 55: Beautiful Weather.

I just have to start with this!

This video isn't as good as when Val is the director and camera woman, but she is really busy with ukelele stuff--and few states away. But I see here next week!

Today was busy with the final stuff to get the instrument finished. Everything had to do with the nut and saddle, where the measurements are in the .001 of an inch. The instrument's intonation on the bass and melody string was right on in the open string and seventh fret. But the middle string was off such that we had to add a bit to the front of it to shorten the vibrating string length, by .030 of an inch. Imagine cutting that. But Dwain is set up to do so, and this is one of the important reasons why his instruments are consistent--control. He has shown me that the more control I have over the processes and techniques needed to build dulcimers the more I can make a good instrument consistently.

But I'm way ahead of myself. Te first thing that had to happen was to get the strings on so that we could figure out the action and the placement for the saddle. So the bass string went on, and it was from here that we figured out the height that the saddle would need to be. The action is really low!

Then the instrument had to be intonated. What I had to do is take the height that the saddle should be, and make a replica saddle out of a bone shim and wire. This way the two can be moved around to find the place where the open string and seventh fret are at the same note. This is a wonderful puzzle, but it does take quite a bit of patience and exactitude. So I got the saddle set for that, and had to mark the fretboard, where I had to cut the slot for the saddle.

Dwain made a jig for this, too. I did say that he has specific tools for each step so that he can control as much as possible. It will take me some time to get all of my tools, jigs, and other aids to build to this level, but that is my mission.

So this wasn't nerve wracking at all. But I got id done and right.

So the nut was in his new home, and I only had to file it down a bit and cut the slots. Then I restrung it, tuned it up, and made the video!

But first...

Dwain had an appointment and had to leave early, so I worked a bit on my own, which was nice and necessary for my growth.

Right before Dwain left I started working on the tail block again. I had one side carved down, and I wanted to get the other to that point. I really like carving, and Dwain says I'm doing a good job on it. So I have high hopes for the scroll on the peg head.

He gave me some final instructions for installing the saddle, and I finished that. Then finished stringing and tuning the first one, and played and was in joy and am pleased.

The sun was shining brightly and it was in the high 70s; it was gorgeous today. So I decided I'd go sit in the garden, but the neighbor is sanding his doors, and that buzz is too loud. So I sat on the porch and basked in the beautiful weather.