When did half-width frets vanish? (was: Full-width frets)

[kwl]

.
Perhaps we should start threads titled "What is folk music?" and "What is traditional music?"..... aaaagghhhh, just kidding!!!

I'm glad to hear that!!! I don't want to have those discussions anywhere as they usually get us nowhere.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

[rtroughear]

Folks

I visited Terry Hennessy tonight in Kangaroo Valley, and quizzed him about when he first started to make mountain dulcimers, and what sort of fretting he did. He can't remember the exact date, but it was in London in the mid to late 1950's, and was prompted by being asked to repair a J E Thomas dulcimer. Being a guitar maker, he thought he could make something a little less rustic, and just naturally used full width frets, and has done ever since.

Having said that, I've seen lots of Terry's dulcimers that have half frets for the 1+, 6+ and other "modern" frets, although I think he has pretty well abandoned that practice now.

Richard T

[Pinetop]

I've long wondered, and moreso since his death on Dec. 9, if the full-width fret was introduced by George Pickow. The Pickow dulcimers I've seen have all been full-fretted and I've read that George made his first dulcimers for Jean Ritchie, his wife, in the 1950s. The I.D. Stamper dulcimers on the back cover of "Red Wing" all have full-width frets -- Stamper started building d's in the 1930s. His early models were half-fretted, from what little evidence I have; I don't know when he switched to full. The Pickow dulcimers were widely copied in the folk revival and may have set the full-fret standard. Bob and Janita Baker of Blue Lion Dulcimers make a Jean Ritchie model, consulted with George and Jean on the design and might be worth asking if fret width ever came up in their discussions. John McCutcheon has at least one ID Stamper dulcimer, worked on the "Sourwood Mountain" dulcimer CD with him and might have some insight.

[musicoutreach]

In the Spring 1992 issue of Dulcimer Players News, Sam Rizzetta in his Technical Dulcimer column has some interesting things to say about equal, mean and just scales and the mountain dulcimer. Here's just one item of interest from the article:

"Also, I've included here mean-tone fret placements for a 28" scale that I like. I encourage you fretted dulcimer makers out there to give it a listen! Since the fretted dulcimer is not chromatically fretted, I consider equal-temperament fret placement to be a bit inappropriate to the instrument and the dulcimer sound."

Susanne

[Posgroup]

Here's an example of a half-width fretted George Orthey instrument from 1974.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Vintage-GEORGE ... 41567cec66

[folkfan]

In the Spring 1992 issue of Dulcimer Players News, Sam Rizzetta in his Technical Dulcimer column has some interesting things to say about equal, mean and just scales and the mountain dulcimer. Here's just one item of interest from the article:

"Also, I've included here mean-tone fret placements for a 28" scale that I like. I encourage you fretted dulcimer makers out there to give it a listen! Since the fretted dulcimer is not chromatically fretted, I consider equal-temperament fret placement to be a bit inappropriate to the instrument and the dulcimer sound."

Susanne

I wonder if Sam Rizzetta was thinking of the dulcimer as a solo instrument, and not one for jamming when he wrote this. I've enjoyed hearing mean tone instruments, but can't imagine trying to play one with even toned instruments.

Sort of like trying to play a Great Highland Bagpipe with it's wild tuning for an A with a piano at 440. Thought makes me cross-eyed.

[JohnH]

After reading the article (quoted by folkfan), I made such a mean-toned fretted instrument (VSL 27", with 6 1/2 fret) and have played it in many situations with other instruments and have never had the sound of the instrument adversly remarked upon. ( I recently made a TMB with so called half frets to the same scale). It may be that I have been lucky in only ever playing with well mannered folk, or that my playing is so bad that they accept the sound of the instrument as the best they are going to get, and put up with it, LOL, but should remark that those many playing situations referred to did not include any where top level recording equipment was involved. The dulcimer and its sound has been admired by many, at least one of whom makes regular contibutions to this site, and it really comes into its own when used to sing with, it somehow compliments the human voice. I am presently in the process of constructing a similar instrument, sans 6 1/2 fret, specificaly for use as my main noter/drone dulcimer, a concession as I see it to those old makers who 'fretted 'em by ear.
JohnH

[John Shaw]

I'd like to support what JohnH has just said. His mean-tone MD sounds sweet and lovely played on its own or with other instruments, or backing up a singer.
In the Sam Rizetta DPN article mentioned above, Sam too makes the point that a mean-tone instrument works well with other (equal tempered) instruments, with the possible exception of sustained notes on a keyboard. It's important to remember that singers and players of other instruments often (consciously or unconsciously) 'sweeten' the notes they sing/play by varying the note closer to a natural scale rather than sticking precisely to equal temperament. This is particularly true of players of non-fretted instruments of course (who have more of an option in this direction), but fretted players use miniscule bends and variations in touch to achieve something similar.
Of course mean-tone is not the same as a natural scale, but it is generally closer to it.
John Shaw.

[strumelia]

Guitars and pianos changed everything.

[razyn]

Commercially available fretwire may have changed homemade fretted instruments... dulcimers, and such.

It would be easy enough to build a dulcimer with appropriate gaps under the fretboard at roughly half-tone intervals, so one could fret it with cords (like some lutes), and move these frets to and fro -- tempering it as well, or as poorly, as one might wish; and adding or subtracting an occasional departure from the diatonic series (such as Howie's 6+) as desired.

It would be kind of insane, but easy.

[Robin the Busker]

There has not been an addition to this thread for a year but I was watching this video clip of I.D. Stamper and I remembered this thread.

I think that this video clip shows how simple and quick it was for a skilled craftsman to place full width frets, compared to staple frets. So, once instrument fret wire became widely available it was quite a pragmatic solution to fretting a dulcimer that really had nothing to do with changing playing styles. I think this video shows how and why full width frets pre-dated playing chords. I D Stamper was a noter drone player so I would suggest that he installed full width guitar frets on his instruments from a purely pragmatic construction standpoint. However, once more and more builders were switching to full width frets for the sake of building convenience in the 50s/60s, it was only a matter of time before more and more players began experimenting with fretting the middle and bass strings and a new playing style was born.

[Acmespaceship]

Thanks, Robin. It was fascinating to watch a dulcimer get its voice at the hands of a master. Maybe chord playing is just another instance of new technology (fret wire) having unforeseen consequences.