An Acrylic Dulcimer?

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An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby wocket » Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:06 am

Just a thought I had last night. I'm wondering what an acrylic dulcimer might sound like? Has anyone tried to make one? Not that I particulallry enjoy working with plastics, but had the sudden vision of a see through dulcimer as a demo peice.
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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby joe sanguinette » Sun Jul 24, 2011 5:51 am

i sawed a damaged dulcimer in half legnthwise and used that to show how the inside looked.

it was fun to hang it in my booth with a sign "half price". that got lots of comments.
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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby wocket » Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:25 am

lol!
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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby rtroughear » Sun Jul 24, 2011 11:04 am

Wocket
You mean like this?
PlasticDulcimer.jpg
PlasticDulcimer.jpg (94.08 KiB) Viewed 388 times

This is electric, but I suspect it might sound OK as an acoustic instrument because a lot of the sound of a dulcimer relates to the air vibration inside the cavity as well as the top and back plates and the sides vibrating.

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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby kwl » Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:15 pm

While I have never heard anyone play one, I have seen a few pictures of them. So, yes, people have built them as the picture in the previous post shows. If I recall correctly someone made one in blue plastic and another one in green.

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"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby KenH » Sun Jul 24, 2011 3:38 pm

I've never played one, but have seen them.

Heck there are a couple of Lego (tm) dulcimers out there!!
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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby rendesvous1840 » Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:48 pm

This may be more work than you want for a first build, but it shows what can be done by someone who wants to.
http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2007/03/m ... uitar.html
This guitar was featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine some years back. The builder was a sailor who had a lot of time at sea. He made several other playable instruments,including a fiddle and mandolin, all from matchsticks. Musta saved every match from the whole crew.
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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby wocket » Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:47 pm

Yes, just like that one. Wow, that match stick one is way too muh work!
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Re: An Acrylic Dulcimer?

Postby mrchips » Mon Jul 25, 2011 2:26 am

Its actually a uke, not a guitar.. Still shows real patience to me.....


There was a time not too far back the only entertainment on a ship at sea was what you created. The days before satellite TV and radio, any concept of the net and only at some times decent AM reception at all and it depended on the time of day. Many of us who have grown grey on the top know exactly how it was..

So instead of setting around playing poker all the time and had an endless supply of match sticks. No bicks in those days. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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