You could convert a RalBar into a Chromatic RalBar by simply adding Frets to the spots where there aren't any, thankfully it's indicated by lines. You can easily transpose by moving the capo up & down.
Really nice build. Looks like it plays nicely too. I'm new to Dulcimers but i've fallen in love with the sound. Im 7 months into learning electric guitar and i already own 2 guitars. Its really tempting to get something like you've created but the missus would draw and quarter me.
Hi, could you teach me how to build one? I actually need to know about the scale and the strings... the rest i can figure it out Beautiful work! Cheers from Brasil!
Great sound, not unlike a long necked version of the Citole; I expect this is what Seagull had in mind with the shape of their diatonic dulcimer. I wonder how it would sound with Aqula nylgut strings.
Think you captured a part of what made the Appalachian music sound unique with this build. People use to build a Dulcimer or fiddle with wood that was available. Thus, giving it a sound most people know but could never perfect. Hope to see more of your projects in the future.
Thanks for the kind comment! I seriously made this guitar from scratch materials laying around, and this build has been one of the most popular and commented videos on my channel. It has been fun.
Greetings, thanks for the comment. I do build these. Unfortunately I’ve needed to grow out of my garage and actually build a wood shop. In between that and other house projects, I have been able to get back into guitar building.
Thanks! For a scrap build, this guitar and video has been very popular. I'm am currently working on a new prototype that has a little better construction and will have some up for sale in the next few months. I will post a video when ready.
Hey man any sign of that new dulcimer your building, and how much Im real interested man over here in the uk sounds great like that its chromatic too Let me know
The Merlin is around a 20" fret scale. Most of my builds are 23" to 25". I think I remember this guitar being a 25". The longer scale helps a lot with intonation.
@@FlintwoodGuitars I read somewhere that while 'dulcitars' where a guitar-ized version of regular mountain dulcimers, which was in turn descended from the Hummel that the Pennsylvania dutch brought over and eventually made its way to the southern appalachains, 'chord sticks' or 'music sticks' on the other hand where actually descended from a one-string very long 'bass-like'/ 'cello-like' instrument called the 'pickin stick' that was in turn descended from an old Irish and Scottish instrument that the irish and scottish immigrants brought over, that was literally constructed of a large branch with a single gut string tied off at either end... (and eventually 2 and 3 strings got added) Alternatively, the mountain dulcimer could have been descended from a primitive attempt at re-creating the violin with very limited resources and woodworking skills, way up in the mountains. Originally it would have been played with a bow and called a 'violin', but over the years the bow got dropped and the term 'dulcimer' popped up when people started comparing it to the hammered dulcimer in the 1800's, when the hammered dulcimer was also a popular handcrafted instrument all over america. (before pianos took over) (or maybe the Appalachian dulcimer has its roots in all three)
