#1
|
|||
|
|||
Seagull Merlin or Mountain Dulcimer
I'm looking at getting my wife an instrument for Christmas so that we can play music together. She can read music and used to play clarinet in high school but we are looking for something easy to play. Would you all recommend the Seagull Merlin or is a Mountain Dulcimer the way to go?
|
#2
|
|||
|
|||
I think that any stringed instrument in open tuning is easier to play than one that is not.
Open tuning allows a simple bar to make the chord and the player needs only to know the intervals between chord changes (to know which fret to play). Lap versus not-lap style could come down to a matter of which is more comfortable to hold while playing. good luck =- let us know what you decide to get and how it works out.
__________________
amyFb Huss & Dalton CM McKnight MacNaught Breedlove Custom 000 Albert & Mueller S Martin LXE Voyage-Air VM04 Eastman AR605CE |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
www.boiseukulelegroup.com Happy shopping...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
I'd agree with Steve that a uke might be a better option. I've got a Merlin (gift from my wife) and it doesn't see much use - the diatonic frets really do limit the potential use. Also, the volume is low, playing with a pick is difficult because of the proximity of the strings to the soundboard, so I strum with fingers/thumb.
__________________
Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I'll agree that volume could be an issue if you envision playing with a guitar. I used to put my lap dulcimer on a large wood tabletop to get a little extra volume out of it with playing with others. From habit, I ply my Merlin "lap style" even though you could hold it more like a guitar.
There is a Merlin with a pickup, Elderly has them in stock https://www.elderly.com/seagull-merl...merlin-meq.htm I don't recall having an issue playing with a pick on my Merlin. Maybe if I used big sweeping strums it would be, but I don't. I do fret more than one string on the dulcimer at times. The combination of dulcimer playing more the drone/modal center and the guitar gently picked with greater voicing freedom was proved out years ago by Mimi and Richard Farina. It sure can work. If your partner is musically knowledgeable and/or willing to give it a try, another option would be something like a Kala bass. The short scale and nylon strings are easy to the hands, the sound is, at least on my solid body and fretted variation, somewhat upright bass like without the fretless articulations. There are Kala hollow body bass ukes too, but I'd assume acoustically they'd be way to low in volume played acoustically, but I've never played one.
__________________
----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |