Electric Cardboard Dulcimer

I've been joking with my roommates about the "Cardboard Electric Dulcimer" for a while now. I finally bought an acoustic pickup for $20 off of ebay a few days ago. So here it is, the moment you've been waiting for.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Electric
• Cardboard
• Dulcimer
• Kevin
• Acoustic

[unstrung13]

good stuff. but you didn't need to spend so much money. two parts from radio shack (or old toys) and you'd be up and running. i've build several makeshift instruments, and i've used the "coin" type speaker element of of childrens video games, digital watches, and smoke alarms for a pickup. it's easy!! and it sounds great with the right location on the instrument. good job!

MUSIC-- i LOVE the tune you played. great job!

[klcarrcalpoly]

Thank you. I'm not very good with electronics once it gets down to the soldering level. I did try to go to radio shack and buy the parts I needed, but the guy didn't know much about them and I wasn't entirely sure that I could pull it off. $20 wasn't bad for the pickup considering the nice sound I got out of it. I'm glad you liked the tune. Take care.

[shaowebb]

I have to ask you is that just an ordinary acoustic pickup or did you have to get some sort of special dulcimer pickup?

If its just an axoustic what model because I have to do this to mine now after seeing this.

[klcarrcalpoly]

I sent you a message with the link.

[shaowebb]

Nice sound out of that. Im playing my teacher's cardboard dulcimer right now waiting for mine to come in the mail. I saw the jack but I have to ask where you mounted the pickup on this.

Is it in the strum area or is it mounted to the side of the fret board?

[klcarrcalpoly]

Thank you,

If you pause this video in the first frame and look closely, you can see it. It's stuck to the bottom of the fret board on the part that sticks out past the cardboard. It's black with a white dot, the string is holding it in place. That seemed to give me the best sound. Another good spot was on the cardboard right next to the bridge.

- Kevin

[legendofwii92]

Cool, a cardboard dulcimer. Lol.

Very creative and original! 5 stars dude. =D

[wbwillie]

that's awesome, i'm going to have to try to build something like this myself, no point in actually buying something that I probably won't play enough to legitimize the purchase of hehe, besides, if I build it, I'll like it more lol

[pixxiedust]

theres this awesome guy at the flea market who sells kits that you can build your own guitar 6 or 4 string, banjos and dulcimers, they're actually quite awesome.

[stefanmckinley]

brillient!

[smokybrick]

Wow cool sound, I need to get a hollow body. Mine is solid electric but doesnt have the overtones you get. Nice playing :)

[bigfatsound2007]

Well done! Nice balanced sound! My amp (a Fender sidekick) that i use with my dulcimer looks just like yours! :))

I put my pickup near the fretboard, and the sound is quite acceptable.