DULCIMER MAKER Homer C. Ledford DULCIMER MAKER ., The Craft of HOMER LEDFORD ., R. Gerald Alvey PHOTOGRAPHS BY Jerry Schureman WITH A FOREWORD BY Ron Pen THE UNNERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY Publication of this volume was made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Copyright © 1984, 2003 by The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. All rights reserved. Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 www.kentuckypress.com Frontispiece: Homer C. Ledford in his shop. Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8131-9051-8 (pbk: acid-free paper) This book is printed on acid-free recycled paper meeting the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials. Manufactured in the United States of America. Member of the Association of American University Presses To THE MEMORY OF WM. HUGH JANSEN This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IX FOREWORD XIII INTRODUCTION 1 I. HOMER LEDFORD: THE MAN AND CRAFTSMAN 7 II. THE ANATOMY OF THE LEDFORD DULCIMER 51 III. THE LEDFORD DULCIMER IN CONTEXT III AFTERWORD 171 AUDEOGRAPHY 176 NOTES 181 INDEX 193 This page intentionally left blank ILLUSTRATIONS DIAGRAMS The Ledford Three-String Dulcimer 24 A Ledford Four-String Dulcimer in C-Major (Ionian) Tuning 90 PHOTOGRAPHS Homer C. Ledford frontispiece 1. Edna Ritchie Baker with early Ledford dulcimer 20 2. Some of Homer's carvings 22 3. Homer's traditional performing stance 28 4. Homer's first mandolin and recent fancy mandolin 33 5. Homer's banjos 36 6. Homer's guitar 37 7. Homer's sweetheart and teardrop dulcimers 39 8. Homer's dulcitar 49 9. Homer's dulcibro 49 10. Tracing pattern of dulcimer top 57 11. Tracing pattern of sound hole 58 12. Drilling peg holes in pegbox 60 13. Pegbox slots to receive sides 61 14. Tracing pattern of end block 62 IS. End-block slots to receive sides 63 16. Notch in end block for ballad end of strings 63 17. Old-style end-block assembly with stationary bridge 63 18. Under side of hollowed-out fingerboard 66