Ed Pressnell: Dulcimer Maker
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- čas přidán 7. 11. 2010
- Edd Presnell, a mountain craftsman and native of Watauga County, North Carolina, demonstrates and comments on the construction of a dulcimer. Presnell learned his craft from his father-in-law. Film includes a brief performance on a finished dulcimer by his wife, Nettie. 1973
This 16mm film is archived in the Thomas G. Burton and Jack Schrader collection in the Archives of Appalachia, East Tennesse State University. Watch the entire film on Folkstreams www.folkstreams.net/film,220 - Jak na to + styl
I have #683 that Edd made on December 4th, 1969. I found it very recently at an estate sale. It has a missing tuning peg and a cracked tail board but I am determined to repair it so that its songs can be enjoyed again. It is a beautiful instrument that I will treasure forever.
Edd and Nettie are my Grandparents I worked in the shop with them. They were the greatest mountain people around. They made dulcimers. As well as other wood crafts. Papaw learned how to make one from Mamau's Dad Ben Hicks. Ben along with his brother Brownlow made the first dulcimer on BEECH MOUNTAIN. They were considered MOUNTAIN ROYALITY. I LOVED THEM VERY MUCH ♥️♥️💙💙 I AM WRITING A BOOK ABOUT THEM AND THE WAY WE GREW UP. IT IS CALLED OUR MOUNTAIN PARADISE. There were 14 of us Grandchildren. They loved us unconditionally. We were the Jo Jo's. Papaw called us all Jo Jo because he couldn't remember out names lol. We loved our Papaw and Manaw more than anything or anyone. Dee, Billie, Melinda, and I were the oldest of the grandchildren. We went to the fairs with them to help them set up their booth and sell the woodcrafts. We looked forward to going with them every year. We also helped them finish their woodcrafts. We put several coats of Water Lox a tung oil product. Let them dry and sand them in between coats. This created the most beautiful shine,! We would then use Johnson's pasta wax and rub it in the wood by hand to give the wood a glorious glow. A little buffing with a soft cloth and the end result was a shine made in HEAVEN! We were so proud of the wonderful job that we did. Papaw and Mamaw paid us very well for our hard work. We used the money to buy our School clothes for the upcoming year. It was a huge help for out parents. So with all of us happy and ready to get on with The Asheville Fair. It was an exciting place full of crafts dancing cloggers. We worked hard to get the booth set up so we could go watch the clogging competition. It was always be so much fun to watch the clogging dancers clicking their heels together in unison.
We were having the time of our lives. Papaw and Mamaw went to the fairs and people came from all over to order a dulcimer from Papaw and to hear Mamaw play. She taught all of us Grandchildren how to play. Papaw made us all our own dulcimer. I asked him if he could make mine out of birds eye maple and curly maple. He told me that those two types of wood were hard to find. That he might have to make it out of cherry. When I took it out of the box I held my breath. It was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. He used birds eye maple and curly maple just as I had asked. I was so happy and I gave him a big hug! The first song that Mamaw taught me to play was WILD WOOD FLOWER. TO THIS DAY IT IS STILL MY FAVORITE SONG. SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL THEM HARD WORKING MOUNTAIN FOLKS. I CALLED THEM THE TWO MOST TALENTED AND LOVABLE PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH. I MISS THEM SO MUCH THESE DAYS. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANYONE LIKE THEM ON THIS EARTH. HERE'S TO YOU EDD AND NETTIE PRESNELL. I CAN HEAR MAMAW PLAYING HER BEAUTIFUL DULCIMER RINGING ACROSS BEECH MOUNTAIN, AND PAPAW STANDING BESIDE HER SMILING. IF SOMEONE WOULD ASK IF HE PLAYED. HIS ANSWER WAS. I MAKE THEM AND MOM PLAYS THEM. HE LOVED HIS WOOD WORKING BUSINESS. DAVID HOLT Asked him in a interview if he could measure his satisfaction on how much he loved his craft. He answered BE RIDICULOUS.,
In addition to regular dulcimers, did they make 'walking dulcimers' or music sticks (stick dulcimers)?
I have one of Edd's dulcimers. I bought it back in about 1968. It is one of my most treasured musical instruments.
I'm Edd and Nettie's granddaughter Melanie McGrew. I want to Thank you so much ! My Grandpa and Grandma were very special. They were talented and loved working with wood. The dulcimer that you have is from the early years. I know you appreciate the fine craftsmanship and all of the hard work my Grandpa and Grandma put into making it. When he passed in 1994 he had made over 1,800 dulcimers. Any one who has one today has a treasure for sure!
I met Edd up at his place in the hills up from Banner Elk in 1964! My boyfriend was a guitar-maker/musician from Madison WI, and we drove down with another couple in our country band. Edd was gracious host, really amazing man.
I have a 1967 Presnell dulcimer. I grew up in Watauga county. Unfortunately I did not know Edd too well, but was good friend´s wish his son, Baxter. Edd had an annual pig picking that most of had at least 200 people in attendance. Before he passed away he asked Baxter to keep it going. Edd is buried next to the pond near the home. The grave marker has an image of a dulcimer on it. What a treasure he was!
Love how he's holding his pipe while creating amazing skilled beautiful instruments
Thank you for posting this 12 years ago
I have a BEAUTIFUL 1972 dulcimer made by Edd. Had it since 1983 o 4.
My friend friend from Norway, Unni, bought his 1026 dulcimer. We enjoyed going to his home to get the finished dulcimer. His farm has a view of 3 states. I remember his beautiful kitchen table made from a tree. I think he said his nephew shipped the wood from the west coast. Such beautiful craftsmanship in his instruments!
hank you very much
Thank you for making this video!
Thanks so much for posting this ...
I'm also related to those Hicks' that he talks about. Thanks for posting this video!
Me too!😁
Great video thanks!
0:36 56 years old? FIFTY-SIX? That can't be right!
Wonderful! I knew a man from Brocton New York who used to make hammered dulcimers.
Edd was my grandfather's cousin! I'm glad that I found this video! Wish I had been interested in dulcimers when Edd was alive. :( What I wouldn't give if I could buy one now.
What was your grandpa's name if i may ask? My gramma knew Edd quite well as she was a Hicks!
@@jasonsummit1885 my grandfather was Miles Presnell.
@@ImaPeachyMomAny relation to Eli or Gerald Presnell?
I have a 1986 Presnell dulcimer and I love it. I recorded the Electric Mantra song "Red Sea" with the same dulcimer if you want to hear it. Just google Electric Mantra and it will be the first link...navigate to the song on the player.
I always remembered him smoking his pipe whenever he came over to visit my gramma and grampa.😊
I'm here cause I googled "Beardy Ed Pressnell", heard from a story told on an old Hoyt Axton song "One Grain of sand".
It made me think the same thing.
I would love to see more like this. All your other videos are trailers. I don't want to watch a trailer and I'm not gonna go to another web site.
Rose, the full films are all on www.folkstreams.net. We put a card on the end of the trailers to alert folks about this. But some miss it.
Anybody know what tune this is?
Sally Gooden
Does anyone know what it is that he’s calling “cucumber” wood
A type of magnolia. I had to look it up as well. Lol
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_acuminata
Interesting that he recommends poplar as this was traditionally the wood for harpsichord cases.
Perhaps ease of carving???
some more kinfolk
He is my neighbor, George Presnell's, uncle. They have the most beautiful hand carved dulcimer made by Ed.Covered in hard carved roses and leaves and vines. They also have adorable hand carved wooden birds and woodland animals:)
Is George's wife Faye? If so, that's my uncle!
This is a great video but it's sad that traditions like these are being lost to time. So many kids from my generation & younger (I'm 26) just don't have the passion for these kind of things; whether it's building, playing, even listening. Everyone wants instant gratification. Few young folks have the patience to properly learn to play an instrument, never mind build one. Hopefully my posting of videos like these will inspire more people my age to shut-off the TV and do something worthwhile!
Did he say cucumber wood? O.o
Magnolia
He looks like a Hasidic rabbi.