Let's go over in detail the items you will find in the installation kit.
About two feet of braided silk surgical suture is supplied.This will be used to retrieve the pickup after it is inserted into the dulcimer.You can use other if you prefer, but this is strong, all but tangle-free, and substantial enough to make manipulation easy.
Two cowlings are furnished to cover the ends of the pickup after installation. They are fully finished and waxed, so should be a decent match for the fretboard of your dulcimer. They will be glued to the sides of the fretboard, centered on the saddle slot. One is solid and intended for the melody side. The other is recessed to accomodate the pickup signal lead and is used on the bass side, where the lead will enter the top through a 1/8" hole in the top.
The pickup itself is pre-wired to a 1/4" female output plug. The lead is just long enough to comfortably reach the saddle slot, so there should be no concern about the lead rattling inside. The output plug shell's shoulder has been cut off and the shell shortened so the lead and pickup assembly will pass through it easily.
The saddle router bit is custom-made from a length of #35 tool steel drill blank, .110" diameter. Its width exactly matches the saddle slot. It is designed to cut at the bottom only, using the length of its body as a bearing surface. Thus, you will be able to use it to deepen the saddle slot without cutting into the slot's walls. Two .004" shims are supplied (one spare) to allow the tool to be held in a standard 1/8" collet, such as found in Dremel tools.
So, we are ready to begin. The first step is to prepare the pickup for insertion into the dulcimer.
Retro-fit Kit Contents
