Dulcimer

Very nice, great workmanship, I would like to hear it, if it sounds as nice as it looks.

-- Tom D

Nice instrument and nice case for it. Great job.

This is a gorgeous instrument. I am sure that your musical skills are at least equal to your woodworking skills. It would be interesting to see a post on the construction involved in something like this.

Maybe next time?

Thanks for sharing.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

I am SO impressed…... beautiful

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Beautiful dulcimer and case. I’d like to get into making instruments one day.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

terrific posting

welcome to lj’s

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

build one….I never even heard of one….......... Nice job on it though ….and nice choice of woods too.

-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/

Nothing else but excellent Halltree. Welcome to Lumberjocks.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Thanks for the comments.
Actually it is called an ‘Appalachian Dulcimer’, or a ‘Mountain Dulcimer’. It is played by strumming it while placed on one’s lap. After building it I wanted to build a ‘Hammered dulcimer’. It is a larger instrument with about 60 strings that is placed on a tilted stand and is played with two small wooded hammers. BUT, my wife says to first learn to play the ‘Mountain Dulciner’.

-- Ron in Osseo, Minnesota

Nice project Ron! Welcome to LumberJocks!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Ron, what a neat looking dulciner. Those that never had the opportunity to hear one, you have definately missed out. Mountain music at it’s best OuhRaah!! Semper Fi!!!!

-- www.flickr.com/photos/egamarine/

Ron, aka halltree: that’s pretty slick!
my wife has been after me to make a dulcimer for her and the kids to play around with,but I have put it off for a few years because I , inspite of my wife’s glowing faith in my abilities, I think that instrument making is still a little bit out of my reach tool wise, although that hasn’t kept me from looking over pics and plans. It looks great, can I ask what glue you used?, did you steam the wood to bend it and for how long? did you make a jig to build it in to keep the form or what?
How long did it take to make? It looks good enough to sell… maybe if it wasn’t a real pain in the—- you could make and sell them bidded out on ebay.
just for giggles and grins, take it by a music shop and see what they’d offer for it, but don’t initially tell them you made it, you’ll get a more honest appraisal…From the pics, I’d say it’ll do well considering that there is also a nice case to go with it!

-- Sometimes my wife wishes that she was a block of wood... ;-)

That is an exceptional dulcimer! The dulcimer is one of my favorite instruments, such a unique sound. I’ve only had a chance to play one once, but I play mandolin/fiddle/bass/bass fiddle some. Mandolin and Dulcimer are really spiritual instruments to play in my opinion, and it looks like you had a great journey while crafting this beautiful Dulcimer. Thanks for posting!

-- Location: Birmingham, AL - Stimulate this Mr. President!

All I can add is a huge big WOW !! Way beyond my stuff.

-- Ageingwood - artsplae1@msn.com No time , retired

great craftsmanship on all of your items here !

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

Hutch~
Thanks for the warm welcome and I promise to use pushsticks! I love your dulcimer! I haven’t heard the sweet sounds of a dulcimer since the family and I attended a bluegrass festival in Old Forge, NY. They’ve since cancelled the festival and I miss it sorely. Hubby plays every other instrument (guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and bagpipes) but I love the sounds of the dulcimer. Yours is a gorgeous handcrafted dulcimer! I’m so jealous…

-- Robbinscabin