Hi, I am interested in picking up a mountain dulcimer for my wife. At this point I pretty much only know ukuleles so I'm looking for any advice… Ideally I'm looking at something under $300, preferably closer to two, and good enough that it's not going to put her off of the instrument because it is always going out of tune. Any suggestions are appreciated thanks!
Recommendations for a mountain dulcimer
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macfish
Well-known member
Check Elderly Instruments in Michigan. Seems like it might be tough at $200. One of the best is Warren May in Berea Kentucky but it's been years since I looked at his work, probably up in the $400-500 range now.
Go to the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer website, sort of the UU for dulcimer players. You can find quality dulcimers for sale there (used) that are reasonably price and accurately described.
http://fotmd.com
http://fotmd.com
acmespaceship
Well-known member
I can personally recommend two builders who make fine entry-level instruments at low prices:
David Lynch at http://www.sweetwoodsinstruments.com/dulcimers.php
Bill Berg at http://www.mountainmademusic.com/dulcimers.asp
Be careful on eBay (but you knew that already). There are cheap offshore factory-made brands that are nothing but junk (Apple Creek and First Act come to mind). A dulcimer that is listed as a "McSpadden" or "Folkcraft" (both excellent brands) might in fact be a kit build by someone who did a shoddy job putting the kit together.
Also beware of antiques: many dulcimers built as late as the 1960's were fretted by ear and not for a modern equal-temperament scale. These sound beautiful in experienced hands, but they will never sound in tune with modern fretted instruments.
Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer is a good site and so is Everything Dulcimer. Good luck and happy hunting.
David Lynch at http://www.sweetwoodsinstruments.com/dulcimers.php
Bill Berg at http://www.mountainmademusic.com/dulcimers.asp
Be careful on eBay (but you knew that already). There are cheap offshore factory-made brands that are nothing but junk (Apple Creek and First Act come to mind). A dulcimer that is listed as a "McSpadden" or "Folkcraft" (both excellent brands) might in fact be a kit build by someone who did a shoddy job putting the kit together.
Also beware of antiques: many dulcimers built as late as the 1960's were fretted by ear and not for a modern equal-temperament scale. These sound beautiful in experienced hands, but they will never sound in tune with modern fretted instruments.
Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer is a good site and so is Everything Dulcimer. Good luck and happy hunting.
As with ukes, many quality, hand made used dulcimers on both ebay and some of the dulcimer sites shown above. Many of them are like new and have been played little. For $300 or less (which is your stated price range) you can get an amazing dulcimer in the $500-$600 price range. Lots of McSpaddens. Think she might like a stick dulcimer, sometimes called a walking dulcimer or dulcitar? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mountain-Dulcimer-/172031091010?hash=item280dda2142:g:S-wAAOSwp5JWX4M5
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I can second the David Lynch recommendation. I purchased one of his student models for myself a year or two ago and another last year for one of my sons. Good work, very responsive to questions.
--G
--G
igorthebarbarian
Well-known member
Also consider the StrumStick (quasi-dulcimer/guitar):
http://www.strumstick.com/
http://www.strumstick.com/
morgensd
Active member
Depending on your location Craigslist may be a good option. Here in the Midwest, I see Mountain Dulcimers listed fairly regularly.
I'm a dulcimer player and have two: a handmade dulcimer crafted by Bill Taylor, who lives near Pigeon Forge, TN, and used to work at Dollywood; and a Folkcraft which is a nicely made and very playable dulcimer. Here is the URL for Folkcraft:
http://www.folkcraft.com/mountain-dulcimers.html
Looking on Amazon.com, I see quite a few mountain dulcimers in the $100-200 price range. Here's one - http://www.amazon.com/Roosebeck-DMC...1450887286&sr=1-23&keywords=mountain+dulcimer - that looks good but I cannot attest to its playability; check the buyer comments. Looks like there are several Roosebeck models to choose from.
The Seagull strum stick is a fun easy-to-play instrument that is tuned like a dulcimer.
http://www.folkcraft.com/mountain-dulcimers.html
Looking on Amazon.com, I see quite a few mountain dulcimers in the $100-200 price range. Here's one - http://www.amazon.com/Roosebeck-DMC...1450887286&sr=1-23&keywords=mountain+dulcimer - that looks good but I cannot attest to its playability; check the buyer comments. Looks like there are several Roosebeck models to choose from.
The Seagull strum stick is a fun easy-to-play instrument that is tuned like a dulcimer.
Thanks for the advice everyone! I went with the David Lynch student model. Got it on Christmas eve, and have been happily playing it since. Any advice on what tuning to use or songbooks, either free, e-book, or physical books? I love the sound, my preference is for the droning quality , In fact my decision was whether to get this or an Oud, I chose this because it seems like an easier instrument to play and I'm pretty clueless.
acmespaceship
Well-known member
The best book ever written about playing the mountain dulcimer -- the ONLY book worth starting with as far as I'm concerned -- was first published in 1974. The surviving author has kindly posted it online, free for everybody, so start here: http://robertforce.com/wp-content/wilddulcimer/index.html
Rllink
Well-known member
Has your wife gotten a chance to play it yet?
