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Here are photos and descriptions of some of the instruments I have built. Many of these were designed by the buyers, while others were built to my specs
to sell "off the shelf".
Please see "Instruments For Sale" tab in the bar above for more information on available instruments.
 "Bowed Dulcimer" SDD 0041My first attempt, (and most likely my last) at a custom build of something a little different. This instrument is called a "Bowed Dulcimer." It combines various features of a mountain dulcimer, a cello, a violin and a guitar. As the name implies, it is played with a bow, much like a cello. |  "Langeleik" SDD 0046My second custom "non-dulcimer." A woman from Colorado contacted me about building a "Langeleik" for her. These instruments are believed to be one of the older Norwegian influences that contributed to the design of the Mountain Dulcimer. It is basically a rectangular box strung with eight strings. Only one string is fretted while the other seven are played as "drone" strings. There are also included some small "movable" frets that can change the tuning of the drone strings like a capo. |  Courtin' Dulcimer, SDD 0031"Courtin' Dulcimers" were said to been a way to keep young people that were "seeing" each other on the straight and narrow pathway. The young couple would sit facing each other and each play their part on one of two fretboards. The parents could repose to another area to give the courting couple some privacy but when they stopped hearing two distinct parts to the music they would quickly make sure there was no hanky-panky going on! It could also be enjoyed by two players that weren'n courtin! |  Elliptical, SDD 0010Ellipse shape. Guitar type peghead and Fern Frond soundholes. Western Red Cedar soundboard. |
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 SDD 0013Western Red Cedar soundboard. Geometric dot soundholes. Black walnut fingerboard. Tapered scroll peghead. |  Hourglass SDD 0014Aromatic cedar soundboard. Hard maple fingerboard. Scroll peghead. Orthodox cross soundholes. |  Back View of Sdd 0014Hard maple back. Laminated peghead. |  Hourglass SDD 0015Hourglass shape, hard maple fingerboard, aromatic cedar soundboard with "f" soundholes. Scroll peghead |
 Hourglass SDD 0016Aromatic cedar soundboard. Hickory fingerboard. Four different soundholes as selected by buyer. Custom carved peghead (whale tail fluke). |  Cigarbox shape. SDD 0017Our least expensive model. Also reminiscent of what the early builders did with materials they had on hand such as cigar boxes glued together for the body. |  Cigar-Box SDD 0017One of the first images on this page was of this instrument with a diffeerent soundboard. At one of the recent festivals we had an unfortunate accident with a display rack falling over and the original soundboard was slightly split and a small divot was made in the top edge of the body. I could have sold it "as is" but instead I rebuilt it with this new soundboard. The larger soundholes actually increased the volume of the instrument a little. |  TEARDROP SDD 0018Teardrop shape, Sitka Spruce soundboard and Purpleheart fingerboard. Tapered scroll peghead. "f" soundholes. |
 HOURGLASS SDD 0019Western Red Cedar soundboard on hourglass shaped body. Scroll peghead with down swept arch. Evergreen tree soundholes. Black walnut fingerboard with maple inlay dots. |  Hourglass, SDD 0020Aromatic cedar soundboard, hickory fingerboard. Horsehead and geometric dot soundholes. Tapered scroll and upswept arch peghead. |  BOOKMATCHING EXAMPLEGood example of how I "Bookmatch" the soundboards and backs of my instruments. A board is ripped in half lengthwise, then opened like the cover of a book and glued together creating a mirror image on each side of the now wider board. (this is the back of the Hourglass with the horsehead and dot soundholes) |  3/4 SIZE, SDD 0021Small, hourglass shape well suited for small players or children. Laminated peghead, Black walnut fingerboard. |
 Stand at first BazaarThe Spring Bazaar at the Evergreen fairgrounds in Monroe, our first event in 2015. |  SDD 0022Aromatic cedar soundboard with Penguin soundholes. Laminated peghead. Gold tuning machines with black knobs. Special order Ebony fingerboard. |  Hourglass, SDD 0023Hourglass with wider "f" soundholes. Note the different treatment of the peghead by thining down the scroll part to make it look a little more streamlined. |  Terminology...This hourglass instrument gives us a good opportunity to learn some dulcimer definitions. The narrow part of the body is called the "waist". (kind of obvious...) The wider portions of the body are called the "bouts". In this case the upper "bout" is not as wide as the lower one. This design gives a nice look to the instrument but does limit the choices of soundholes. To put soundholes in the narrow bout they need to be of a slender design. |
 Hourglass, SDD 0025A couple of things to point out here. First notice the "Cannarywood" side on the body. This imported exotic hardwood has some beautiful grain patterns with colors ranging from browns to reds and oranges. Also the peghead has a different design. I was just experimenting while building it and ended up with something that reminded me of a turret on a castle. |  Hourglass, SDD 0024Classic "hourglass" shape with leaf soundholes. Western Red Cedar soundboard and scroll type peghead. |  Hourglass, SDD 0027Sides are one of my favorite exotic woods called Canarywood. Usually has multiple colored grain streaks ranging from very light to deep reds and even purples. Standard hourglass shape with Aromatic Cedar soundboard. "Bubble" soundholes. |  Teardrop, SDD 0028Teardrop shape, stylish heart soundholes with dots above and below. Aromatic Cedar soundboard, |
 Hourglass, SDD 0029Hourglass shape with rare old growth coastal redwood soundboard. Daisy soundholes and modified scroll type peghead. |  Hourglass, Sdd 0030Dove soundholes in sitka spruce soundboard on hourglass shape body. Guitar type peghead. |  Diamond, SDD 0034Diamond body with matching soundholes. A tribute to some of the very early designs primarily from the Melton's of Virginia. Western Red Cedar soundboard, nicely grained Cherry back and sides. |  Hourglass, SDD 0035Western Red Cedar on Hourglass shaped body. Padauk sides and back. Eight notes on upper "bout" and hearts on lower. |
 Hourglass, SDD 0036Hourglass shape with a Catalpa sound board. A very nicely grained wood. Back is black walnut and sides are another exotic... canary-wood, also colorfully grained |  Rectangle, SDD 0037Rectangular body with rectangular soundholes produces a nice, clear sound. Built with contrasting colors to produce a light/dark theme. Soundboard is light colored Poplar. Sides are a dark Walnut and back is a bright Eastern Maple. |  Hourglass, SDD 0039Fleur de Lis and Butterfly soundholes. Western Red Cedar sound board, Cherry back and Red Oak Sides. |  Ellipse, SDD 0040Ellipse shaped, "f hole" soundholes. Soundboard is Red Alder, Backm is Black Walnut and sides are Cherry. |
 Rectangle, SDD 0042Rectangle, Western Red Cedar top, Black Walnut with White Ash stripe, Black Walnut sides. |  Hourglass, SDD 0043Four different soundholes on an hourglass shaped body. |  Teardrop, SDD 0044TearDrop with four fern frond soundholes. Sitka spruce soundboard, Purpleheart back and Canarywood sides. |  Ellipse, SDD 0045Ellipise shape. |
 Hourglass, SDD 0047Hourglass. |  Ellipse, SDD 0048Eliptical shape. |  Hourglass, SDD 0049Hourglass shape, Hummingbird & Vines soundholes. |  Rectangle, SDD 0050Another "basic" model, built to pay homage to the early "cigar-box" dulcimers. |
 0051Certainly one of my top five favorite instruments. I found a piece of poplar that was "marred" by a dark stripe within the grain of the wood. After some creative book-matching and milling I ended up with a unique looking soundboard for this elliptical dulcimer. |  Rectangle, SDD 0052Tribute to early builders that used whatever they could find for building materials. Sometimes they would use cigar boxes to construcg the body, creating an instrument with a rectangular shape like this one. |  Ellipse, SDD 0053Eliptical shape with standing bear and howling wolf soundholes. |  "Very Custom" SDD 0054Ordered by customer in Vermont. |
 Diamond, SDD 0055A little different view of a lesser used shape - diamond. |  Hourglass, SDD 0056Hourglass shape. "Trestle" cut-outs in fret board are not just decorative, they are actually designed to reduce the surface area that is in contact with the soundboard. This allows the soundboard to vibrate better, thus enhancing the sound quality. |  "Trumpet" Shape SDD 0061A bit of a different design that I tried out in an attempt to come up with a less expensive dulcimer. It was not a lot less to build but did evolve into another "Economy" model that I am now building. |  Teardrop, SDD 0064Another special order from an experienced player that was very specific about what he wanted in the instrument. One variant was that he asked for six strings, (three pairs of two) |
 Elliptical, SDD 0065Custom order instrument. Notice the laminated woods in the peg head. I enjoy doing this little extra touch and feel that it adds to the uniqueness of each instrument. |  Teardrop, SDD 0067This soundboard is Aromatic Cedar, also known as Tennessee Cedar. While it has been a popular option with many of my customers, I am finding that good quality lumber of this species is getting hard to get. |  Rectangle, SDD 0076Basic model with some upgrades. Soundboard is Western Red Cedar. |  Hourglass, SDD 0077Hourglass shape, Crescent moon soundholes. |
 SDD 0078kjbkjbkbki |  SDD 0XXX Ellipitical Shape,While this shape is not the most popular, it does provide a more mellow, sweeter tone when played. |
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