Tips about purchasing a hammered dulcimer

[KarenB]

I've never played one, but I'm intrigued by the sound. Can you play them in different keys? And where do you buy them? How's tuning them? Thanks.

[brad4d8]

Depends on the instrument. Some are diatonic, like the white keys on a piano, although not necessarily C to C like a piano. Some are chromatic and include the notes found on the black keys as well.
Dusty Strings in Seattle is a good starting point. If you're handy with woodworking, there are plans and kits available, do a Google search and you'll find a bunch.

[H165]

https://manufacturing.dustystrings.c...ered-dulcimers

This is not just a maker/dealer, they are an actual store. Lots of info.

[KarenB]

Thanks Brad and H165. I'll look into it. Do you play? Having a piano background, the chromatic one might be easier for me to learn. But the fifths tuning would switch my ears around ( kinda like guitar tunings) and might be really interesting I also like the idea of dampers. Oh my. So much to learn. I don't live anywhere near Seattle (I'm on the east coast) but somewhere around me there might be a place that carries Hammer duclicmers. The search begins.

[Wade Hampton]

Dusty Strings makes the most consistently good quality hammered dulcimers you can find. There are other excellent builders out there, but even the lower price Dusty Strings dulcimers are worth owning.

There’s one fairly basic model that they make that features a solid mahogany top. It’s not the cheapest one they build, but it’s a great workhorse model that’s as much hammered dulcimer as most players will ever need.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[catt]

I've owned a few Dusty Strings HDs - they are excellent and have a characteristic sound. However, they are all "fixed top" instruments, and I prefer "floating top" for my style (Irish/Scots trad).

Another element i require is tuning pins on both sides of the bridge, rather than on only one side.

I played HD for a couple of decades until i finally wrangled a wire harp. I still have a couple although i rarely dig them out anymore - preferring harp.

[BuzzTurner]

Not a HD player but I own a mountain dulcimer. The https://dulcimerassociationofalbany.com/ is a huge resource. At any dulcimer festival (and there are many) you will meet friendly folks ready to guide you on your journey. The festivals also give you an opportunity to try out different instruments. Another resource is the Dulcimer Players News magazine. +1on Dusty Strings.

[rllink]

My brother is a woodworker and belongs to a woodworking club. He said that within the woodworking club that over the years many of the members have built them. He said that there is always one or two for sale, because the people selling them realize the making was much more interesting and fun than the learning to play one. He didn't make one, but he did buy one from someone in his club. Evidently they are an "intermediate" woodworking project, not hard to make one. So you might just look around from that angle.

My brother is a very good and lifelong pianist. The guy had it for sale and he thought it looked fun. He says that learning to play it is more challenging than building one and he thinks that is why people build them, they think they would be easy to play and they are not. But he is having lots of fun with it and learning how. He is taking lessons.