[ctgagnon]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Robin, your assertion that the back of a mountain dulcimer is its soundboard is true for European zithers like the concert zither made famous in “The Third Man,” and might also be true of Galax dulcimers, though I’ve never read that anywhere or heard it from any fellow dulcimer players in North America.

But it’s definitely not true of the mountain dulcimers built in the Ozark regions, like my native state of Missouri. With the dulcimers I grew up around and learned to play the top was definitely the soundboard. Especially as younger players like me took up the instrument and tried to expand its musical boundaries beginning in the 1970’s, the people building more progressive mountain dulcimers intended for serious players were trying to free up the tops more to let them vibrate better. You can see this in the designs of builders like Bonnie Carol and many others, particularly builders out in California, like the married couple Bob and Janita Baker, who make Blue Lion dulcimers, the brand I’ve been an endorser for and used onstage since 1983.

There’s definitely a school of thought centered around Galax, and “Galax tunings” do exist for fiddle and clawhammer banjo as well as mountain dulcimer. Prior to your post I had heard about double back dulcimer construction, but not in connection with Galax. However, they definitely have their own traditions and sense of style there. Most of the Galax dulcimers I’ve seen have been large teardrop shaped instruments, as opposed to the hourglass shape instruments that are much more popular where I’m from.

So I think we’re safe in attributing these differences to contrasting regional styles. But the soundboard being the back of mountain dulcimers hasn’t been true anywhere that I’ve lived. On the contrary, most of the serious players I’ve known have used instruments with spruce or cedar tops in order to get the richest, loudest, most sonically rich dulcimers we can get.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

Makes sense to me. Vibration of strings transfers to bridge, transfers to top. Unless there's a sound post like in a violin, there's not going to be much transfer to the back. I'm not basing on any expertise, but it just makes sense.