My First Dulcimer

Take us through building your guitar step by step. Post pictures and tell us what you're doing.
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Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

My First Dulcimer

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Working on the neighbor's dulcimer has inspired me. I've always wanted a dulcimer, so I've decided to build a small hourglass shaped mountain dulcimer. It's interesting that there really is no standard, or rules, when it comes to dulcimers. Traditionally, they're built of scrap wood and to the specs of the builder.

I'm making a black walnut/engelmann spruce dulcimer. I have some fine spruce on hand for the top, but I needed some walnut. I went to the local lumber yard, where I went up 2 flights of rickety steps to the rafters where the wood was stored. I was going to look at their cherry, but I found some very old, extremely well seasoned West Virginia black walnut. At $4 per board foot, for 6" x 1" black walnut, the stuff was a steal.

When I say 6x1, that's precisely the measurements, even through it's been planed and smoothed on both sides. This walnut is so old, that the proprietors didn't know that they had it. I brought enough to make the sides and bookmatched bottom.

We had to split the wood with my husband's professional radial arm saw. While cutting the sides, this wood was so dense that the saw kicked the breaker (220v). We eventually got the wood split and I smoothed it with my antique smooth plane.

Here are the back and sides. I initially took a photo of the back and using photoshop, mirror imaged the wood to represent what it will look like when book matched.

I've drawn an initial plan for the dulcimer. It will be a 4 string, short scale length (26" fretboard), on a fretboard that will be 1.5" wide, some of which will be on the neck. I'm using a set of guitar soundboards. Since they are only 22" long, I figured that the soundboard will be 21" long. The dulcimer will be a little wider than usual and a bit deeper.

We have a Japanese maple in the front yard. The soundholes will be shaped like the leaves on our tree. However, my husband pointed out that they look like marijuana leaves! LOL

I may have to redesign the leaves to look like sugar maples leaves.

The plan is on paper that's gotten a bit crinkly with all the changes, but I think you will get the idea:

back and sides.jpg
plan.jpg
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
John J
Posts: 296
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2014 7:52 pm
Location: Saint Paul, MN

Re: My First Dulcimer

Post by John J »

Some nice looking wood you've got there. Never really checked out a dulcimer. I'll b fun to watch your progress.
Learning every day.
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: My First Dulcimer

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I've never played one in my life, but I've always wanted one. I think it will be fun to build. 60 grit sandpaper shines up the walnut; it's some hard, very well seasoned stuff.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Benjy
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:49 pm
Location: Irmo, SC

Re: My First Dulcimer

Post by Benjy »

That is a cool project!

I chuckled at your husbands statement "We have a Japanese maple in the front yard. The soundholes will be shaped like the leaves on our tree. However, my husband pointed out that they look like marijuana leaves! LOL "

You may have to move to California! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Benjy
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: My First Dulcimer

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I've got so many irons in the fire that I'm never going to finish a project. I'm joining the bottom today. I've joined the top. I went back to the lumber company yesterday and did the creepy crawly thing into the rafters where they store the wood. I found a 1x2" walnut for the fingerboard. I also found more great walnut for future projects and some curly cherry. I picked up enough for another, larger dulcimer (or two). I also saw a piece of cherry that is 15+ inches wide.

I'm thinking guitars #3 and 4...
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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