Hammer dulcimer buying advice for newbie?

Trad Strings
1

Hi folks. I’m about to buy my first HD, and haven’t been able to meet any in person lately to decide on which one to get. I’ve talked to a local teacher, who loves Masterworks. She urged me to get up to the mountains and listen to several before I decide, but I can’t travel that far for months. There aren’t many players here, and no stores that sell HDs. I might get to meet some in a month or so at a jam, but we don’t know if any HDs will be there.

I’ve not played HD but did play piano and recorder for years. I took an intro lesson from the teacher so I believe I can play HD and will enjoy it immensely.

I want a 15/14 or perhaps slightly larger–something that won’t restrict my playing for a long time, but nothing too huge. I guess I’m looking for moderation–mid-price range, not extreme in sound qualities or features. I probably want a slightly warmer, softer sound rather than too bright or loud. Don’t know if I’ll ever perform in public; I’ll play for myself only for a while, I’m sure! But I am overwhelmed by all the variables and choices.

Some makers that have been highly recommended by experienced players I’ve written or called: James Jones, Masterworks, Rick Thum. Each has unique features that sound great. I might even be able to drive up to James Jones’ place but anyone farther is not possible right now. I’ve gotten conflicting recommendations from some players, too. I’ve looked at used dulcimer ads but haven’t found the right one there yet.

I’m not willing to wait for summer and big festivals. I could rent a Mac McKinney for a month or two until I decide, but would rather put the money toward a purchase.

Thanks for any advice, or features to consider!

2

take a look at:
http://www.everythingdulcimer.com

There’s a wonderful discussion board on there, and I’m sure a lot that will give you comments (I tend to hang out in the mountain dulcimer parts, myself…)

3

Welcome

You might also want to read the “Here’s one for dulcimers” thread near the bottom of this forum.

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=32717

4

Thanks! I have. And I’ve gone to the other forum that was suggested.

I guess the ideal situation would be to have a chart with the major makers, and the sound qualities, unique features, etc. all spelled out. I realize that is not going to happen. And I’ll probably be very happy with any moderate-priced instrument from any of the good luthiers. Just getting a little anxious because I can’t go hear them.

Thanks for the help!

5

See if you can contact Byll from this board. He’s a wiz on HD and can advise you well. Check the whistle board too.

6

I’m hardly an expert, having bought my first HD just a few weeks ago, but perhaps I can offer some guidelines for rumination.

It’s not surprising that you have gotten conflicting suggestions from experienced players; I did too. Ultimately, which instrument you really want depends on what kind of music you want to play. Which one you get may depend on how much jack you can afford to shovel out.

More or less sustain, and the presence or absence of chromatics are factors. Since you are posting to C&F, I’m guessing that you want to head towards the Celtic side. Chromatics are expensive, add complexity and can be avoided for most Celtic music. Long sustain is something you probably don’t want since that can make dance tunes sound muddy. I think that most of what’s available is considered “moderate” sustain.

I’ve read arguments on both sides of the solid wood v. ply top with respect to sound. Opinions range from “solid wood is always superior” to “solid and ply are different, but a luthier can design an instrument to sound good either way.” The clincher for me was that the wood top matures and mellows over time and holds its value better. (Looks nicer, too.)

The spacing between strings is another characteristic with cogent arguments all around, but Byll encouraged me to get an instrument with 1" or more spacing and I’m glad I did.

Size issues? A larger soundbox resonates the bass notes more and (I’ve been told) the small instruments can sound a little “tinny”. On the other hand, keep in mind that you will be schlepping this thing around to lessons and festivals.

Your assumption that any instrument from a good luthier will probably be a good start is probably true. In the very least, if it clearly does not suit you, you can get most of your money back on resale. One caveat - as was pointed out to me by Byll, the resale value of 11/12 instruments is poor. Shop ebay for a while and you’ll see that the moderately priced instruments generally seem to hold their value best. Of course, the down side is that the used instrument market doesn’t have too many bargains.

I don’t know what your budget is, but that counts too. I live near Missy’s neck of the woods and she graciously lent me a Masterworks to get a feel for the instrument. Byll recommended a Dusty Strings D35. Frankly, I’m sure I would have been thrilled with either of these, but budget constraints were a factor. My solution was a Thum Traveller w/ cedar top - as it turns out, I’m really happy with it and it will be a long time before I outgrow it. (BTW, I bought it from http://dulcimers.biz/ - Sharon Skaryd is nice to deal with and sells at a discount from Rick’s list price.)

Of course, there is a very nice used James Jones HD for sale on this forum even as we speak:

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=34130

drool

Happy hunting.

Roger

7

if you are not planning on lugging it around alot, on top of all the other considerations mentioned, the more strings the better. you cannot predict where your musical tastes will lead. kind of like a folk harp. the smaller one seems cool until you hear something you love and don’t have the notes to play it.

meir