MIMF

I am looking for a complete step by step instructional guide on how to build an hourglass shaped dulcimer, but I need step by step instructions and I do not want to buy a kit either, I know they exist but want to build it by hand myself.

Check the Foxfire books. I believe there is a great article in Volume 4.

I was hoping eHow had some useful instructions, but evidently not. "Buy plans, select woods, follow instructions" is not terribly helpful.

Good luck in your search.

There is a book called Building The Mountain Dulcimer I believe the author's name is Dean Kimball. It is very good. The back chapters are on building jigs for multiples. It was the primary building source when I built my dulcimer. I made up my own design ( as I often do ) based on a couple plans I had purchased, but the plans do not come with instructions. The book might be out of print. I got the copy that I used from the inter library loan system. Good luck with your build. If you want you can contact me directly if you get stuck, or if you need anything. From one new poster to another....welcome.

If you have access to any guitar building books, you might read through them to get an idea of the special considerations instrument making has over general wood working. The selection of woods, humidity considerations, and building processes are similar for dulcimers as for guitars. In a way, you can think of a dulcimer as a guitar with the neck laid over the body.

+1 on Kimball's book. It tells you everything you need. I will somewhat disagree with Clay on the guitar building books. Some of the construction techniques are similar, but choice of woods can be significantly different. IMHO guitar woods make for a very dull and uninteresting dulcimer.

I also used Dean Kimball's book when I built my first dulcimer. It's a simple book, plenty of info, easy to read, made it easy. I found it at Amazon.com. You also might want to visit Folkcraft.com. They sell hardware, plans, strings, sheet music, all for the dulcimer. It's a fun project. I"m glad I built mine.

tncrum77 wrote:I am looking for a complete step by step instructional guide on how to build an hourglass shaped dulcimer, but I need step by step instructions and I do not want to buy a kit either, I know they exist but want to build it by hand myself.

Hi tncrum77,

Please note that we require the use of full names (first and last) on this forum, and do not accept aliases or "handles". Please let us know your name here or in a private message so that we can update your registration and login details for you (you are not able to make these changes yourself).

Thanks.

In a recent American Lutherie, one of my favorite contributing authors, the king of Lutherie Curmudgeonie, John Calkin, built a quick-and-dirty dulcimer, iirc, out of off-cuts with CA. They're simple little beasties, and while I have yet to build one myself (#127 on the list), there are plenty of examples of artistic liberty taken in all aspects of the instrument (once you get the scale down).

I built my first (and so far, only) lap dulcimer from a book called Making Wood Folk Instruments by Dennis Waring. It has been published under a few similar names, so search by the author's name and you might find it in a libary. it is still available on Amazon also. The plans there are for a teardrop shape, and are not very advanced, but the main difference will be in bending the sides for an hour glass shaped instrument.

The Mt. Dulcimer article is in Foxfire 3, not 4. Foxfire 4 has an article on fiddle making that's pretty informative. Foxfire 3 covers banjos and dulcimers. Incidently, Dennis Waring's book also has a banjo and a fiddle. The fiddle is pretty simple, but the banjo is a good copy of the moutain style banjo from Foxfire 3.

I'll give another vote for Dean Kimball's book if you can get it. I read it years ago when I was developing my interest in building instruments.

I am sorry for the misunderstanding on my name it is Tim Crum

Greg Robinson wrote:

tncrum77 wrote:I am looking for a complete step by step instructional guide on how to build an hourglass shaped dulcimer, but I need step by step instructions and I do not want to buy a kit either, I know they exist but want to build it by hand myself.

Hi tncrum77,

Please note that we require the use of full names (first and last) on this forum, and do not accept aliases or "handles". Please let us know your name here or in a private message so that we can update your registration and login details for you (you are not able to make these changes yourself).

Thanks.

Tim Crum is my name (sorry)

I have built dulcimers out of all sorts of woods, some of which I've also used to build guitars. A couple of my dulcimers turned out a bit dull and uninteresting, but if you build enough for something you're bound to have a dud now and then.
One of them had a paulownia soundboard and another had a poplar soundboard, two woods which others have extolled the virtues of for dulcimer construction. Sassafras is one of my favorite woods for dulcimer soundboards, and I'm starting on a guitar that will have a sassafras soundboard (does this make it a guitar wood?). I have also used walnut, chestnut, cherry, spruce and western red cedar among others . In my experience hardwood soundboards when properly made can have a more complex sound but tend to produce less volume. Softwood soundboards are more easily driven, tend to be louder, and have less attenuation of overtones (less "complex"?).
I wouldn't suggest you _buy_ any guitar making books, but if you have access to them (public library) I still think they are worth a read. Although dulcimers are not as "picky" about the wood and conditions under which they are built, adhering to a few general principles will produce a better instrument. As with guitars, the less weight you have on the soundboard, the more responsive the dulcimer generally is.

No worries Tim, all fixed now.

Howie Mitchell wrote a great informal treatise on Mtn Dulcimers
http://www.folk-legacy.com/store/script ... product=58
They are inspiring for a beginner. In all his experiments he rarely had a looser.

If you do a google search you will find several sites with building instructions.
Here is one: http://www.osborneatelier.com/index.htm
Dulcaddict has alos a lot of information http://home.centurytel.net/Dulciaddict/dulciaddict.htm

Hi,

Elderly instruments shoves to stock the book at &14.95.

Go to: http://www.elderly.com/books/items/08-47.htm

James fuller

I don't want to hijack this thread; Clay make sure you post that sassafras topped guitar when it is done!

Finishing an all sassafras dulcimer right now. Second one I've made from this wood. Nice to work with, smells great. FoxFire iii has good instructions for a traditionally built one, if I remember right, Jean Ritchie's Dulcimer People has instructions.