Classic Modern Dulcimers

As with our harps, although the sound is always the main consideration, we believe that an instrument should also be attractive to look at, and take great care in both the design and the selection of materials. We call our ’flagship’ dulcimer, with its intricate fretwork sound-holes roses, the Melford, after the wonderful church at Long Melford in Suffolk.

The use of three fairly light gauge strings per course, and high-quality tone-woods for the soundboards, give these dulcimers an exceptionally fine and expressive sound, as well as plenty of volume. They need tuning more frequently than instruments with plywood soundboards, and although we believe this is more than offset by the fine sound and response, a version is also available with an internal steel frame, similar to those used in Hungarian cimbaloms. This gives greater tuning stability for only a small loss in sound quality, though the weight is greater.

The standard instrument has 23 triple courses, is diatonically tuned, and has a sycamore frame and tone-wood soundboard of either spruce or western red cedar. Supplied with two pairs of light hammers, hard and soft.

A 31 course version is also available, though the traditional 23 course layout is more than adequate for most styles of traditional music.

We are always glad to customise instruments to a customer‘s special requirements - by the addition of carving, or using different timbers, or perhaps by putting in a line of inlay on the back, which has proved popular with many customers in the past.

Please ask for a quotation.