|
||||||
Thank you for your interest in my Hammer Dulcimers. I have developed instruments I believe are beautiful, well designed and constructed, delightful to listen to and reasonably priced. I strive for an instrument that provides an excellent short-lived tone with a clear distinctive sound, even throughout its range. Over 1300 of my hammer dulcimers are being played by both beginners and performing professionals. If you'd like to read some biographical and background info, there are a couple articles of interest; one of which was in Dulcimer Players News and the other in our local newspaper. I've been building instruments since 1978. I have an area devoted to Customer Comments which is a place where you can get other people's experience with my instruments |
||||||
 3/16/18/9 |
||||||
| Comments on my Instruments (Additional Comments) |
||||||
| As I am not a player I have come to rely on musicians for feedback. I am constantly making improvements. Many have made contributions but two individuals stand out. They have played my instruments for years and continue to astound me with their skill and sensitivity. I am grateful for the music they make and their willingness to contribute towards the growth of the instrument. Their comments are below.
I'm a professional dulcimer player and I've been playing a James Jones dulcimer since I started fifteen years ago. I've owned every model he makes, and have always been very happy with my instrument. Each dulcimer is a work of art, simple and elegant, with a clear, distinct tone, beautiful finish, and hand picked woods. My favorite thing about James's dulcimers is that I can go for a month on the road, three concerts a week, and scarcely have to tune my dulcimer. It's amazing! I truly believe that you cannot buy a better dulcimer for twice the price. If there's anything else you need to know, give me a call, and I'll rave for hours about these one of a kind instruments. Jem is one of the best dulcimer players around. He performed for years with Ariane Lydon. Jem is currently playing solo and is also a commercial airline pilot. His latest recordings include a Celtic CD Women in Ireland, a classical CD Prelude to Evening and some original solo work on the CDs The Lost Tower and A Week In November. All are available from my shop. I record and perform on my James Jones dulcimer constantly - it's an instrument I can really rely on to achieve the tone, consistency, sustain, responsiveness, and playability I need to play music with real grace and sensitivity. I've recorded film sound tracks, commercials, and albums with my James Jones hammer dulcimer and I couldn't imagine a better,more consistently responsive and beautiful instrument to work with. Steve is best known for being the first hammer dulcimer player to perform in a Broadway show, The Secret Garden. He also is an excellent teacher, solo and group performer. His recording Tuesday's Child exhibits the incredible range of his skills. He also has a beautiful seasonal recording The Door To Christmas in collaboration with Dave Neiman another fine hammer dulcimer player. Steve's latest recording was done with guitarist Paul Oorts and is called Momentum.. Steve currently plays a 3/16/18/8 Custom Performance with a Redwood soundboard and dampers. |
||||||
| Featured Musicians | ||||||
| There is a growing list of quality musicians who perform, record, and teach with my instruments.The link on the heading will take you to my Featured Musicians section. This page has links to the musician's personal or professional web site where you can learn more about them and their music. I carry some of their recordings or you can order them direct from the artist whichever is more convenient. |
||||||
| My Hammer Dulcimers | ||||||
| I offer 14 different Custom Models and 11 Student Models of hammered dulcimers. Custom instruments available are the 12/11, 15/14, 16/15 and the traditional Chromatic models 3/13/12 Travel, 3/17/17, 3/16/15/6, 3/16/15/8, 3/16/18/9 , 4/19/21/9 Custom Performance, as well as my new 4 1/2 octave 10/19/18/8 Linear Chromatic tm and smaller 10/14/13 Linear Chromatic. The numbers identify the number of courses in any particular instrument. I also offer 3 Custom and Student Model Tsimbls the 13/12,16/16 and18/17;another style chromatic instrument. The Linear Chromatic has its own page with history, rational, FAQ, and a more detailed discussion. The Tsimbls also have a dedicated page. You can personally design any of my Custom Models which means selecting all the woods and designing the soundhole motif. The Custom Performance Models have extra bridges; which give the player high accidentals and up to 9 additional bass rhythm courses on the right down to a low D2. The 4/19/21/9 Custom Performance is a full four and one half chromatic octaves . My newest model is a small light chromatic, the 3/16/15/6, designed with the intent of providing a lot of range in a small package. The tuning schemes as well as a comparative chart of the various instruments are available on other pages. You should definitely check out those pages if you are interested in a comparative look at all the different models. A look at these pages will eliminate some of the confusion between options. A phone call sometimes will do that as well. For those of you who have a clear idea of what you want I can also design instruments with other tuning schemes. You should check out a few of the miscellaneous hammered dulcimers I've built. I love to explore other possibilites. Contact me to get a quote. If you are totally confused by the plethora of models and options, hammered dulcimer player Chris Peterson has put together a great little piece on buying a hammered dulcimer. He of course ended up buying a couple of my instruments but his writing is unbiased and informative. |
||||||
| Prices and Ordering Information
Other Hammered Dulcimer Accessories Instructional Materials - Cases -Stands - Strings - Recordings - Dampers - Tuning Wrenches - Electronic Tuners - Playing Hammers - Amplification |
||||||
| Color Photos
If you are interested in seeing examples of the various models in color I've located photos of each model with descriptions of their woods in seperate files (so you can exercise choice and view them only if you wish.) Be aware that what you see is a combination someone else selected and that there are lots of other combinations to choose from. Even if you are just interested in purchasing say a 15/14, go ahead and check out the other models as it may give you an idea of what wood combination appeals to you. Wood grain and color even within species also varies. Check out my wood section for a look at some of the woods I use.
|
||||||
| Design Process | ||||||
|
My instruments are not factory built (I work alone). This means that you can be involved in the design of your instrument if you choose. I often have instruments on hand that I've built for those of you who can't wait (check out Current Stock), but many of you will want to choose the tuning scheme,woods, finish, and even help create an individualized soundhole design. Visit the links of the various instruments above to see color photos. These are examples of instruments I've built for other people and will give you ideas of what you might like your instrument to look like.
The first step in the process is to select what range instrument suits you. This will depend on a number of things; what kind of music you want to play, whether you want to start small and move up, the weight and size of the instrument, and of course how much money you're willing to spend. I have a very forgiving trade-up policy. I guarantee 75% of the price you paid for the instrument and the case towards larger instruments later. Look over the tuning schemes and size and weight section closely and select the one that suits you. Visit my Comparative chart. as well. There are tuning charts at this location with three more charts in the section dedicated to the Linear Chromatic and two more in the section on Tsimbls. String spacing is another important consideration. The wider string spacing (1") 12/11s, 15/14s and 16/15 Chromatics are more comfortable, forgiving and better for beginners.The tighter string spacing (7/8") makes the reaches smaller, increases your speed, but makes accuracy imperative. I am now also offering 12/11s, 13/12s,15/14s and the 16/15s in the tighter string spacing if you desire. With a tight string spacing you get a lot of instrument in a smaller package. I am also now offering the 3/16/18/9 Custom and the 10/19/18/8 Linear Chromatic Custom with the wider 1" string spacing for those individuals who would feel cramped by the tighter 7/8" string spacing and who don't mind the extra size and weight. 12/11s are instruments that you may grow out of within a couple of years. Some people who play primarily in folk keys may never need another instrument other than a 15/14. If you expect to play in more exotic keys, my smaller more portable 16/15, 3/17/17 or 3/16/15/6, 3/16/15/8 Chromatics may be for you.They offer chromaticism without much extra size or weight. My largest instruments are currently my most popular. The four octave 3/16/18/9 Custom Performance may be all the instrument you will ever need. Most of my performing professionals are using this instrument and as a result has become a real standard. If you have to have all the notes and are willing to put up with the extra size and weight the 4/19/21/9 Custom Performance may be the instrument for you. My Linear Chromatic offers another style of chromaticism which promises to make playing classical and jazz material a lot easier. If you have never played hammered dulcimer before and you plan on being able to play a lot of chromatic material than you should seriously consider the Linear Chromatic. The LC has some of the same characteristics as my tradtional hammered dulcimers but should be considered a different kind of hammered dulcimer with a somewhat steeper learning curve. I do offer a trade-in policy (see below) for those of you who want to start small . I'm now offering a 10/14/13 Linear Chromatic. and the larger full sized 10/19/18/8 Custom Linear Chromatic. Another chromatic alternative to the traditional dulcimer and LC is the Tsimbl an instrument primarily used in Klezmer music. This instrument doesn't have the range of the LC but it is optimally laid out for this style of music. I offer both a Student and Custom version of this instrument. |
||||||
| Prices and Ordering Information
Other Hammered Dulcimer Accessories Instructional Materials - Cases -Stands - Strings - Recordings - Dampers - Tuning Wrenches - Electronic Tuners - Playing Hammers - Amplification |
||||||
| Sound Quality Since it is difficult to use words to describe the quality of tone in my instruments, I'll let a few sound clips give you a taste of what my instruments sound like (at least in recording). All the soundclips are of a 3/16/18/9 size instrument although my instruments all have a similar sound. What varies most is the range of the instrument. The smaller instruments will have less bass response and sound brighter, while the larger instruments support more bass end. I recommend you purchase one of the CDs below if you'd really like to hear the sound of my instruments plus you will really enjoy either recording. |
||||||
|
To hear these sound clips, you will need the Quicktime plug - in
|
||||||
These two CDs Momentum and Prelude to Evening are available for $15 each plus $1.50 shipping unless I can include them with another order. Momentum features Steve Schneider on hammered dulcimer and Paul Oorts on guitar. The CD includes the music of Brazil, Venezuela, France, Bach, Chopin, Felix Arndt, Leroy Anderson, Lennon/McCartney, and Steve Schneider. This recording has been recently remastered. Prelude to Evening features Jem Moore with an excellent string trio and is probably the best classical hammered dulcimer CD out there. You won't be disappointed with either recording.
|
||||||
| I recently ran across a video of Tom Mackenzie playing his 3/16/18/9 with dampers. Click on this link to be whisked away to You Tube. | ||||||
|
Hammered Dulcimer Parts
|
||||||
 This particular instrument has a birdseye maple frame and matching pin panels. Pin panels are just thin decorative panels underneath the pins. The pins go through the pin panels into hard maple pin blocks. The soundboard is redwood but made black. Paduak is used for the top and bottom binding and the rim around the soundhole design. These elements constitute the trim. Paduak was also used for the bridges. |
||||||
| Design Steps
After selecting the size instrument, you need to decide on the soundboard and its finish (natural, black, or stained). Than you will chose a wood for the frame. Whatever wood selected will appear on the front and back rails and on the pin block facing. It will be the wood that is visible when looking at the sides and front of the instrument. This decision has little affect on the tone but affects the weight and visual 'look' of the instrument. Bridge choice is next followed by the binding or trim, the rim around the soundhole design and finally pin panels which are found on all my Custom Instruments. Pin panels are 2" wide veneers that face up and are located under the pin area on both sides of the instrument. They are just decorative. The pins go through the pin panels into hard maple pin blocks so there is tuning stability. The pin panels can match the frame or can be an entirely different wood. All of these woods must work together to give you an instrument that both looks and sounds good. I would suggest you go visit my wood selection page which has visual samples of many of the woods I use and of course view many of the photos of various models. Another page which might be of interest is a listing of some combinations of wood that other customers have selected for their instruments. The last step for those who want an individualized soundhole is to send me materials that would help me to design what you have in mind. Size/Weight/String Spacing The 12/11,15/14 and 16/15 Chromatic Custom dulcimers can be had either 1" or 7/8" string spacing All other size instruments have 7/8" as the standard string spacing although I have just begun offering both my large Linear Chromatic and my 3/16/18/9 Custom with 1" string spacing. With a tight string spacing you get a lot of instrument in a very small package but your striking accuracy is more important. Wider string spacing is more forgiving but gives you a larger heavy instrument. If you'd like to see a chart comparing all the various models go to my comparative chart. All Custom Dulcimers are asymmetrical, giving the player a straight treble bridge for ease of play. Size and weight vary according to range and type of woods chosen. The figures below will give you a fairly accurate idea of weight and size. The Student, Custom 12/11 and Custom 15/14 with 7/8" string spacing are all 16" from top to bottom perpendicular to the strings with 18" along the top rail with a back rail of 39" x 2 1/4" thick to include the height of the bridges and weigh approx. 10 lbs. The Custom 15/14 and 16/15 with 1" string spacing and the Custom 3/17/17 and Custom 16/15 Chromatic are both the same size and weight... 18" x 18" x 44" x 2 1/4" and weigh about 13 lbs. The Custom Travel Chromatic 3/16/15/8 is 18 1/2" x 16 1/2" x 38 1/2" wide with 7/8" string spacing and a solid redwood back and weighs only 11 lbs. The Custom Performance Model 3/16/18/9 with 7/8" string spacing is 20" under the strings x 18" top rail x 46" back rail and weighs about 15 lbs with 1" string spacing the instrument is 19 lbs and 18"x 49 1/2" x 21 3/4". The 4/19/21/9 is 22" x 15" x 46" and weighs about 17 lbs. The 3/13/12 Travel is 13 1/4" x 18" x 37" x 2 1/4" and is designed to fit in an airline overhead compartment. The instrument weighs in at just 8 lbs. The overall weight of an instrument will vary according to which wood you select for the frame and whether you have dampers. Dampers add about 3 lbs to the weight of the instrument. A Maple framed dulcimer being the heaviest. If you'd like to see all this information in chart form visit my comparative page. Stringing I use a wide variety of strings to bring out the optimum tone in the instrument. What is used depends on the size. I use steel and phospher - bronze wire. On the larger instruments I use a wide variety of wound strings as well. Replacement strings are available through my shop. You usually will not be able to find this wire in the average music store. I also now offer printable instructions on replacing your strings and finding buzzes. Soundboard My Custom Hammer Dulcimers may be constructed of a variety of woods. The most crucial choice is the wood for the soundboard. Options include: Honduran or Brazilian Mahogany, Redwood, Western Red Cedar, Engelmann or Sitka Spruce, or combinations of the above.The majority of my soundboards are of Redwood. About 80% of the performers using my instruments have Redwood soundboards. The other 20% are using spruce, mahogany and Cedar. The Redwood provides a mellow tone with an immediate presence. The Spruce is very resonant, full, brighter with slightly more sustain. All Mahogany soundboards are going to give you a brighter tone with slightly less sustain but a tone that is not as full as either spruce or redwood. I have just begun to use Cedar. Its tonal characteristics are quite close to Redwood. Cedar would be a touch darker (more bass overtones). I have been very please with the sound of the cedar instruments so far. Its drawbacks are it really can't be left natural and must be colored black (see below) as the wood is often multicolored and would be distracting if left natural. Any of the above woods have an excellent but different tone. Soundboard Color Soundboards may be left natural in color or stained or sprayed black or maroon (adds $75). Since cedar's natural color varies, it makes sense to make this board black . Color choice depends on what background you'd like for your strings. Darker colors mean that shadows are reduced and the strings are more visible (as long as they are shiny). Most better players though are paying much more attention to the acetal markers on the top of the bridges than to the strings so background becomes less important. |
||||||
 |
||||||
| This is a close up of the chromatic area which also shows the pin panel. This particular instrument has a natural Redwood soundboard with Paduak bridges and trim and Curly Maple pin panels. | ||||||
| Bridges
The choice of bridge material also affects the tone and sustain of the instrument. Walnut provides the least sustain while Cherry, Paduak, and Maple will give you a bit more sustain and brightness in a gradient from cherry to maple. It has to do with the hardness of the wood. Other woods such as Ebony, Rosewood, Kingwood etc can be used for bridges but will add $75-$100 to the cost of the instrument. These woods are generally harder and approximate the tonal response of maple. Contact me if you want to explore other possibilities. Frame I use Finn Birch ply for the backs of all my dulcimers for stability and strength. My instruments hold their tune extremely well. A small hand hold is located in the back for ease of handling and for the installation of sound reinforcement mics and contact transducers. Tuning Pins go into hard Maple. Rails and Pin Block facing can be of almost any wood. Options include Butternut, Walnut, Maple, Ash, Red Birch,Plain - Sawn mahogany, and Cherry at the base price. For an additional $75 you can have Ribbon Striped Mahogany, Curly or Bird's-eye Maple, Paduak, Bubinga, Curly Birch, Koa or other woods of your choice. If I can find it I'll use it. Pin Panels (thin wood underneath the pins on my Custom Performance and Chromatic Models) can be just about any wood but needs to contrast with the binding. Your choices will be affected by whether your soundboard is natural, stained or black. Check out the wood section to help you with choices. Also of interest is a listing of some combinations of wood that other customers have selected for their instruments. If you choose an exotic wood such as Mahogany, Koa, Rosewoods for the frame a donation to the Foreign Programs of the Nature Conservancy or a similar organization is suggested. Binding Soundhole trim and bindings can be of any wood that compliments your choice of soundboard, pin blocks and rails. Bindings are thin bands of wood that grace the top and bottom edge of the instrument all the way around. They are visible from the side and from above. Choices include Wenge, Ebony, Cherry, Walnut, Curly or Birdseye Maple, Sycamore, Ziricote,Lacewood, Assorted Rosewoods, and Bubinga. |
||||||
| Soundhole Designs
A Curly Maple Soundhole motif is individually designed for each instrument at no extra charge. I cut a great deal of abstract designs in paper using but a fraction. As a result each instrument I've built has a unique signature. A design of your choosing may be used at extra cost ($75 minimum). Submit your ideas, drawings or clippings for a quote. Sending them as photos, jpgs or gifs works fine for me. If you are looking for ideas, do an image search through Google or the other image search engines. |
||||||
 |
||||||
|
|
||||||
| Extras Included with the Instrument Included with the instrument is a double-faced set of playing hammers; leather for more muted tones and hard for brightness laminated to match the instrument. Select the set you'd like. If you want additional sets of playing hammers they are $28 per set. You also get a tuning wrench and a comprehensive Owner's Manual which tells you everything you need to know about the mechanics of the instrument such as how to tune, change strings, and care for the instrument. Additional Characteristics The finish is a water-based satin lacquer or oil/poly. Bass tuning pins are located on the right-hand side of the instrument with treble pins on the left for ease of tuning. Black and white 'Acetal' rod bridge saddles mellow the tone, facilitate tuning and provide visual reference for octaves. On the courses on the high end of my Custom Performance models I have stainless steel saddles to increase the sustain. Warranty/Guarantee Each instrument, whether Custom or Student, has a written Warranty against all defects of material or workmanship for 5 years. I also guarantee satisfaction. If for some reason you are not pleased with your instrument, I will refund your money are make you another instrument. You are just responsible for the cost of shipping. You have one week to make your decision. Trade in policy All instruments purchased from me may be traded in on larger instruments. I allow 75% of what you paid for the instrument and your case towards a larger hammer dulcimer. Trading your dulcimer in towards other instruments is not guaranteed but sometimes possible. Contact me Instructions for shipping your instrument Stands Buying a hammer dulcimer is just the tip of the iceberg. You will need something to support the instrument at a comfortable playing height and angle. I carry a stands built by other makers to include the adjustable wooden stands and the ever popular Tri-Stander which I highly recommend for those of you with larger instruments particularly if you have ordered dampers and want the most stability you can buy. I highly recommend an adjustable stand for the most flexibility as you can use it in a sit-down or stand up position and you can adjust the angle of play. Cases I recommend you also get a case. It protects the instrument during shipment and will continue to protect the instrument as you travel to lessons, workshops, festivals and vacations. Wrapping your dulcimer in a quilt will not work. I offer a commercially made Soft Case that is designed to fit your instrument providing good protection and the ability to carry accessories. If you plan to fly with the instrument, I recommend your visit my page on the subject and consider purchasing a Flight Case which will also accomodate your soft case. I now have them available through special order. Most people opt for a soft case because they are light. I also have listings of a couple of companies who build custom soft cases for those of you who need a top of the line soft case. My soft cases are well built and are adequate for most people's needs but if you are carrying damper pedals, tri-stander legs etc and would like more pockets than a custom case is the way to go. Dampers Dampers provide a way to stop your sound abruptly as well as using them in the 'on position' throughout or in portions of a piece to give you a softer, more percussive sound. Excellent for back-up. They are not the solution to controling sustain in an instrument. My Dampers are pedal operated and rotate. The damper system has a low profile allowing it to fit in your existing case.They can be retro-fitted but the instrument must be returned to my shop. If you think you'd like this option it would be easier to install them when I build the instrument. Dampers are available for any of my hammered dulcimers including my new Linear Chromatics Woodworm played by Steve Schneider on Momentum is a good example of Steve's effective use of dampers. Tom Mackenzie playing his 3/16/18/9 with dampers can be seen and heard here. Amplification |
||||||
| Prices and Ordering Information
Other Hammered Dulcimer Accessories Instructional Materials - Cases -Stands - Strings - Recordings - Dampers - Tuning Wrenches - Electronic Tuners - Playing Hammers - Amplification
|
||||||
| Student Hammer Dulcimers | ||||||
| A less expensive, but handsome and well-constructed alternative to my Custom Dulcimers, are my Student Hammer Dulcimers. I now offer Student Models of the12/11, 3/13/12,13/12,15/14,16/15, 3/17/17 and two sizes of Tsimbls. All Student Model instruments have soundboards and backs of a laminated Finn Birch (Custom instruments have solid wood soundboards). All Student models have the same layouts and string spacing as Custom models. What is different is the materials used and the lack of aesthetic additions. The sound quality of Student Models is still excellent although somewhat brighter than Custom instruments of the same size. The blond faced ply may be made black if you desire ($75 extra). If you chose this option I recommend selecting Cherry frame and bridges as this combination works well with the black board. Pin Blocks are of Northern Maple. Rails and pin block facing can be either Walnut or Cherry with matching bridges. The non-traditional 10/14/13 Small Linear Chromatic is technically not a Student model as it has a solid mahogany soundboard yet is less expensive than a Custom as it doesn't have top binding or pin panels.There are now two choices of marking the notes on the LC: Standard/Diatonic and Piano. This is just for marking the notes. The notes are the same on both instruments. You should check out both options and see which one suits you. This instrument will expose you to the chromatic concepts of the Linear Chromatic at a price that won't empty your bank account. All of these Student instruments are very durable yet wonderful sounding ; designed to get you started. Don't forget you can always trade-up! I guarantee 75% of the price you paid for the instrument and the case towards larger instruments later. |
||||||
|
||||||
| Color Photos
If you are interested in seeing examples of the various models in color I've located photos of each model with descriptions of their woods in seperate files ( so you can exercise choice and view them only if you wish. Be aware that what you see is a combination someone else selected and that there are lots of other combinations to choose from. Woods also vary.
|
||||||
| For those of you who just have to build their own instrument you can find some resource materials through my Assorted Links Page. |
||||||
|
||||||
