Your Answers: How You Picked Your Favorite Dulcimer

Last time I asked you how you picked out your favorite dulcimer... here are your replies!

Name: Yvonne M.
"My favorite dulcimer as far as appearance is still the first one I purchased. Cherry wood with inlaid Mother of Pearl hummingbird design leaf soundholes. It has a sweet sound as well, but requires an amplifier when playing in public...so it has been upstaged by my 2nd favorite - the resonator dulcimer from Folkcraft - a beauty too. At first I wasn't sure I liked it - it felt so much bigger, heavier, and a bit different sound. However, after a few months using it, I LOVE it!! I also have a Banjo Dulcimer and a second cherrywood dulcimer once owned by my brother..when he decided his fingers were too arthritic to play, I bought it from him. These last two dulcimers display nicely, but I rarely touch them..so obviously don't really need them. Still, I can't bring myself to offer them for sale just yet:-)You may find the story of how I came to purchase my first dulcimer. It all began when we visited friends in Indiana - one of them had just learned to play dulcimer- I had never seen one before, so was intrigued...loved the sound too. She asked me to sit down and hold it so she could show me how easy it was to play. At first I said no, I had never played a stringed instrument and was sure it would not be easy for me. She persisted, and I was amazed that I could actually play Boil Them Cabbage Down after just a few lessons from her. I was thrilled and decided right then there I had to have a dulcimer. A few months later we were traveling South and through Internet research I discovered a Dulcimer Shop in Manitou Springs, Colorado... we detoured over there - Bud and Donna Ford were the builders and had many in stock. I spotted the cherry wood instrument w/inlaid hummingbird hanging on the wall and knew immediately that was the one for me. The walls were also covered with photos of Dolly Parton visiting their Shop - she bought all her dulcimers for personal use and for Dollywood at this little Mountain Shop. Alas, I have yet to find another mountain dulcimer player in North Dakota, but I do play duos at Church occasionally with a very talented violinist, and also volunteer once a month at a renovated Country Church in our Frontier Village..mostly playing piano, but sometimes take my dulcimer along as well."

Name: Wayne Anderson
Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada
"When choosing a Dulcimer it has to appeal to the eye, the ear and the heart. I have two favorites (that I play the most) one is a FolkRoots Butternut-Walnut hourglass...it meets all the criteria, look, sound and feel. Not sure it would be considered a True Dulcimer by the purists..but I acquired a Hummel - and was purely by accident my wife spied the case in a friend's vehicle (they sell dulcimers from their shop) and commented on the odd shape...soon as I laid my eyes on it, my wife knew it was coming home with me. Eight Strings, Zither pins for tuning... tuned D A A A D A A A the upper four you cannot fret but oh my the sound."

Name: Twins at Play - Kelly and Cindy
Location: Plymouth, IN
"When I decided to learn hammered dulcimer, I researched only linear chromatics because I knew that I wanted to have the capability to play in any key. Once that decision was made, I began looking at different builders. Several I rejected right away because, while accidentals were available, they weren't necessarily in the proper octave location. I found James Jones on line and gave him a call. He was so helpful and informative that I placed an order, instrument unseen, and I have never regretted it. Love my James Jones linear chromatic!!"

Name: Donna M.
Location: Glendale Heights, IL
"I only have two mountain dulcimers, one I bought as a beginner instrument and I like it, it sounds nice and is pretty but nothing anyone would get excited about. My second dulcimer is a Warren May that I found at an estate sale of a woman who collected instruments, mainly dulcimers. She had 80 mountain dulcimers, many hammer dulcimers, auto harps, bowed psalteries, and a few celtic harps. She had a white van that had dulcimers and musical notes all across each side. The Warren May I picked up is a dark wood with some gorgeous spalting, I'm not 100% sure what type of wood it is. It is also half teardrop and half hourglass shape. It's really gorgeous."