The Folkcraft Dulcimer Guide
We've been building mountain dulcimers since 1968, and we answer the same good questions every week: Which dulcimer should I buy? What scale length fits me? Does the wood really matter? This guide gathers everything we've written, so you can find the answer in one place. Still not sure? Call us at (317) 539-1855, weekdays 8 to 4 Eastern, and we'll help you decide.
Choosing your dulcimer
- Which Mountain Dulcimer Should I Buy? Our plain-English buying guide, by budget, sound and experience.
- FolkRoots D vs. FolkRoots H vs. Folkcraft FSH vs. Folkcraft Custom: which to choose. How our four main models differ in body, sound and price.
- Kentucky vs. California dulcimers. A sweet, delicate traditional body or a bigger, louder, more mellow one.
- Standard vs. baritone vs. bass dulcimers. What each tuning sounds like, and why any Folkcraft can be strung as any of them.
- How to choose the right scale length. Pick the length that fits your hand; about 75% of our players choose 25".
- Left-handed vs. right-handed dulcimers. Why we usually recommend the traditional setup, even for lefties.
- Woods used in Folkcraft instruments. How each wood looks and sounds, and our most popular combinations.
- Sound holes. Our sound hole designs, and why you should simply pick the one you like.
- How to choose your Design Your Own options. A walkthrough of every choice on our custom order pages.
Frets and strings
- How to pick a fret pattern. What the 6 1/2 and 1 1/2 frets do, and why we recommend both.
- Fret wire choices. Nickel silver, EVO gold or stainless steel; standard or jumbo.
- Mountain dulcimer string gauges. Recommended gauges for standard, baritone, bass and alternate tunings, including our artists' favorites.
Learning to play
- Resources for new dulcimer players. The books, gear and online lessons we recommend for your first year.
- Folkcraft instructional videos. More than 50 free video lessons.
- Free downloads. Tuning and stringing charts, play-along tracks and handouts.
Gear and setup
- Types of dulcimer pickups. Which pickup suits playing out, playing bass, or plugging into effects.
- How to install strap buttons. A short how-to with video.