Handmade Dulcimer by Hickory Haven Dulcimers

Mountain Dulcimer – Serial# MW-12-19, Build #25 Donated by Harry T. Smith of Hickory Haven Dulcimers. This mountain dulcimer was built in December of 2019 in my shop in Sparta, Tennessee. It is speculated early settlers were unable to make the more complex violin in the early days because of a lack of tools and time. This was one of the factors leading to the building of the dulcimer; requiring less precision, less exotic woods, and less dramatic curves. Mountain or Appalachian dulcimers began to appear primarily in the early 1880s and by the mid 1960’s it was a popular instrument in folk music circles. It became less prominent in decades to follow but now is undergoing a resurgence. This dulcimer is strung as a 4-string instrument with the option of removing the 2nd melody string to be played as a more traditional 3 string instrument. It is tuned to DDad using 10, 10, 12, & 20 gage strings. The Aorell Shape is a variation of the traditional mountain dulcimer. The most common shape is the Hourglass (pictured above) and Teardrop. The Soundboard (top board) is made of Maple from a tree the builder fell some time around 2010. The Head is made of the same Yellowheart; shapes of heads will also vary. The Fretboard is of walnut. The Walnut Sides were steamed and bent in a form. The Back of the instrument is book matched Maple with turquoise In-lace. The tree was taken down locally by a storm in 2017. The Sound-hole designs were inspired by the heart design and musical notations traditionally used on a large percentage of mountain dulcimers. The Finish consists of five coats of hand rubbed Tung Oil, followed a polish of Beeswax & Orange Oil, greatly accenting the grain patterns in the various woods. This instrument is fitted with a Nut and Bridge of Delrin. The Tuners are enclosed gears with a 14:1 gear ratio. The Strings are loop end plain steel. The protective tailpiece is deer antler. The Frets are 18% nickel-silver. The large fret markers are made of cow hoof, and the smaller markers are abalone shell. A Noter made of black bamboo, from my black bamboo grove, is included with the instrument so one may play ‘noter style’ or by chording without the noter. A ‘traditional’ turkey feather for strumming is also included.