Choosing a Mountain Dulcimer by Rebecca Prewett

My first dulcimer was purchased sight unseen, based on a catalog description and beautiful glossy pictures. I really didn't know anything about mountain dulcimers. I picked cherry wood because it looked pretty and, the catalog description said, sounded "bright". I also picked a scrollhead because I thought it looked "perty" and because it was more traditional. And, wow, did that dulcimer ever live up to my expectations and more!

Although my Folkcraft dulcimer will always have a special place in my heart, by the time I was ready to buy my second dulcimer, I had some definite ideas about what I wanted. For one thing, I wanted a more mellow sound. I wanted a flat peghead, to make tuning and string changes easier. Also, I wanted a lower string action, so that it would be easier to fret with my fingers. I thought that a walnut McSpadden with a spruce sounding board was what I wanted. Once I tried one out, I knew that's what I wanted. Then I got the opportunity to buy an all-walnut McSpadden that had all the other features I wanted. Although used, it was in mint condition.

The McSpadden revolutionized my playing. I've been doing a lot more chording and finger-picking with it. It's a wonderful instrument and one that I would highly recommend.

But...

There's something I never considered with either of my dulcimers, and that's the whole issue of "scale length" or what some term "tuned string length". For those of us with small hands, this can make a big difference in the ability to play chords or even to play at a fast tempo, since it determines how closely the frets are placed. So now I'm dreaming about dulcimers with a shorter scale length. There are basically three different makes that I'm interested in:

1. The Blue Lion. Some models have a scale length of 26 1/2 inches, a full inch shorter than my McSpadden. These are gorgeous instruments and their owners seem to love them. I've gazed at them in awe from across the room at the two festivals I've attended.
2. Stockard Dulcimers. John Stockard makes some beautiful dulcimers and all of his models are available with a 25 inch scale length. He's put a number of nifty features into his, such as a removable "pinkie bar" to help you anchor your right hand while finger-picking. I also like the fact that his dulcimers have a "big sound". My McSpadden is sometimes way too quiet...
3. Simerman Dulcimers. These are really something. I'm especially interested in the performance model, which has a 25 inch scale length. It also has a unique peghead, which looks like a scrollhead but has the functionality of a flathead---the best of both worlds! The instrument is big and powerful, as loud as most guitars. It's got a unique look to it, with a fretboard that ends after the 15th fret and a bridge mounted right on the sounding board. I've been mesmerized by it since the first time I laid eyes on one---Lois Hornbostel's "Fabio".

Choosing between either of these three would not be easy! Of course money is always a consideration, so for now I'm just dreaming...

I posed the following question awhile back on a dulcimer discussion via email:

Those of you on the list who own multiples of dulcimers: if you were going to be stranded on a desert island and could only take one dulcimer along, which one would it be and why?

Wow, did I learn a lot from the answers! I learned that one guy would take the dulcimer that looked most like a paddle so that he could row back...that another would take a dulcimer he didn't particular like so his nice ones wouldn't get wrecked by the sun and sand...that one would take his "bluesy" sounding dulcimer since he'd probably feel like playing the blues if he were ever stranded...Seriously, I learned that preferences in instruments are personal. Each instrument has its own unique sound, its own special quality. Choosing a dulcimer is a matter of finding out what particular features you like based on your own playing preferences and then finding a dulcimer that "fits"---but, most importantly, finding one with a special song that touches you deep inside.

UPDATE: I'm now the happy ownder of that wonderful Simerman I wanted...it's cherry with a redwood top and everything I'd dreamed it would be. I had a 1 1/2 fret added, which I found myself using immediately, as well as a removable galax-style back. This instrument sings and does so with a powerful voice.

copyright 1998 by Rebecca Prewett

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