Dusty, the MMD does have a false back, larger volume body and longer scale length. It is definitely louder than the Blue Lion but sometimes at the expense of fine tone and clarity of sound (sometimes boomy sounding). The Blue lIon is quieter for sure but has really nice note separation and clarity...more refined sounding to me.

All...definitely meant to be a reference comparison of apples and oranges to show the differences between instruments and sounds. And of course they sound even more different in person than recorded.

Cheryl, I've been going back and forth too. I do really like this but if you made me choose between this one and the other, I would pick the other. I'm sure everyone will have a different opinion based on their personal preference. You play very well and I enjoy each one of your videos

I've been going back and forth trying to isolate the differences here. The good news is that both are wonderful instruments with terrific balance. The MMD seems to have a richer sound, but I am not sure why. Does it have a false back? That might add some volume which fools the ear into thinking the sounder is deeper. Are the strings the same gauge and same age? The brightness of the BL might be due to newer strings. There are really so many variables it is hard to pinpoint exactly what causes differences in sound.

Both instruments sound great and are real treasures. You just like showing off pictures of your babies, don't you?

like this one too ....mmd has more of a mellow sound

So pretty Cheryl. Dulcimer sounds fantastic and you play Rosin the Bow really well. I enjoy all your vids over and over, thank you for sharing.