Lute Dulcimer
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
In the scientific discipline of organology, the study of musical instruements, the dulcimer is by definition a "plucked box zither" and therefore, by definition, if the fretboard extends beyond the body of the instrument, it can no longer be considered a dulcimer and would therefore be a lute. That being said, in layman's parlance, many instruments which do not fit the organological definition are considered by many to still be dulcimers. Historically some dulcimers were played with a bow rather than plucked, although Ken Bloom's "bowed dulcimers" resemble a gamba more than a traditional dulcimer. Builders like Gary Gallier extend the fret board past the body which gives the instrument a more guitar like sound, but it plays exactly like a traditional dulcimer. Chromatic fretboards are way older than some folks seem to think, and do not affect whether the instrument is considered a dulcimer from an organological standpoint. Personally I think a picking stick goes too far and really can't be considered a dulcimer at all. The "dulcijo" or "banjamer" is a hybrid and also really must be considered a separate instrument since the resonating surface is no longer dependent on being a "box", but is now a membrane instrument like a banjo, rummelpot or a drum.
Mark Gilston