Bob, I can only recall knowing of one other person who has a Jean Ritchie model BL.
As far as quality of instrument goes, a Blue Lion is of high quality. I know of one well-respected luthier who, when building his own personal instrument, sent a piece of it to Janita Baker (of Blue Lion) so she could do his inlay work.
Kathy,
I own a Blue Lion Jean Ritchie model. I, luckily, came by it used though in like-new condition. And the instrument was a custom order so is not exactly what you will see on the Blue Lion website. I play noter-drone style music on it and like its ease of play. For fit and finish, the quality of the instrument is very very good.
A photo of my BLJRitchie dulcimer can be seen here:
http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/photo/blue-lion-jean-ritchie-model?context=user
The dulcimer can be seen & heard on the videos of Old Joe Clark , Spotted Pony , and Arkansas Traveler from my FOTMD page here:
http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/profile/RobinThompson
Hope this helps, Kathy! If you have specific questions, I'm happy to answer them as best as I can.
I've got no voice to sing lead yet used to be a decent harmony singer.
As a teenager I sang a lot and have sung very little as an adult. I wish I would've kept singing because it's fun and I can read music for singing. My ear for singing is no longer good. I go flat a lot, doggone it.
PS-(I can't sight read for playing dulcimer-- either mountain or bowed. Wish I could. Though I am glad I can play by ear.)
)
Dennis,
In the years I've been involved with mountain dulcimer, I've seen nothing but praise from folks who have gotten Dave's Student Model. In the dulcimer world, there are a few makers who offer entry-level instruments that would put instruments of other types costing a lot more to shame.
Enjoy your Sweet Woods!
PS-Dave's a nice guy, too!
Lisa!!! You've been holding out on us.
Doggies, that sounded good!
I can't for the life of me bow a decent drone on my bowed dulcimers on any consistent basis. For my own amusement, I'll keep trying, though. 
Since YOUR jouhikko is already a star, your own stardom can't be far behind, Strumelia!
Do you have particular ideas about how you wish to use your new instruments-- say, do you plan to focus on tunes in a particular regional tradition(s) or in accompaniment to another player's instrument(s)?
Seriously, Lisa, if I ever get to your neck of the woods, I'd love to give one of those instruments a go.
Strumelia,
Wonderful slideshow! I'd love to give a pull of the bow or two on each of your bowed lyres-- they're so lovely and your case with the leather handle, forged latches, and knitted interior are neat.
In the YouTube video on Michael's website, it looks to be your new jouhikko & case that are showcased!?
It's so neat that you have Swedish ancestors, Lisa! And bowing is a ton of fun. 
Except for when it isn't.
PS-The discussion about being able to drag smiles should've been able to be seen by everybody but me!
Cool, Lisa! You get a few weeks under your belt and keeping the bow perpendicular to the strings will come easier, I'd bet. I have a ball bowing (my BD's) and have learned that just feeling more comfortable, relaxed with a bow in my hand helps yield better sound. Well, most of the time, anyway. lol
I can't look at jouhikkos much because I want one and don't need to feed that monster right now.
Flint, I'm listening to sample music from Nordisk Sang right now-- really fine. Thanks for the recommendation.
Lisa, I use an underhand grip on the bow for BD and have used my middle & ring fingers to make some tension adjustments.
I'll keep my eyes open for a progress report from time to time. It's a mostly wonderful experience to be a beginner.
Randy, I love fiddle music and know I couldn't play a fiddle due to neck problems. Darn trouble's curtailed my music playing-- especially MD-- over the last several weeks.
Lisa, I'll wait-- got nothin' but time.
Glad Randy started the thread because I was wonderin', too. You probably haven't had it long enough to tell much about the horsehair strings. . . Are the hairs twisted? Do they have to be replaced often? Can you buy hanks of horsehair and make your own strings?
This has been enlightening to me, too. I didn't even own a mountain dulcimer when I got my biggest introduction to fiddle tunes at Old-Time Week at Augusta (at Davis & Elkins College in WV)-- I was there to take an autoharp class. (My husband Mark took a guitar class.) Before going to Augusta, Mark had been playing a few fiddle tunes and I'd been chording/playing rhythm behind him on the autoharp and this is how we were playing when I began to think about getting a mountain dulcimer.
Now, my autoharps are much-neglected because dulcimers (mountain & bowed) have exerted some sort of magical power over me. :)
Hi, David!
I like the sound of lots of the fiddle tunes-- they just grab me. Trying to describe why I like them would be sort of like trying to describe why I like chocolate cake. :) I'm a big fan of old-timey Appalachian music and am a 'by ear' player who doesn't play out of a fiddle songbook (although I did pick up a used one at Half Price Books last year).
PS-It's not universal, I think, that dulcimer players as a whole have a preference for fiddle tunes. ;)
Kyle,
A point I neglected to include in my earlier posting:
Lily McGee Ward Swick's (Kendra Ward's grandmother) dulcimer had been made for her about 1895. To quote from the Grimes Collection work: "So John Wright may have been the earliest known maker in this tradition." (61)
Here's a link to a 1955 photo of Mrs. Swick holding her dulcimer (posted by Kendra on EverythingDulcimer) that's included in the Grimes book:
http://everythingdulcimer.com/discuss/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14334&p=183850&hilit=Kenneth+Ward#p183850
Welcome, Kyle!
Although I am not not particularly knowledgeable about dulcimer history, the best source of information I know of on WV dulcimer history (and one with which you're likely familiar) is Gerry Milnes's Play of a Fiddle.
FOTMD member Kendra Ward's family has lived in Gallia County OH, an Ohio county bordering the river near Huntington, and she may be able to point you to some helpful source(s). On a related note, in Stories from the Anne Grimes Collection of American Folk Music, two southern Ohio makers are mentioned in a chapter that includes information on Kendra's father and grandmother-- the makers are a man named George Butcher who modeled his dulcimers after those of an earlier maker from Eno OH named John Wright.
Good luck and it's good to have you here, Kyle!
Sam,
When I got to the part about Foo Foo being, uh, born breach, I laughed so loudly it caught my husband's attention. And it's still funny! And don't be making too much fun of Aunt Holly's moustache-- I'm working on growing a fine one. ;)
Like Paul said, a yarn can go on. . . :)
Have a good one, fellas!
"Foo Foo was a breach!!!" LOL
Sam, I enjoyed the tale-- thanks for the posting. An entertaining Christmas dinner is a treat!
Is it good to see you, John Henry! I confess to being jealous that you've been made good as new. :)
Take care and heal well, friend.
Thanks for letting us know, John S! Our friend will be in my thoughts.
Good to have the address-- thank you, Rod.
John Shaw said:
I've just been to see John Henry in hospital this afternoon. He's very cheerful - but rather bored! His operation which was due last week was delayed because of equipment failure, and has been rescheduled for tomorrow. He was tickled pink by the interest and concern of his friends on this site, and would love to hear from them.
Yes, a swift recovery for John Henry! (I've missed him!)
Thanks, friends, for passing this along.
Oh, Sam, thanks for sharing this! Yes, a laugh at poor Turnup's expense. Pet kitty for me, please. :)
Here are my sound holes....
Sam, I must give a tip of the hat to the luthiers-- MD made by Paul Conrad of Timbre Hill Dulcimers and BD is by Ken Bloom. Paul knew my taste was for a simple sound hole design (this design can be seen in the beautiful, fancier intarsia back on the instrument) and the sound holes on the bowed dulcimer is Ken's standard sound hole.
It's pretty cool that the poplar top on the MD was once exterior siding (that had gotten covered over at some point) on Paul's house that was built in the 1840's.
Sam said:
Striking;
The Mountain Dulcimer is exquisitely understated. Both instruments are just beautiful.
I'm sick and tired of being a mediocre player because I dabble too much. 