That's very cool, Ken!
My recently commissioned epinette in pearwood has kolrosing designs as well. It's a wonderful way to decorate wood items and instruments. My future Langspil will feature kolrosing as well.
How many strings are these two lyres going to have, Ken?
I was recently gifted with some beautiful wood to make a couple of lyres. I have Myrtle and Maple for body planks and soundboards, as well as Port Orford Cedar for soundboards. Lyres have "carved" bodies about an inch thick, hollowed out to a 1/4" or less thick back, and a soundboard applied over the top.
The ones I'm reconstructing here are based on instruments found in an archaeological dig near Oberflacht, Germany, before WWII. The graves are from a "pre-German" or Allemanic site dated to the late 600s AD.
This one will have a Myrtle body and a Port Orford Cedar soundboard decorated, as you can see, by "kalrose carved" designs. Kalrose carving is to wood as scrimshaw is to bone/horn. The designs were taken from some standing stones I visited while in Scotland. The "Celtic knotwork" type designs were popular all over western Europe and the British Isles.
Thanks, Ken.
I checked with Don Pedi since the owner's manual has his picture on it. Don has a dim recollection of the family perhaps selling Green River Dulcimers after Bill Walker died tragically and it could be the new owners named it New River Dulcimers but he was not sure.
Song of the Wood did not have any information. I checked with them in September when I was by there. I'll check with the Dulcimer Shop in Blowing Rock.
Interesting, and obviously home made fine tuners. With that VSL, the builder could have intended this to be a baritone or bass dulcimer. And with that VSL it would be hard for many modern players to use for Chord Melody style.
The New River in NC was designated a Wild and Scenic Waterway back in 1976... Beautiful waterway north of Blowing Rock.
Contact The Dulcimer Shop in Blowing Rock, NC. I'll bet they have some information. Likewise Song of the Wood, in Black Mountain NC, where your friend bought the instrument may have more info.
I have a friend who has a mountain dulcimer with the name New River Dulcimers (Asheville, NC), serial number 118, and crafted by Oliver in December, 1996.
My friend has asked me if I could find a bit about this instrument including its value.
The dulcimer appears to have walnut fretboard, with walnut bookmatched top and back with cherry sides. Bridge and nut appear to be bone. Cosmetically it appears to be in good shape with few signs of much use. It appears to have been well kept if not played much. No signs of abuse, improper storage etc. My friend purchased it used at an instrument store in Black Mountain, NC a number of years ago.
Voice is guitar like. It has tuners which appear to be Grover Sta-tite banjo machines. It has some "fine tuners" unlike any I have seen heretofore on a dulcimer. VSL 29.25". Overall length 37". Pictures attached.
Internet searches do not provide much information.
Anyone with any knowledge of this brand, value used etc?
Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast - Episode 29
The Driven Wendy Songe
In this episode we feature dulcimer player Wendy Songe who is an award winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet, performer, teacher, and nationally touring musician.
Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast can be found on most podcast apps.
Here's the link to Hearts of the Dulcimer on iTunes: http://bit.ly/hotdpodcast
Don't use a podcast app or iTunes? You can listen to all the podcast episodes directly on our website: http://dulcimuse.com/podcast
We also have a resource page for every episode, where you can find photos, videos, and song lists. Here's the resource page for this episode: http://dulcimuse.com/podcast/resource/029.html
Yeah, I've been trying to get some vinyl of dulcimer records that have not been put on cd. Some I didn't think I'd want back in the day; others I didn't know about.
I've been working on re-building my vinyl collection the last few months. In the mean time I've been using the free version of Spotify and listening to all sorts of Mountain dulcimer music........there really is a great selection available there if anyone is interested and you can save the albums to a playlist too.
PS- The record on the left is from the Fuzzy Mountain String Band.
Tillmanator, you are to be admired for all your musical energy and enthusiasm for teaching! And thank you for supporting FOTMD. 
Folks, Tillmanator has just purchased a new Banner Ad in our FOTMD ad slideshow on the site's main page, to promote her project of bringing several mountain dulcimers into her students' school music program. Half of the students at her school are underprivileged and have very limited opportunities to learn music. To take a peek at her site describing the project, just click on her ad.
A taller seat/stool or standing with the MD on some kind of stand?
I help out with a beginner's jam - a tall gentlemen was having trouble finding a good position for his dulcimer, so he could strum without hitting the strings or holding his arm up high..
Suggestions: stretching his leg out to lower it, having most of the dulcimer on a sharp angle with little resting on his right leg (so he is strumming toward the end), loosen his strap & out from his body some, sitting up straight, etc.
I know he will find a position that works but does anyone have any suggestions that he could try?
Colleen, I understand how you feel about friction tuners. My Gretsch banjolele came with them. My fondness for the instrument (it was so darn cute!) made me play it a lot and I got used to the tuners. Now they are still not my first choice but I am OK with them.
If you think ukes are fun, banjoleles are even better. The folks I jam with like having another instrument voice. Like all banjos, they are finicky little instruments so if you don't like to fiddle with your instruments, banjoleles are not for you. I also recommend getting a good set up initially.
Actually, I've been eyeing the banjoleles. They are on the "someday" list. Which is sort of ridiculous, as I'm still at the green beginner stage on the ukulele, though I've made a little progress. What brand/type of banjolele do you have?
I've started playing the uke on a few songs in my dulcimer group.
And, yay, I finally realized that there is a button for the quote function.
Very nice.............this link might be helpful to you. Strings are available on ebay and amazon too.
http://www.jamesjonesinstruments.com/misc/yangqin.html
Sorry, folks, I still don't seem to have the quote function down.
Well I made the plunge 3 months ago and bought a Kala Ziricoat Tenor and couldn't be happier. I actually have learned more about music since I've had this. Yes I still put many hours on my Folkcraft, but what fun the Uke is.
My next uke purchase may well be a baritone, but that will have to wait until tax refund time. I've been eyeing the ziricoat Kalas, but unfortunately, they don't make in a baritone.
Hi, I have a magic flea. I think it had aquila strings but had terrible time keeping in tune so sent it back the and got i think were planetary tuners. They did not charge me for labor which was amazing as i bought it used and told them so.
Wow, that is pretty amazing. I should contact them, as my Fluke is sitting on the floor, untouched at the moment. It needs some love. I mostly alternate between my long neck soprano and the tenor.
Nellie -- without seeing the pictures you are looking at we simply cannot tell anything about the instrument. Post the pictures here so we can help.
You said: "Is wr walnut and redwood? If that is true than not plywood so should not darken?"
Plywood does not darken compared to solid wood in any scenario I've seen in over 60 years as a woodworker.
Don hasn't been in the shop for about a year, but he will always be my hero dulcimer maker.......
I'm sorry to hear that. 
But thanks for passing on the news.
I have just been in touch with Don's wife, via email. I was hoping to discuss his building a true replica of a TMB a few years ago. She replied "He isn't building anymore due to health problems."
The bridge and nut may be set up....just be sure he installs 4 tuners so you have that flexibility.
I think it's easier with 3 strings, so I think you made the right call! But then I usually play dulcimers with just 3 strings--if a dulcimer happens to have 4 tuners, I just use 3. So I guess it depends on what you're used to...
The solid bass string will have the traditional "twang" that is commonly referred to as "silvery". The wound strings are generally fuller toned, what I liken to guitar sounding. It all boils down to personal preference.....
I play noter drone.
Hi Richard,
I have a keyboard stand that I have used for a long time - to stand while playing my dulcimers.
At first - I used 2 pieces of shelving covered with the rubber shelf liner.
The shelving was heavy, so I found some much lighter paneling and covered it with the shelf liner.
Once you have your "base" just adjust to the height that you are comfortable with, and Voila!
Works like a charm!
Keep strumming and smiling!
Cindy
Drone or chording?
For me, the gauge remains the same.
Is the plain string the same gauge or a different gauge from the wound string?
Correction. Has anyone modified a keyboard stand to use for the dulcimer while standing to play?
@dulcinina Way to go! And thanks for the update.
