A question about intonating a dulcimer
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
First time poster and first time dulcimer owner! I recently purchased two dulcimers. One was an Applecreek AD200 cherry model from Amazon and I have been very happy with it. Its finish and sound quality exceeded my expectations. I also wanted a US made vintage model so I started looking on Ebay and there was a lot to choose from! The first one I purchased I returned because the seller put down the wrong dimensions for it, and it was too small for my taste, but sounded OK, I finally found one that was the size I was looking for, and it arrived a few days ago and that is where my question starts! It does not have a brand name on it, but a sticker inside the sound hole that states " The Beaten path, Home Of American Dulcimers" in Pigeon Forge, TN. It also shows two names, Jerry and Marsha Meador. I see no date or model number so I am assuming they made this instrument. If any of you know anything else about them or this dulcimer I would appreciate it also! Anyhow, the dulcimer was in pristine shape except for a crack in the headstock, but it does not appear to run very deep. I cleaned it up and put new strings on it and tuned it. It sounds great when just strumming an open cord, but hitting notes up on the frets sound off, especially with the center A string. I know how to intonate most electric guitars but am not sure how to do it on this. The saddle is not movable, so I am stuck with it as far as that goes. I removed it and replaced with a bone one made for an acoustic guitar, sanded it down a bit to lower the string action, and this has helped a little bit, but it is still off. What else can I do? Any and all help is welcome! I have attached some photos for reference.
updated by @mikekoz: 09/29/25 10:10:12PM