I've played D-A-d-d 99% of the time for the last 35 years, but I also like D-A-c#-d for some of the interesting chords it offers as well as the chromatics.

Tom Fellenbaum builds some great instruments, too.  If you like Celtic music, he alternates Sundays with Richard Beard, another great dulcimer builder, as a host of Celtic Roots on WNCW from Noon-3pm Eastern.  Richard was on today, so Tom ought to be the host next week.  (Available online.)

DAA#d is another. It effectively gives you a chromatic capability This tuning can be retuned to DAAd, DGA#d, and DAA#c. Janita Baker, Mark Biggs and John Sackenheim are some folks using these tunings for fingerpicked arrangements. I have messed with DF#AA and DF#Ad, they allows bar chords, some 7ths and some minors.

That's the one alright, are you familiar with his worlk?

 Thanks for the tuning info, and just remembered I have a June Apple Banjomer that is strung standard but is slotted for equidistant also, may jus have to loosen up the strings and give it a go round with some of the tunings you suggested. 

George, there are a lot of different tunings for 4 equidistant strings.  My 1st dulcimer was tuned DAdd, so that's how I kept it, mostly.  Nowadays I use more DAAd.  I love DAdc, fretting mainly the melody string and letting the others drone.  DAdA is one Jean Ritchie used and noter players still use.  I came up with DGcd for "Rocking the Cradle that's None of My Own." I love the freedom of 4 independent strings.

Is the that the Fellenbaum that was on Ebay?  I did look at it.

 

Hi all, I'm looking at my first equidistant strung dulcimer and was just curious if it is tuned the same basic D A D for example, or can or should it be tuned differently? Thanks in advance, it's a 1982 Tim Fillenbaum if I'm spelling that right.