Yes, in an ideal world all instruments would be priced to be accessible to all people.  However there are always those pesky variables like cost and choice of materials, hours and experience level of labor, construction or finishing methods, shipping costs, rent and location, etc.   Not all building options that increase the price of an instrument are mere cosmetic matters such as elaborate pearl inlays or gold plating.

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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

It's always a bit problematic to compare established brands.  Things like appearance and tone are especially subjective.  One person might love the appearance and tone of a particular dulcimer, while another person might find the same instrument unattractive and not like the tone at all.  This happens to me all the time, yet I'm always surprised when I find I have completely different 'likes' than someone else.

I think June Apple brand tends to be overlooked too often by people looking to buy a new instrument.  I especially appreciate that they offer lesser known kinds of instruments that are harder to obtain, like hummels and scheitholts- at accessible prices.

I can certainly appreciate a post from a happy customer who is enthusiastic about a particular instrument and builder, and I understand that Greg is not being compensated.  But that said, I'm removing a couple of the specific pricing comparisons with other brands from the thread because I wouldn't want other makers feeling they had to post their own promotional comparisons to counter it.

Thanks!

P.S. Greg- how about a picture of you new dulcimer?  I'm sure we'd all love to see it!

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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
updated by @strumelia: 12/27/16 07:24:31PM

I have Scheitholt, deluxe he built for me many years ago and it is almost always a go to instrument.............top notch and just grand in every respect. 

I agree, I'm a big fan of Carl's dulcimers. My first was finding a used Cello-mer, also my first experience with the 1 1/2, 8 1/2 fret etc. I currently have 3 of his, had a custom 6 string built by him, the first with the zero fret and the "Amburgey Groove" around the top. Also picked up a used Banjo-mer which is a hoot.

 These are all hi larger styles, lots of volume. All about 45 inches long, deep and wide build. 

 The workmanship is fantastic, great sound and tone. I would agree that the smaller ones are for sure equal to equally quality built, much more expensive ones.

 I'd recommend to anyone looking for a finely built dulcimer at a "deal" of a price.

I got the urge to buy a new mountain dulcimer three or four weeks ago. After scouring the internet, I decided on one of Carl Gotzmer’s June Apple Dulcimers. Carl has a website through which he sells several models of dulcimers and dulcimer antecedents. I settled on the June Apple Model, which has a base price of $295.00. The following options were added: heart-shaped soundholes, a wenge fretboard overlay, additional frets at 1 ½ and 8 ½, a single melody string, abalone position dots, an upgrade to planetary tuners, and a padded case. With all the options I added, the June Apple dulcimer was still priced at just $425.00. At this point, you might be thinking “But what about quality? How does a June Apple dulcimer compare to Brand X or Brand Y? Surely, a June Apple can’t be of the same quality as a mountain dulcimer selling for two or three times as much?”

I have owned mountain dulcimers made by many of today’s finest mountain dulcimer builders. My June Apple Model dulcimer compares very favorably with the best of them. From physical beauty to ear-pleasing tone, the June Apple is a top-notch instrument. Carl book-matches both the top and bottom of his instruments. The grain of the western red cedar top is beautiful to behold. However, it is equaled or exceed by the beauty of the book-matched walnut back. The wenge fretboard overlay has subtle streaks of brown which bring out the beauty of the wenge. I originally asked Carl for an ebony overlay, but he said he no longer uses ebony because the quality of available ebony has deteriorated, and it is hard to find ebony that has been properly aged so that it won’t crack. Now that I can see the finished instrument, I am glad I went with the wenge. The physical beauty of the finished instrument is equaled by the tone. Initially, the dulcimer was strung with heavier gauge strings than I am used to using, so I replaced the original strings with slightly lighter gauge strings to get the same flexibility I am used to when fingering the melody string. The result was a pure, sweet, mellow tone with just the right amount of sustain. It is perfect for both finger-picking and strumming.

So how does the June Apple dulcimer compare to the more expensive popular dulcimers? I compared it to Brand X and Brand Y, two of the most popular dulcimer brands. 

Price – June Apple Base Price = $295.00
Appearance – June Apple = A+, Brand X = A+, Brand Y = B
Tone – June Apple = A+, Brand X = A+, Brand Y = A+
Willingness to Customize – June Apple = A+, Brand X = A+, Brand Y = C

While any of the three dulcimers above would be an excellent choice, the June Apple is the real bargain. It compares favorably with Brand X, one of the most well-respected dulcimer makers in the country at less than half the cost. It also compares favorably with Brand Y, which is less willing to customize changes from their basic design.

Should you be considering the purchase of a mountain dulcimer, I would like to highly recommend one of Carl Gotzmer’s June Apple dulcimers. Carl offers quality at a fair price. By the way, I have no financial interests in Carl's business. I'm just a satisfied customer.

updated by @greg-gunner: 08/01/23 02:06:36AM