I have two lovely Jack Lyle dulcimers and one has a slit longer than the one in yours and the other has none. It is most likely an additional sound hole, perhaps is presence and/or size has to do with the woods used and whether or not it needed more volume?
Slit in Strum Hollow? What is the reason?
Maybe it's a slot to lose your pick down...? 
No? Then it's probably a soundhole.
Virginia dulcimers in particular were bad to have small round soundholes drilled all over them.
But I believe Jack Lyle is/was a dulcimer builder from Waynesville, NC. I visited him in his Balsam Gallery many moons ago.
He had a thing for maple leaf soundholes and red stain, which were beautiful.
The area under the slit is hollowed out, and the top underneath that is undoubtedly open to that cavity. Like other hollowed fretboards, there is a major weight-loss when hollowing, and some indication of improved acoustics as well. The slit is, no doubt, just the builder's way of being different rather than just adding round holes.
John Gribble:
Actually, it isn't a dulcimer--It's a piggy bank!
Sorry about that. I couldn't resist. Actually I believe it is a sound hole. My Kevin Messenger teardrop has two round ones, one in the hollow, the other in the fret board area between the first and second frets.
haha. I should have guessed that! Thanks for your insight too.
Actually, it isn't a dulcimer--It's a piggy bank!
Sorry about that. I couldn't resist. Actually I believe it is a sound hole. My Kevin Messenger teardrop has two round ones, one in the hollow, the other in the fret board area between the first and second frets.
