Thanks everyone for sharing your sage knowledge and advice.  I like the idea of a larger instrument producing a more mellow sound.  The trade-off is (I'm guessing) that the fret spacing will also be larger - which may be a problem for my small hands.  But in any case, I'm happy to learn I won't have to pay for "bling" to get that beautiful dulcimer "ring"! 

It's a good question and you have received good answers. In the end, what is most important is that the dulcimer appeals to you and makes you happy when you play/use it. If you don't like the instrument for whatever reason, you aren't going to play it. Some people like fancy inlays and bindings, others don't. Some like hourglass shape, and others don't. If hourglass dulcimers with beautiful woods are aesthetically pleasing to you go for that, because that is what you will enjoy playing and it won't really matter whether you have a flat or scroll peg head.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

@steven-stroot Perfectly fine questions!  

There are no DQOTD!!  There are only questions which you haven't gotten answers for yet. 

I agree with virtually everything Dusty has said below.  Buy/build the size, shape and wood combinations which appeal to your eye and ear.   Know that bodies with more "cublic inches under the hood"  (more internal volume will tend to have a more 'mellow' sound guitar-like sound; where thinner, small volume instruments will tend to have a higher, more 'silvery' sound reminiscent of the early (pre-1950) dulcemores.  

I only disagree with Dusty when he says scroll heads a pain in the @ss to use. 

A properly designed scroll head (open on the bottom to make stringing easy) with properly fitted and matched pegs and pegholes, is not hard to use but does require a bit of getting used to, unlike the 'instant gratification' of geared tuners.   That said, there are geared tuners which look exactly like wooden pegs ('planetary' tuners) which can be installed on any scroll head instrument -- the best of both worlds.   

Mostly just eye candy, Steven.  Surely the shape of the dulcimer has some effect on the sound, but it's probably so negligible no one would notice.  The type of wood also has an effect on sound, but on the list of variables that effect sound, it is way down there.  I'm sure I can tell the difference between a Pritchard replica and a Blue Lion, but I doubt I could tell the difference between a Blue Lion with walnut body and a Blue Lion with a cherry body.  Certainly whether the wood is figured or has beautiful grain patterns influences its looks, but not necessarily the sound or playability of the instrument.

Scroll pegheads look romantic but are a pain the arse to use.  Flat heads are much more practical.  A scroll head can increase substantially the time it takes to change strings.  If you like the look of scroll heads, that's a compromise you have to make, although some luthiers such as Terry McCafferty try to create the best of both worlds by combining the two .

So much of this kind of thing is in the eye of the beholder.  I like the look of ebony (or those artificial versions like micarta) overlay on the fretboard. I think the contrast between the dark black of the ebony and the lighter color of the other woods is striking.  But I also find ebony easier to fret since it's so hard. And it's also resistant to scratches, which means something to aggressive flatpickers.  So to me, anyway, ebony overlay enhances both the aesthetics and the performance of the dulcimer. 

Your question isn't dumb at all.  On some level, it's something we all have to address when buying an instrument or any product, really.  That early 1960s Dodge Dart might look better with the stripes on the side, but that paint doesn't make the engine any smoother or more powerful.  However, whether you have a slant 6 or a V8 engine probably does. Some years ago I bought an octave dulcimer from David Beede.  He used to offer the option of adding turquoise purfling on the soundboard , and I thought it looked great.  But when discussing with him whether I wanted to add it, he referred to it as "jewelry." And as soon I started thinking of it as "bling" with no purpose, I decided against it.

--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator

As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie

DQOTD: Dumb Question of the Day

Forgive me for monopolizing your time and trying your patience but I'm facing a steep dulcimer learning curve.  Question:  Hourglass shapes, scroll peg heads and beautiful woods are, to me, aesthetically pleasing.  But do these features actually make a difference in the performance of the instrument or are they just eye candy?