Such wise counsel from Strumelia. That is a very special dulcimer and one to treasure. Like her, I think it must have been meant for you. Play it and enjoy it.
Any information about this dulcimer?
If it plays well (and i suspect it must), then if you intend to play dulcimer, even just a little for fun, why sell this at all? It's a hassle to sell and ship a nice dulcimer that needs to be well protected during shipping. And also a hassle for a beginner to find and buy another dulcimer that might have problems that are not apparent to the seller.
In my humble opinion, you are a lucky person. just start playing it and learning. Learning to play a dulcimer is not hard, and you can add to your playing skills as much or as little as you choose. It's great fun to play beginner tunes.
Maybe that dulcimer was meant to be with you for a while in its journey!
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
I bought it at an estate sale because it was just too beautiful. However, I don't play! I am just a beginner and don't expect to get very advanced -- I prefer listening to others play and learning about the history and stories of the dulcimer. I am considering selling it to pay for a more basic dulcimer for myself, and get this in the hands of someone who can appreciate it more than me. Not sure how to price it, and would love to know more about it before I decide to sell.
(I am new to this forum and not sure how to reply directly to someone's comment)
Very nice! One suggestion springs to mind, seeing all of that face carving: Ron Cook of Ron Cook Studios in California. Ron built many, many instruments (including dulcimers) in the past, but is now retired.
He is famous for putting intricate carvings of faces on his dulcimers, and although THESE faces look somewhat different than Ron's faces, it's a possibility. (On the other hand, I think Ron put labels in all of his instruments, so there's that).
Good luck in finding out more of your dulcimer's history!
What a unique and impressive dulcimer. A treasure for sure.
What an absolute jewel of a dulcimer! Do you own it, and if so, where/how did you get it?
It's hard to believe that someone would put that much skilled work into an instrument and then not sign it or mark it... is there maybe a label inside that got detached and is just loose inside the instrument? Did you use a flashlight?
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
updated by @strumelia: 04/29/25 10:07:05AM
What a lovely instrument! Made by a very skilled woodworker, for sure. No 6.5 fret and not a reproduction build of some kind. It's very cool.
