Travel Dulcimer Recommendation

Dusty Turtle
Dusty Turtle
@dusty
12 years ago
1,720 posts

Cheryl, I havea few small dulcimers, including a baritone dulcimette by Ron Ewing, an Eedy Beede by David Beede, and a Youngster by Keith Young. Since, as Kristi says, Keith Young has passed away, you could only obtain one of those if someone were selling one. The other two I highly recommend, but you might have trouble getting either of those luthiers to finish one in time for this summer. It would be worth contacting them to find out, though.

There are lots of good small dulcimers, though. As folkfan suggest, Mike Clemmer makes a "sweetie" that must be wonderful since you never see anyone selling them used. Folkcraft now has a re-issue of the Folkroots Travel dulcimer. Lots of people love the McSpadden Ginger model. If I were to buy one new now, I might trythe Blue Lion soprano, though I've never heard one or heard anything about it. I could go on. But I won't. Instead I'll point you to the group I started called Little Dulcimers and the list I created there called The Little Dulcimers Little List which I think is a pretty comprehensive list of the small dulcimers that are regular parts of luthiers offerings.




--
Dusty T., Northern California
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Kristi Keller
Kristi Keller
@kristi-keller
12 years ago
84 posts

I have a Sweet Woods travel dulcimer and it sounds as good as most instruments costing a lot more. Another travel model is a Youngster (but maker is deceased) . Lovely sounding sweet "soprano" voice. Laurel Mountain makes a travel size also.

How will you be traveling? Flying, driving or kayak? If driving and having to leave instrument in car for hours on end I would be careful about taking a much loved dulcimer and subjecting it to heat and humidity changes.

folkfan
@folkfan
12 years ago
357 posts

http://sweetwoodsinstruments.com/specialties.htm

Sweet Woods Instruments has a very nice travel instrument. It has an adjusting feature that works well in taking humid to dry weather changes into consideration.

Cheryl Johnson
Cheryl Johnson
@cheryl-johnson
12 years ago
43 posts

Hello folks! I may have to travel for work later this summer and was thinking about getting a dulcimer that would be easy to travel with. I saw the Folkcraft travel dulcimer and wondered if anyone had it and could recommend it or another brand/maker??

Thanks!

Cheryl


updated by @cheryl-johnson: 06/08/16 09:24:05PM