Very cool. I saved the sites on line. I belong to an airboat club here in central Florida. I have been the club Historian for several years. A few of the members play guitar. I see a Historian report on "music on a string" in my future. I listened to some of the recordings on the Psalmodikon.  I also see here is a site for plans to make one and even an available kit. I was not aware that the Diddly bow went back that far in history. I already have so much info I may have to make it a two-part presentation.

the pic is my boat, powered by a 220 Lycolming GPU.

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The single string monochord with which I am most familiar is the psalmodikon. It is a Swedish instrument. Here is a website: http://www.psalmodikon.org/nap_items/index.htm . Here is the Wikipedia site on Diddley bow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diddley_bow#:~:text=The%20diddley%20bow%20is%20a,single%20string%20of%20baling%20wire . Probably more than you want to know about either instrument.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

wally, that's why I enjoy this site. I was corrected once when I mentioned fret board. Now I understand the difference. thanks

Ken, I saw something at the lower end but couldn't figure it out. The article I read said it may be the forerunner of our modern dulcimers.

When I see something I don't quite understand I like to research it. Problem is, often there is a multitude of opinions. All I can do is try to make sense of it all and settle on one that aligns with the subject. A college professor called it "word smithing". Ken, are those one string instruments what they call "diddly bow" if I have the spelling correct. 

It appears that the instrument in the photo with the woman is resting on a stool. She appears to be holding a pick of some sort in her right hand. I think it would fall in to the humle or langleik family of zithers.

Wally, I agree with you regarding the distinction between fret board and fingerboard.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

>>> "When I discovered my fret board (also called the finger board) was badly warped..."

A dulcimer FRET BOARD is not a FINGER BOARD, as used on most other string instruments.

On violins, guitars, banjos, etc. the fingerboard is attached to the neck of the instruments and is sloped above the body. It is a separate piece. There is air between the fingerboard and the body. The bridge is a separate piece tounching the strings and body. It may, or may not, be fretted.

A dulcimer fret board is attached directly to the body (sound box) and is always fretted. If an overlay is used, it is glued in place, and the fretboard becomes a one-piece composite structure.

Fingerboards are frequently arched in transverse section, but this is not a requirement. Our fret boards are typically flat in cross section.

I am one of those who believe that a traditional dulcimer must have a one-piece fretboard, with the bridge and nut mounted directly in slots in the fretboard. In that case the bridge does not contact the body, but vibrations are transmitted through the fretboard.

Leveling of the fret tops lets us compensate for slight imperfections in the finger or fret board straightness, but, of course a straight board is always best, and it should never be warped.

I usually build with guitar fret wire, but have also used the melody-string-only staples.

I found the pic of the Dulcimer type instrument. History reveals these instruments from 1700s to 1800s. Dates and tradition are questionable and I would not choose to argue with the women pictured.

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If you look at some of the old dulcimers by J.E. Thomas and Charles N. Prichard you will see that they only had frets under the first string.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Without a doubt Ken. I find it very interesting that some of the oldest dulcimer type instruments dating back even into the early 1800s all had a similar fret arrangement. One I read about had one string with frets and the rest were all open. It appeared to me to be 4 or 5 feet long. I wish I kept the article. Thanks to all of you on FOTMD and other sites I frequent, I have learned a lot about the dulcimer and what separates quality from simple. 

I think the fret board is the most important part of a mountain dulcimer. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

From past experience, if frets are not level or all the same height off the fret board there is potential vibration in certain notes played. Adjusting the nut and bridge is important but if the frets are at different heights it will affect the quality of the note. When I discovered my fret board (also called the finger board) was badly warped I smoothed out the high spot and replaced the frets. In my effort to fix the problem previously, without fixing the board, I filed down some of the frets to compensate for the bad board. The result was disastrous. I replaced all the frets and aligned them with a framing square. Before the repair, playing anything on the first two frets was difficult because of the distance between the string and the fret board. I couldn't lower it because the frets in the center would touch the strings.   

Very useful information. I found out about frets and fret boards the hard way. I purchased a kit that was partially built. The owner lost interest (if you can imagine losing interest in a dulcimer) I had trouble from the start after assembly until I noticed the fret board had a noticeable warp. I had to remove the frets and block sand the board then recut some of the slots. 

another antique instrument I bought had some frets cut by a chimpanzee, I filled the some of the slots with Durham's and recut them. I seldom play it but soon will need the fretboard completely rebuilt. Probably add a thin piece of mahogany on the top and recut.  

I just finished lowering the nut and bridge on my tear drop. Wow! what a difference. Problem solved thanks to the pros at FOTMD group. 

I spend a lot of time with a straight edge on the frets, making sure they are the same height. I learned to make sure all my fret boards are stored in a dry place on a flat surface. I am always open to any suggestions about building and tuning. 

That is an interesting experience you had with the frets from one part of the country to another. That kind of info will go down in the archives as, things to think about in the future. 

I'm 83 years old and still stick to my same motto, try not to go a day without learning something weather it's the easy way or OOPs! the outcome is still useful to me or someone else.

Not particularly indicative of an on-going problem.  Vagaries of heat and cold and humidity, and differing expansion and contraction rates of wood and metal can occasionally cause a fret to be pushed up slightly out of its slot.  A fret that is too high can cause all sorts of strange noises that are not "sweet music". 

Long ago I was living high and dry in Mile High Colorado.  I built a dulcimer for a customer who lived in sea level Alabama.  When the instrument left Colorado the frets were perfectly level.  By the time it arrived in Alabama two of the frets were raised.  Ship it back to me and the frets were level again.  Rinse and repeat.  The customer had to have the frets leveled down there at sea level; then it played perfectly for as long as it was owned. 

Doesn't happen often, but it does happen.  

Also, some people press down on the strings/frets very hard and the strings will wear notches in the surface of frets made of inferior metal. 

That's why sometimes frets have to be leveled or "dressed".  

I'm looking to purchase a Mastertone dulcimer that is used (3 years old).  It's sycamore and walnut - a real beauty that looks pristine as does the case that comes with it.  The seller mentions in their ad, however, that work by a local luthier has been done on the frets - she states they were "leveled."  My question is for what reason might frets on a 3 year-old dulcimer, which otherwise looks immaculate, need to be leveled?  I've had several much older dulcimers for a long while and never had any frets leveled, and they all play just fine.  Is the leveling of frets on an instrument indicative of some problem?