You're entirely welcome, friends!   I'm glad to be able to contribute to a discussion now and then.

Thanks for all these neat details @john-c-knopf

Well, I wish I had paid closer attention to the details back in 1974 when I began my friendship with Lynn McSpadden. I didn't pay much attention to the kits or teardrop dulcimers at the time as I was enamored by the hourglass shape. I guess I built a half dozen or so of them before I started looking at building teardrops.

Ken

The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

(non-completed f-holes)

The reason I was so sure of the provenance of the dulcimer kit is that I used to study (and drool over) the brochures and catalogs that The Dulcimer Shoppe put out in the early 70s.  And I remembered the shape of that model dulcimer (T8-W), and the non-completed f-holes, which drove me nuts!  The builder had to complete the cutouts if  they wanted proper f-holes. 

I believe this dulcimer kit shares most of the parts of the M8-W kit that I bought as my FIRST dulcimer in 1974!  That's right-- I've built all shapes and sizes of these critters for 50 years now.

I am unable to take any more photos, it was someone in the audience we were playing Christmas music for - who had it and I was speaking with him about it. 

(Dulcimer Factory instrument ) they usually have a fatter sound box and a wider fret board but yes, a similar head.

It maybe too much of a mystery without me having it to further check & or photo

thanks guys

Okay, time to eat my words and apologize to John for doubting him. I went back and looked at McSpadden catalogs for the late 1970s and early 1980s and found that McSpadden produced a T-K4 kit based on there T-9W dulcimer. The catalog photo, which isn't very good, strongly resembles your dulcimer Marg. It should be approximately  35 1/2" long, 5 7/8" wide, and 2 1/2" deep. It describes the peg head as having "a single leprechaun shoe curl. 

John, I think you nailed it. Again my apology for ever doubting you. You the man!

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Your picture of the "bridge" end doesn't show enough to make good guesses about it. Two photos, top and side, could help.

A straight on side shot of the head might also help. There are, I think, quite a number of variations of that "leprechaun" shape when all builders are considered. We might match the profile.

The tuner set-up interests me. The wholes are drilled straight through as though violin pegs were to be used, but the tuners installed are banjo or ukulele type.

Marg, there really isn't a nut as the zero fret serves that purpose. It is a string guide to keep the strings in the right places. I think Wally may be on to something. The peg head looks similar to one I had on a Dulcimer Factory instrument (which I no longer have). On to further searching.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

ken

( sound holes appear to un-McSpadden )  and the wood.

What about the nut & bridge, can  the way, they are made - ring any bells

thanks, everyone for the possibilities

Hill Country Dulcimers, successor to The Dulcimer Factory (TDF), used a variation of that style head and a zero fret in 2002. Possibly TDF also made a model in this style. I think both produced kits.

See the following for an example.

https://reverb.com/item/60222347-vintage-handcrafted-hill-country-dulcimer-fredericksburg-tx-hummingbird

I'm not as sure as John is about the provenance of this dulcimer. The only thing that speaks McSpadden to me is the zero fret. I'll need to look through my McSpadden material to check. I don't know that much about the years from1962 - 1974, so I'll see what is in the files. The material used in making this instrument and sound holes appear to un-McSpadden like to me.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Marg, that is, for sure, an early teardrop kit from McSpadden, which was known as The Dulcimer Shoppe back then.  The shape of the scroll was called a leprechaun curl, and the other kits had them also until they switched to guitar-type pegheads.

The group I play with was preforming today and someone from the audience had  - what looks like - it was make from a kit. Who ever made it did a very good job but there is no label or any markings that would give me a hint on maybe the kit used. 

I only have these few photos, the sound hold is very different, maybe a clue. It does have the 6.5 but the older screw tuners & small nails for the string pegs. Also no violin lip/ smooth straight sides. 

Any guesses would be great

thanks

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