I bought a nylon-string dulcimer from Bob Stephens exactly 2 years ago.  It is all wood, however, not one of his 3-D printed ones (figured cherry body, port orford cedar top).  He is still making dulcimers, both wood and hybrid, both steel-string and nylon-string. Bob is a very innovative luthier, for sure.  As Butch explains in that article, there is a false bottom hidden inside the dulcimer, and the fretboard floats above the soundboard, so both top and bottom vibrate freely.  The 3-D printed dulcimers are very affordable, and Bob doesn't even get paid himself. He asks customers to donate to one of his favorite charities instead of paying him.

According to the DPN article, the Haley family stopped making dulcimers years ago.  That's too bad; I would love to hear one.

Stephens does have a membership here on FOTMD... though he has not posted in about 5 years. https://fotmd.com/bob-stephens
Also, there's a FOTMD threa d on his dulcimers from about 2 yrs ago.

What about Vince Haley of "HX dulcimers" (also mentioned in that article)... anyone heard of his instruments lately?

Interesting article!

I agree with Robin and thank you for finding it Dusty. It was published not as long ago as I thought. I enjoyed reading it again.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Yes, @dusty, that's the article!  I'm glad you were able to locate it so anyone reading this thread can have a look.  

I think @Robin-Thompson was correct about everything.  Here is the DPN article by @Butch-Ross about Stephens Lutherie using a 3-D printer to build dulcimers, and it includes a piece about Vince Haley and the HX process: https://dulcinews.com/builders-the-future-is-now/ .

According to that article, the Haley family produced 26 dulcimers and then ceased production.

Here is a Facebook page I found with one of his dulcimers: Heritage Model - Back Woods

Well, so much for memory. So it was Vincent after all. You did well in remembering the name Robin. I see the date on the dulcimer is 2005.

Ken Longfield

(The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

A little more digging and I think I got it.  Some (myself included) were wrong about the Vince name.  Vincent L. Haley and maybe a brother?  Seth J. Haley were the guys making the Heritage Molded - Back Mountain Dulcimer.  Individual instruments you'd find the letters HX, as in HX #15 and so on.  I believe this information is referring to their hourglass model and am not sure if the teardrop carried a different designation?  Thanks for all the help.  Feel free to ad to the discussion if you come up with anything and as I've stated, if anyone has one they'd think of selling, I'd be interested.  Kevin.

Dusty, thanks, that's the one!  I forgot about the rather large combination of sound holes, but that is the one.  Hope your comment is seen and George chips in here.   Kevin.

I think I remember this, too.  The guy was active around the time I had first discovered dulcimers, so it wasn't in the 80s or 90s, nor was it last year in DPN (he had already disappeared by then). It was around 2010. I also remember someone buying one, and, if this is the same dulcimer, in fact, he has posted pictures here at FOTMD:

Vince doesn't sound familiar to me, but that doesn't mean it can't be Vince. Homer, it definitely wasn't carbon fiber. It was molded much like the Ovation guitar. I remember we had a discussion about it on the old Everything Dulcimer discussion site.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Could it have be made with carbon fiber? If so what about Nick Blanton or Sam Rizzetta? I know they both made carbon fiber Hammered Dulcimers and I think Sam also experiment with carbon fiber Mountain Dulcimers. 

For some reason, I'm thinking the luthier's first name may be Vince.  Could be totally wrong yet that came to mind.  

I've been going through some back issues of DPN, but haven't found the article yet. At least I think there was an article in DPN. I think it was in color, so that would be after Dan Landrum took over the magazine. I'll let you know if I find it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thank you all for the quick responses!  Robin, I do seem to recall seeing news of these instruments in print.  There might have been an initial article but I also remember a four color print ad (and a big one), like the back cover of the magazine, so "Dulcimer Player News" is a great lead.  (now trying to dig through their archives).  Ken it's funny how close your 3D printed example comes to the way the instrument I'm thinking of melded traditional woods with the "then" modern synthetics.  I'm debating on showing my son this as I know he'll (both offer to make) and remind me of the current size limitations of his current printer, Ha!  I'll keep checking here and will post if I discover anything more.  Kevin.

I think the name of the maker was included in a piece in Dulcimer Players News in the past year or so.  And the fellow had been a member here at FOTMD, if memory serves, and photos were posted.  

I do remember that. What I don't remember is the name of the builder. You might be interested in the work being done by Stephens Luthiere using 3D printed components for making a mountain dulcimer: https://www.stephenslutherie.com/post/hybrid-3d-printed-and-wood-dulcimer

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sorry, I never heard of, or have I seen, such an object!  I think I would have remembered something like that!

Kevin, that's very interesting. I'm anxious to read the up coming relies. I remember the first dulcimer I ever saw was at Disney Village in Orlando. that was in the early 70's. I wish I paid more attention to the material used of those that were on sale.  

I never was able to get one, but it was in the 90's (possibly late 80's?) that a couple of unique dulcimers were being offered.  The first was a traditional hourglass shape followed by their teardrop about a year later.  An engineer had designed the pair using a molded synthetic body.  Think "Ovation guitar-ish", but for the traditional hourglass or teardrop shapes.

If the molded body wasn't enough, another feature was the peg head (box really), as it was a scroll that held a captive sphere of wood (often of contrasting woods) in the middle of the scroll.  

After a few years, started to hear less and less about these instruments and then I remember they started to sell their Peg Heads as kits, for builders and hobbyists.  The kit showed the secret as the wood sphere was made in two halves as was the peg head/box.  Semi spheres were glued to the peg box halves and then the two halves were glued together.

Curiosity got the better of me on this one which is why I'm reaching out.  I'd also be interested in purchasing one if anyone has one to offer.       Kevin.