Thanks, Wally. I've been to Bolt's Fork which today is only a couple of houses. If memory serves me correctly I think Prichard was the post master at Bolt's Fork when there was a post office there. It isn't all that far from Huntington although across the river. Starting with C.N.'s obituary and moving backward through time may be the best procedure. I would look for advertisements, but there might be an article about C.N. somewhere in there.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Re Prichard:
>>> John C. Knopf
>>> Wally, I don't know about Prichard's sales methods, but I haven't heard of him using a push-cart like Ed Thomas did.
I thought Prichard used "sales reps" for his sales?
>>> Ken Longfield
>>> Like John, I am not aware of Prichard using a push cart or even traveling to sell his "American" dulcimer. He may have used advertising in newspapers or in advertising papers like his "Cricket." As far as know there is no evidence of how he sold his dulcimers.
I don't know how I developed the notion that he used a cart. I've done a lot of reading in books at the WVU (West Virginia University) Library in addition to my own books and on line, so it is easy to mix up details.
I believe a relative said that C.N. Prichard made dulcimers in Bolt's Fork in Kentucky before moving to Huntington, WV between 1871 and 1880. He could hardly have supplied a group of agents while in Bolt's Fork. He apparently taught school in or near there.
I have discovered that the WVU Library has microfilm of 3 Huntington newspapers covering the time of his death. I'll try to get into the library in the nearish future and look for multiple obits, etc. There may also be city directories. I'll post at least the essence of what I find.
And that shape is "a little sexier" than the other ones! Ooh-la-la! 
Perhaps the hourglass shape has sold well because it is more pleasing to the eye than other shapes. My experience as a builder is that it takes a little more effort to make hourglass shaped dulcimers than rectangular or single bout dulcimers.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Like John, I am not aware of Prichard using a push cart or even traveling to sell his "American" dulcimer. He may have used advertising in newspapers or in advertising papers like his "Cricket." As far as know there is no evidence of how he sold his dulcimers. Charles Hammack may have been another WV maker. He dates from 1848 - 1885. David Bennett reports about him in "Today In Dulcimer History." Different places report him as an owner of an hour glass dulcimer and others a the maker as well. But, I digress. The speculation I've heard and read about the origin of the hourglass shape is that builders were trying to emulate the shape of a fiddle. Unfortunately the origin of the hourglass shaped dulcimer is lost in the mists of Appalachian dulcimer history. No maker ever claimed that they had "invented" the shape. It us arose somewhere, possibly Kentucky. and was copied by others.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Wally, I don't know about Prichard's sales methods, but I haven't heard of him using a push-cart like Ed Thomas did.
I thought Prichard used "sales reps" for his sales?
Origin of the Hour Glass Shape
I would like to offer a bit of speculation about the Hour Glass shape most commonly used for lap dulcimers.
I know of no evidence that the Hour Glass shape produces any definitively better sound than others. The Pear Shape is also good, and the Tennessee Music can produce great music as well.
We know that Pritchard made Hour Glass bodies on the instruments which he sold from his push cart as a business. He would have traveled from Huntington, WEST Virginia with his cart in the baggage car of passenger trains into other states.
Perhaps he, and other early commercial builders chose the Hour Glass because it sold well, rather than because of musical properties. Had they used a rectangular body, many men would have quickly whispered to the family, “I could make one of those.” The curved bodies looked much more challenging to the hill country farmer.
It depends on the VSL of the instrument and the tuning. Like Dan I usually tune them around CGG. Gauges run from 0.010 up to 0.020. I buy spools of music wire in the gauges I need and make my own loop end strings. This is needed especially for my Praetorius scheitholt which has a VSL longer than most factory made strings.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Tony, I use two .012" plain steel strings and one .022" wound steel string on my Thomas models. The tuning is either CGG or DAA, and used only for noter/drone style of playing. I have used 8-gauge and 4-gauge music wire before to make strings, and these are very close to those other diameters.
I can build you an Uncle Ed Thomas dulcimer to order anytime you'd like. Walnut or painted poplar.
Tony, did you see anything that you like yet?
I make reproductions of the C.N. Prichard "American" dulcimer from late 1800s West Virginia. Also, I've made a few reproductions of early PA German zitters.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Tony, that is what I specialize in! I make reproductions of several types of historic dulcimores from over 100 years ago.
You can see my website for info and video/sound clips. I think I can help you. www.knopfdulcimers.com
Yes, there are, and the best among them are members here and will surely pop in and introduce themselves soon!
