There's a French Epinette site that has lots of pictures. http://epinette.free.fr/ The "epinette on top an hourglass" style is fairly common. My friend Michael King, in England, makes both the hourglass and the common "zither" shaped epinettes.

Foggers said: Unfortunately Deborah is 500 miles away from my place in Montreal. The next time we get together, I'll make a recording of her playing. I wish I'd done so already!Michael

Michael Vickey said:

Deborah measured the VSL - 27 inches.

Wow, so that's like about the same size as a regular mountain dulcimer! Pretty big.The Epinette des Vosges I am having made for me will have a scale length of somewhere around 19". =8-oI imagine the two instruments will sound very different from each other!


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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

Thanks for the info Michael - now can you obtain a recording of her playing it???!!!???

Strumelia said: Lisa,Deborah measured the VSL - 27 inches.Michael

Strumelia said: Yes that is what I thought - other pics I have seen of old epinettes look just like the upper part of this instrument - like on these links posted by Patrmigan in the "Ancestor of the Dulcimer" group http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/group/dulcimerancestors/forum/topics/epinette-des-vosges-france Maybe the luthier was curious about inter-breeding?? It is beautiful and that double sound box arrangement must give it a very special voice.

I find this interesting- the way it has the effect of two soundboxes. It's almost like an epinette on top, mating with a mountain dulcimer! =8-o I've never seen pix of an epinette des V. with an hourglass shape before. I'm guessing it's an innovation/experiment by the luthier, but i might be wrong about that.In any case, it's pretty amazing!


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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

Wow what a beauty - would love to hear sound clip!Can you talk her into posting something somewhere so we can listen in?

Deborah is away from home right now. She is a professional beer taster (yes, really) and is currently judging at Denver's Great American Beer Festival.As soon as I can, I will get her to measure the string length on the pinette and let you know.Michael

Wow, what an instrument! And 8 strings, too.Do you know what its scale length is?


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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

My friend Deborah, from Montreal visited recently and brought her Epinette.It's a beautiful instrument that she had made for her by a Canadian builder.

My photos do not do it justice.It was fun to play and has an incredible rich sound.Michael Vickey www.goodfornuthin.com
updated by @michael-vickey: 06/11/15 07:21:49AM