Hi Marti

Glad to hear there's some other enthusiasts out there! I'd add a couple of extra caveats: the headstocks are very pretty but also impractical, given the very small space in which to thread four strings. On the earlier instrument, the broad ends of the pegs are virtually touching so that it's difficult to tune one without (de-)tuning the other!

BUT, as you say, they have nice tone and they're well constructed. The extract from my catalogue below gives most of the info I have on the builders. Maybe you can add something.

All the best.

Geoff

Dulcimer #265, Handmade by Richard and Denise Wilson, Ypsilanti, Mich, Oct. 1977.

Dulcimer #1155, handmade by Richard and Denise Wilson, Manitou Beach, Mich, Oct. 1981.

Richard was a skilled carpenter but had to find a new career after the early 70s housing slump. His parents got him interested in the dulcimer and after building a kit, he and his wife decided to make their own. Early on, they had to choose between buying a sofa for their apartment and a bandsaw. They chose the latter, converting the living room into a workshop and living in the bedroom! Richard specialised in the acoustics and the construction, while his wife did the ornamentation (inlays and soundholes). Decorations included mother-of-pearl unicorns, sailboats and birds; soundholes ranged from hearts, seagulls to cherries. He estimated that each dulcimer took from 13 to 150 hours to make. Between 1974 and 1985 they claimed to have made over 2000 instruments, travelling from art fair to art fair across the country and selling them for between $110 and $1100.

The craftsmanship on these dulcimers is excellent from the distinctive handcarved tapering scroll/pegbox to the elegant swirling heart soundholes. They have a well-proportioned, shallow walnut body, bookmatched on both back and top (the 1981 has a striking grain), a walnut one piece fingerboard (1977)/two layer walnut fingerboard (1981) and walnut endstock/pegbox. Even the handcarved pegs look like walnut. There is a floating bridge (rosewood or ebony). Can be set up for three or four course (equidistant) strings.

Overall length 35, upper bout 5, lower bout 6, height 1, FBW 1, VSL 28" (longish scale), weight 1lb 7oz (659g). No 6 fret.

These are very light and responsive dulcimers, with an easy action and good projection. They have a good balanced sound across the strings. Both are relatively plain and unornamented (although the 1981 has a small pair of weeping heart MOP inlays on the fingerboard), but both are handsomely proportioned and elegant a pair of classic dulcimers.

I'm glad to see that Richard and Denise Wilson's are getting some publicity. I'd asked on other groups as recently as a couple of years ago, and nobody knew anything about them. I've been the owner of5 Wilson dulcimers, am down to 2 now, but they're nice toned instruments. The one comment I'd make is that they're not as loud as I'd like when playing with a group, but they do have a lot going for them.

Somebody - Ben Seymour perhaps? Mentioned a FB page for Richard. I found a page, but nothing really about Richard or the dulcimers. Would like to know more.

Marti