Played on a new 23” scale walnut hourglass dulcimer for a cousin. I built this one a bit smaller than my normal 25 1/2” scale. I didn’t use forms, just eyeballed the sides as I was bending them. Also did a simpler peghead shape/design jutting off the fingerboard. Spalted maple tiger swallowtail butterfly inlay, flower and bleeding heart sound holes, carved heart peghead “scroll”. Went with slightly heavier strings and a tad lower string height to get the intonation right, using a .014”, .018”, and a nickel wound .026” from .012”, .016”, and .024” wound I normally use.

I worked this arrangement up the other year for Washington’s March from Edden Hammons, just now recording it.

Tuning: DAD