My "Uncle Eddie" Tribute Dulcimer Is Finished!

Well, after a very long planning and building process, my super-sized Thomas hourglass dulcimer has been completed. It was finished today at about 3:30 PM. I took it out to the backyard for photos.

For those keeping track of such things, "Uncle Eddie" weighs considerably more than a traditional poplar Thomas dulcimer at a hefty 27 pounds (regular-sized ones are about a pound or so). He's nearly 8 feet long, as opposed to 32".

The sounds emanating from him are decidedly in the bass register! Think of plunking the thickest string inside an uprightpiano. Sustain is massive, and a little unsettling. Intonation is very accurate, thanks to Stewart-McDonald's online calculator. All 3 strings are made of .033" music wire, as I thought that trying to make the bass string out of .063" would be too daunting and unworkable.

Here are the two of us standing in the yard, enjoying the fall weather: