The "Scheitholt" has been brought to the Appalachians by german immigrants since 1700. This one looks pretty original, or maybe a very authentic replica. Maybe the tuners can tell, seems to me those where made for a piano.

Wow!  Nice.

That is a beautiful example of a PA German zitter. It looks like two strings were fretted and rest are drones. The scroll is typical of many I have seen. What a great find! Thanks for sharing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Of course! I actually found this scheitholt at an antique market in Louisville, KY this past weekend. My favorite hobby is going to any and all antique stores to try and find old dulcimers. Unfortunately, this was bought from one of those large places with anonymous dealers and the man working the counter couldn't tell me anything about it. There are no maker's marks or marks of any kind on or inside the instrument. Some of my favorite details are the Pennsylvania Dutch hearts, a combination of wooden pegs and brass tacks holding it together, and the fact that the bottom of the instrument is unfinished. The small and simple details carved into the head are such a nice and modest touch. One thing I found very interesting are the scribe marks that mark the fret placement, nut placement, and bridge placement. These are very difficult to capture in photographs, though.

This is a beauty.  Will you tell us a bit about it?