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  At
Folk Notes, all our mountain
dulcimers are selected
and set up to bring you the best
quality
sound for the price.Folk Notes Mountain Dulcimers Free Shipping on Orders $325 and up. * Home of the original Folk Notes BanjMo (BANJo-MOuntain dulcimer) Folk Notes BanjMo
with nylon gigbag - $300.00
Leave
message in text box on order page for preference of Cherry or Walnut.
If you can hum a tune and clap your
hands to music, YOU CAN play
mountain dulcimer! Can't read music? No problem. All
mountain dulcimer music we sell uses a simple number
system called tablature.
The mountain dulcimer, also called appalachian dulcimer, or lap
dulcimer, is played
on the lap and has lighter gauge strings than a guitar, which are
easier
to push down. The frets(metal strips on the fingerboard) on
mountain
dulcimers have the notes arranged like the white
keys on a piano, so playing tunes on a mountain dulcimer is simple compared to
most other fretted instruments.
Here
are a couple of examples of mountain dulcimer tunes I play, in mp3
format. These are compressed for quick
loading on dial-up connections. Goin'
to Boston
Played in
a traditional style using 1 finger on the left hand to fret melody
notes on the treble (melody) string only, strumming with the
right hand.
My Country Tis of Thee Played in a chordal style, using simple chords, picking notes and strumming. We stock TK O'Brien's Walnut Creek mountain dulcimers, built in Missouri with select native woods. These solid wood dulcimers have walnut bodies, a variety of soundboard woods and soundhole designs, bookmatched backs. They typically are warm and mellow sounding. Soundboard
woods vary with availability, check in-stock
dulcimers. (below, left)Walnut Creek
Mountain Dulcimer w/gigbag -
$250.00Please indicate soundboard preference in textbox on order page.
Folkcraft
FSH-Ch cherry
hourglass dulcimers(middle
photo)have scalloped
fretboards
and a nice solid
sound.
Price-
$280.00
including 40" nylon gigbag
w/large pocket & shoulderstrap. Soundholes:
F-Hearts, or F-holes
(others by special order). Leave message on order page for
soundhole preference. New Design! Celtic Shield Soundhole! Folkcraft FSH-Ch cherry hourglass dulcimer pictured on the left. Price- $285.00 includingnylon gigbag w/pocket & shoulderstrap. We have Cherry and Walnut hourglass Folkcraft mountain dulcimer kits with frets installed in fretboards, same size as the FSH-Ch dulcimers. Leave message on order page for wood choice Folkcraft
Hourglass Dulcimer Kit, Price -
$130.00
We
stock
mountain dulcimers by Folkcraft in Connecticut, who have been
building folk
instruments
since 1974, in several
different models.
The standard hourglass and teardrop dulcimers have a
traditional sound and shape, 27" fretscale, and geared tuners on
scrollheads. Folkcraft has mountain dulcimers with deluxe design features like
scalloped
fretboards(underneath), overlays, and two piece book-matched back with inlay
strip for reasonable prices. The Folkcraft Custom dulcimers are
larger
bodied, with a well
balanced sweet sound, with
wonderful clarity
from highest to lowest tones. They are available in two models(below), Padauk with Spruce soundboard, and Curly
Maple with Western Red Cedar
soundboard.
They include deluxe
features listed above, plus Maple fingerboard overlaid with dark Wenge wood,
position dots,
lustrous hand-rubbed finish, & Stewart MacDonald planetary gears on traditional scroll head dulcimers,
or
sealed gear tuners on Custom flat peghead mountain
dulcimers.
The
Folkcraft NAMM
(National Association of Music Merchants) Centennial ltd. edition mountain
dulcimer(bottom
dulcimer, above)
has a body of select Pennsylvania Black Walnut with a book matched back
and a Rosewood inlay down the
center. The
soundboard is Western Red Cedar. It has a flat
peghead w/gold plated
Grover mini tuners. Both headstock and fingerboard
are overlaid with
Maple, and then with Rosewood
over that, for a striking accent. These NAMM Centennial ltd. edition mountain
dulcimers are numbered (up to 100),
and have the NAMM Centennial
gold medallion on the peghead. Certificate of authenticity can be transfered to subsequent owners. Price - $515.00 CALL Detail Photos
We have a number of
McSpadden mountain dulcimer models in stock. The hourglass shape of the standard model
comes from
an old traditional design. McSpadden dulcimers have been built since 1962, and have become a
standard. With more McSpaddens out there than any other mountain dulcimer brand, it's no wonder that there
have been more National
Mountain Dulcimer
Championship winners playing McSpadden dulcimers than any other
maker. We carry
McSpadden
Standard hourglass dulcimers in cherry with redwood soundboard dulcimer, walnut with ebony
fretboard & position dots and
walnut with spruce soundboard dulcimers, based on McSpadden's
original design, with many refinements
through the years.
The most recent and very significant change, is that all McSpaddens now
have solid wood book-matched backs instead of the instrument grade
plywood McSpadden has been putting on their mountain dulcimer backs for
years. We are now carrying the McSpadden
baritone dulcimers in cherry/redwood, which have a rich full
voice, great for accompaniment or solo performances on hymns and
ballads where the deeper mellow sound really helps to set the
mood. McSpaddens new Bass dulcimer has all the punch necessary
for
the bass line to really come through when played as a traditional bass,
tuned to DAD, it's the first bass I've ever played that can be played
quickly and
cleanly on fast tunes when taking the lead. The cleanest sounding
bass mountain dulcimers with the most punch that I've heard over the
years have
been all cherry, so all McSpadden all cherry bass mountain dulcimers
are what we're stocking. Call and have a listen.... Great Sound! McSpadden
Ginger with cherry body and redwood soundboard (below
left,
next to
Dulci-Banjo):
Price - $355.00 w/lozenge shaped nylon gigbag,
maintenance kit. Indicate if you want it tuned to Gdg (alto tuning), or DAd.(Both are recommended tunings).  ..
Folkroots mountain dulcimers have
been built since 1968 and have large deep bodies, giving them
more presence, good
for playing for, or with groups
of people. Folkroots was bought by Folkcraft, and moved to
Connecticut in 1989. Their large, wide bodies were designed for a 29 1/4"
fret scale, but mountain dulcimer playing styles have changed over the years, with more
chords being used
now, so a 27" fret scale is
standard on the Folkroots dulcimers we carry, making chording less of a
challenge. These legendary mountain dulcimers have been used in many recordings,
from the mountain dulcimer revival period of the 70's, up through the
present time. We stock them in several
different combinations of woods.
The Folkroots
D550S walnut/spruce mountain dulcimers (below right)
have a
big
sound, blending traditional mountain dulcimer
sound elements
with fuller, more resonant tones, making them a good choice for any
style, all
around play. Folkroots D550S mountain dulcimers have F-hearts, F-holes, or
weeping hearts &
crosses. D550S
with lozenge shaped padded
gigbag. $335.00
 .
Folkcraft
T-W solid walnut teardrop mountain dulcimer(Picture
above far
left). One of our best selling inexpensive dulcimers, with a good
solid sound.
T-W Price - $255
including nylon gigbag w/pocket & shoulder strap.  A recent addition to the Folkroots line is the D550SG, a Walnut spruce Folkroots  mounatin
dulcimer with a Galax back. The Galax back was developed so
mountain dulcimers played in the old time dulcimer competition in
Galax, Virginia would have enough volume to be heard better, back in
the days before they began using microphones and amplification for the
Galax old time festival. The Galax dulcimer has clearer tones and
a bigger voice since the second back keeps the first(inside) back off the
lap, allowing it to be a more resonant element of the soundbox. (Pictures
right and left) Jeff Gaynor, of Noteworthy
Woodworking in
Ohio, builds mountain
dulcimers(Pictured
on the left)
with the
volume to hold their
own in a
bluegrass jam, and also to be
heard well
while playing delicately.
These wide hourglass
dulcimers with a 27" fret
scale are available
in a Walnut body w/Sassafrass soundboard model,
Walnut body/Mahogany
soundboard, and Walnut/Spruce. We sometimes have additional Noteworthy
mountain dulcimers with different features. If
you've never
listened to a Noteworthy
mountain dulcimer, you'll find the sheer volume that Jeff builds into
them is nothing short of remarkable.
 Black Rose Appalachian built mountain dulcimers by Bill Todd, are individually made and designed with a variety of options available, such as scalloped fretboards, overlays, Galax backs, with a large number of woods and soundholes available. They deliver good volume and are at their best played in either traditional style, or strummed in a chord/melody style. Each dulcimer has a distinctive voice, ranging from bright mountainy highs to sweet mellow sounds, depending on the options and woods used. (Black Rose mountain dulcimers pictured to the right)
We have sturdy 3 string
cardboard
mountain dulcimers, already built, which come with geared
tuners, and
include a 6 1/2 fret and a
dulcimer learning book. We have a large selection of mountain dulcimer books available online. We have complete descriptions of each book and list all the songs in the books. There are mountain dulcimer teaching books as well as dulcimer song books, arranged by categories or authors. Orders from $325 up, ship free in continental USA *Full size amplifiers, hammered dulcimer stands must be ordered separately from instruments.
Dennis DenHartog's Personal Mountain Dulcimer Page Please Call during normal business hours only. 1-260-484-9078 Fort Wayne, Indiana |
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