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FolkNotes Walnut BanjMo, banjo-mountain dulcimerFolkNotes Cherry BanjMo, banjo-mountain dulcimerAt 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

Home of the original Folk Notes BanjMo
(BANJo-MOuntain dulcimer)

Folk Notes BanjMo with nylon gigbag - $300.00
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Mountain Dulcimers carefully chosen
to give years of playing enjoyment!

 
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 so they will load quickly, even on dial-up connections.

  Goin' to Boston - Played traditional style using 1 finger to fret melody notes on the treble (melody) string only, while.

  My Country Tis of Thee
  - Played in a chordal style, using simple chords, picked and strummed.


Sassafrass Walnut Creek Mountain DulcimerWalnut TK Walnut Creek Mountain DulcimerTK O'Briens Mountain Dulcimers

TK O'Brien's Walnut Creek mountain dulcimers are
 built in Missouri using
select native woods. These solid
wood dulcimers have walnut bodies,
a variety of
soundboard woods and hummingbird soundhole designs,

and hardwood bookmatched backs.  They typically are
 warm and mellow sounding.

 
Soundboard woods vary with availability, check in-stock dulcimers
.

(far left)Walnut Creek Mountain Dulcimer walnut/sassafrass
(left)Walnut Creek Mountain Dulcimer all walnut
w/gigbag - $272.00
Please indicate soundboard preference in textbox on order page.


 


McSpadden Mountain Dulcimers

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 and Ginger hourglass mountain 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.  The sound quality of McSpadden dulcimers is now better than ever, in all their mountain dulcimer models.  Since switching to solid wood backs, each model of McSpadden mountain dulcimer now sings out with it's distinctive individual sound.

Our best selling McSpadden has been the Ginger.  A smaller dulcimer than the McSpadden Standard, it can be tuned to as low as mixolydian DAd  tuning and as high as a fifth high,(A-e-a).  The Ginger has a pleasant, mellow sound with a lot of punch for it's size, a 23 1/4" fret scale, is a joy to play, and great for carrying on trips.  We stock McSpadden Ginger mountain dulcimers in several wood combinations.  The sound of all the McSpadden mountain dulcimer models have benefitted from the recent change to solid wood backs, and while each model dulcimer has a different sound, you will get great sound quality from any of the various wood combinations. We have Ginger mountain dulcimers in all walnut, all cherry, and walnut/redwood dulcimers.  The walnut Ginger dulcimer has a strong sweet voice, the cherry dulcimer has good volume and very clear tones, which work well for all styles of play and all types of music.  The Ginger walnut/redwood mountain dulcimer has a sweet voice with a mellow sound.   Especially considering the small size of the Ginger mountain dulcimers, they are great for playing with or for others, and have a strong enough voice for fingerpicking or flatpicking as well as more traditional styles of playing.

To view or order the McSpadden models we carry at Folk Notes, click here for
 McSpadden Mountain Dulcimer page.
 
  McSpadden Ginger mountain dulcimer..McSpadden Std mountain dulcimers,L:cherry/redwwod mountain dulcimer, R:walnut/spruce mountain dulcimer


Folkroots Mountain Dulcimers

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, moved to Connecticut in 1989, and now in Indiana.  Their deep, 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 Folk Roots Mahogany/Spruce mountain dulcimernow, so a 27" fret scale is standard on Folkroots dulcimers we carry, making chording easier.  These legendary mountain dulcimers have been used in many recordings,  from the mountain dulcimer revival period of the 70's, up through the present.  We stock them in several different combinations of woods.

Folk Roots Walnut/Spruce Mountain dulcimerFolkroots mahogany body, spruce soundboard
 mountain dulcimer,  leafheart soundholes,
with padded nylon gigbag
- $330.00 
                      



Folkroots walnut body

with spruce soundboard
hourglass mountain dulcimer,
classic F-Hole soundholes,
and padded nylon gigbag.





 
Folkcraft Mountain Dulcimers

We stock mountain dulcimers by Folkcraft, formerly of Connecticut, and now moved to Indiana, 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 featuring
deluxe design features like scalloped fretboards(underneath), overlays, and two piece book-matched back with inlay strip for reasonable prices
.
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Folkcraft FSH Cherry Mountain Dulcimer

Folkcraft FSH-Ch cherry hourglass dulcimers with
 fretboards
scalloped out underneath, have a very
 clear and balanced sound.

 
Cherry FSH with F-holes
and padded nylon gigbag
Price- $300.00    

Folkcraft FSH Cherry Celtic Shield Mountain Dulcimer
New Design!
 Celtic Shield Soundhole

Folkcraft FSH-Ch cherry
hourglass mountain dulcimer
with
nylon gigbag.

Price - $300.00





Folkcraft FSH Hickory mountain dulcimerFolkcraft Hickory FSH mountain dulcimer
 with F-Hearts and padded nylon gigbag.
Price- $300.00 




We have
Folkcraft Cherry and Walnut hourglass shaped
mountain dulcimer kits with pre-installed frets, same size
and shape as the FSH-Ch dulcimers.  Leave message
 on order page for wood choice
 

Folkcraft Hourglass Dulcimer Kit
 Price - $135.00



The Folkcraft CF series Custom dulcimers are larger bodied, with a
well balanced sweet sound, and wonderful clarity from highest to lowest tones.  They come in two models(below), Padauk with Spruce soundboard, and Curly Maple with Western Red Cedar soundboard.  They include deluxe features listed above, with Maple fingerboard and contrasting overlay, 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.
Folkcraft NAMM mountain Dulcimer.





The Folkcraft NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants)
Centennial ltd. edition mountain dulcimer(pictured on left) 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.     
Detail Photos
Price - $515.00
  

Folkcraft CSH Teardrop Butternut/Walnut mountain dulcimer




Folkcraft Teardrop dulcimer -
walnut/butternut teardrop
 mountain dulcimer, pictured on right, weeping heart soundholes,
 and scalloped maple fretboard w/purple heart overlayGreat
 looking and solid mellow sound. Folkcraft TD walnut/butternut w/gigbag - $345.00




                  Noteworthy Mountain Dulcimers
Noteworthy mountain dulcimers, L,walnut/spruce;R,walnut/sassafrass 
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/Spruce soundboard model, and one built using highly figured Walnut. We sometimes have additional Noteworthy mountain dulcimers with different features.  If you've never heard a Noteworthy mountain dulcimer, you'll find the volume and sound that Jeff builds into them is nothing short of remarkable.

Walnut/Spruce w/Dove soundholes, carry bag
(pictured on left)-$290
 
Walnut/Sassafrass w/leaf soundholes, carry bag
  (pictured on right)-$290.00



We carry 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.
Cardboard mountain dulcimer: Price - $62.00 Out of stock

Check out our BanjMo page.  This is our own design....  it's a banjo, and it's a mountain dulcimer, but it's not just a dulcimer body with a banjo head stuck in it, nor is it a necked banjo strung and fretted like a dulcimer.  It is designed for playing on the lap like a mountain dulcimer, and using a strap, can be played while standing up.  The BanjMos have a nice old timey banjo sound, and a Remo Fiberskyn head.   They are three stringed,  with a dulcimer fret spacing and stringing arrangements so standard mountain dulcimer tab can be used without modification or having to invert it(necessary for most 'pickin sticks', or 'dulcimers with necks').  Click here for the  Folk Notes BanjMo Page.   Call me at 260-484-9078 or email me at: for more information or so I can play a banjmo over the phone for you.



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 $335 and up ship free in continental USA * Large orders requiring two packages, the first(largest) package will be shipped free.
 
Mountain Dulcimer
Books by Categories
Mountain Dulcimer Buyer's Guide
Dulcimer, Old-Time &
Folk Festival Guide
Folk Notes
Accessories Page


Dennis DenHartog's Personal Mountain Dulcimer Page

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Please Call during normal business hours only.  Area code 260, 220-1961.  Fort Wayne, Indiana