Dulcimer
Features include a 1.5" wide fretboard, an accurate 27.75" 15-fret scale - including numbers 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 - a fully compensated bridge (usually only found on handmade guitars), a zero fret/nut for consistent action and ease of tuning, and precise Gotoh guitar tuners so your instrument plays in tune, and tunes easily. They come in 3, 4 (double melody or equidistant), or 6 strings (in pairs). All instruments are hand-rubbed with a polyurethane gel that produces a hard finish with a natural, soft luster. Average dimensions are 35" in length, 8" in width, and 2 1/4" in depth (top to back, not including the fingerboard). I set up my dulcimers for D-A-D' tuning, unless otherwise specified (DAA for example).

   Scale Length:
       27.75 in. (Standard)
       26 in.
       Custom

   15-fret scale, including standard 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 Frets.
       Optional Frets:
          1/2 Fret
          1 1/2 Fret
          8 1/2 Fret
          Others (specify)
          Fully Chromatic


Baritone
Baritones are larger dulcimers with 29 1/2" scales, typically tuned AEA' or GDG' below a standard dulcimer, with a correspondingly bigger, deeper sound - really majestic on slow tunes, and ballsy like an Irish octave mandolin on flat-picked reels and jigs.  A true baritone is not just a standard dulcimer with heavy strings - you really need the longer string length, bigger body, and altered bracing and bridge to optimize the sound. They come in 3, 4 (double melody or equidistant), or 6 strings (in pairs), with average dimensions about 2" longer than a standard dulcimer.  With a 1 1/2 fret they also have a larger variety of chords for backup work than a typical DAD' instrument.  An interesting equidistant 4 or 8 string option is ADAD' or ADAE' tuning (from low to high) that gives you more range, mirroring an octave mandolin - a baritone and standard combined in one instrument, with the ability to remove one outside course or the other, if you wish to play only 3 at a time. All instruments are hand-rubbed with a polyurethane gel that produces a hard finish with a natural, soft luster. I can also build DAD' instruments with this scale length for a fuller sound and more sustain.

   Scale Length:
       29 1/2 (Standard)

   15-fret scale, including a standard 6 1/2 Fret.
       Optional Frets:
          1/2 Fret
          1 1/2 Fret
          8 1/2 Fret
          Others (specify)
          Fully Chromatic

Dulcimette

Dulcimettes are small dulcimers that I designed back in 1975 as instruments suitable for backpacking, ensembles, car seat playing and children. They have a delightful mandolin-like sound that really carries and are owned and played by a number of top players. They are about 24" long, 5" wide, and 1 1/2" deep, with a 1 1/4" wide fretboard. They come in 3, double melody 4, or 6 strings (in pairs), with 12 frets, Gotoh guitar machines, and are built with the same woods and care as my full size instruments - they aren't toys, in other words. All instruments are hand-rubbed with a polyurethane gel that produces a hard finish with a natural, soft luster. I set up my dulcimettes for D-A-D' tuning an octave above a standard dulcimer, unless otherwise specified (DAA for example).

   Scale Length:
       Approx. 18 in. (Standard)

   12-fret scale, including a standard 6 1/2 Fret.
       Optional Frets:
          1/2 Fret
          1 1/2 Fret
          8 1/2 Fret
          Others (specify)
          Fully Chromatic

Six String Dulcimette

Six String Dulcimettes have a great full sound - sort of a cross between a mandolin and a dulcimer - and are especially nice for fiddle tunes, whether strummed or flat picked. They really cut and will hold their own in almost any session. R, G or A head. Elegance in miniature.

Baritone Dulcimette

Baritone Dulcimettes are tuned an octave above a full size baritone in A or G. Six string models have a great mandola-like sound with more sustain than a standard dulcimette, and are wonderful for fiddle tunes in these two popular keys. I play one of these more than anything else these days. They are about 27" long, 7" wide, and 1 3/4" deep, with a 1 1/4" 12 fret fretboard. They come in 3, double melody 4, or 6 strings (in pairs), with 12 frets.    Scale Length:        21 in. (Standard)    12-fret scale, including standard 6 1/2 Fret.        Optional Frets:           1/2 Fret           1 1/2 Fret           8 1/2 Fret           Others (specify)           Fully Chromatic The instrument shown is a six string hourglass Baritone Dulcimette with optional 1/2 and 1 1/2 frets.

Body Shapes include the hourglass, aorell, teardrop, and tearell (dulcimer & baritone dulcimer only). Hourglasses tend to fall on the bright side of the sound spectrum; elliptical on the bass side, though this will vary somewhat depending on the woods used and other variables. The aorell falls somewhere in between with a really nice balance to it, and is my favorite shape overall. (BTW aorell is pronounced "uh rell". Don't ask. ha ha.) The choice here is acoustic as well as aesthetic. Let me know what sort of sound you are looking for, and I'll do my best to accommodate you.

Hourglass	Aorell	Teardrop	Tearell (Dulcimer & Baritone Only)
Walnut and Cedar	Walnut and Cedar	Cherry and Cedar	Zebrawood/Cherry and Spruce