Buying a Mountain Dulcimer Dwain Wilder

There is no one answer to the queston, "What is the best dulcimer?" It depends on how you like music to sound, what you want the dulcimer to do for you, where you want to play it, and other factors. However, there is definitely a way for you to judge whether you are getting the dulcimer you want, and one that will continue to satisfy your musical needs as time passes.

Judge the musical capability of the instrument by playing some of your favorite tunes. Pick a few that explore the technical side of the instrument: 1) The high end of the fretboard. This is the area toward the highest frets. (That is, the frets which produce the highest pitches on the scale.) 2) Scales that move from string to string. 3) Chords.

Next make an aesthetic judgment. Play your favorite tunes in a quiet place. 1) Does the instrument sound good to you? 2) Does it have enough volume? 3) Is it an appealing thing to hold and play? 4) Do you want it? 5) Or does it make you wish you could find the perfect one for you?

What is the instrument's performance potential 1) Do you want a performance instrument or one sufficient for the parlor? A performance instrument is capable of a rich voice, easy action, and both the volume and projection necessary for performing on stage or in the studio. 2) Do you want the instrument to be able to hold its own in a jam session (an impromptu gathering of musicians spontaneously making music together)? Jam sessions may occur at dulcimer club meetings, festivals, and workshops.

Play the instrument loud. Does it get brassy or dead at high volume? Play the instrument quiet. Does it project its sound across the room or does it mumble at low volumes? At the high end of the fretboard, does the voice sound the same as at the low end? Check for tininess and variance between the sound of different strings. How is the action? Does it fret easily everywhere on the fretboard? Is the action the same under all strings and at all frets? Are there buzzes, back-buzzes, or out-of-tune frets anywhere on the fretboard?

Talk to the builder about his or her artistry and craft. This includes: 1) Materials. What kind of wood? Solid wood or plywood/laminate (material made of thin layers of opposing grain, glued together for increased strength, often composed of inferior wood and so producing inferior sound)? Quartersawn (planks cut so the growth rings of the tree are parallel to the plank's edges)? Planksawn (planks cut so the growth rings of the tree are parallel to the face of the plank)? Ask how the woods were chosen and what these choices contribute musically to the instrument. 2) Finish. What finish is used? How is it applied? What acoustic properties result? Beware of the following finishes: Oil finishes: If not used expertly, oil finishes will deaden the wood acoustically. Polyurethane finishes: These are very heavy and tend to encapsulate and deaden the sound. Unfinished wood: Aside from not protecting the wood from soiling and decay, incompletely finished wood will quickly absorb moisture and will also react readily to temperature changes. (Be sure to check inside!) What do you need to do to take care of the finish? 3) Construction. Ask the builder to talk about what particular methods he or she uses which contribute to the musical quality of the instrument.

Ask about guarantees. How long is the warranty? Is it from date of sale, date of delivery, date of manufacture? What does the warranty cover? What does it not cover? How is shipping and insurance handled? What are the costs of repairs outside the warranty?

Make your own assessment about: 1) Construction. Is the construction sound? Any stray glue, gaping joints? Any obviously ill-conceived construction techniques? 2) Finish. Is the finish free of blemishes? Any obvious sanding marks or ugly tool marks? Do not expect mechanical perfection from hand-made instruments. Glossy finishes often hide scratchy or incomplete sanding jobs. 3) Fittings. Are the tuners easy to use and of good quality? Are they attractive? Are the strings arranged so they will not chafe against the peghead or the tailpiece? Are there places for accessories you want, such as attachment points for straps, sound pickups, etc? Is there a case available? Is it of suitable quality? What string gauges are best for the instrument?

Here are things to look for when making a technical assessment of the instrument: 1) Have the frets been dressed well or do they show flats here and there? Well-dressed frets have been leveled so that none is higher than another. Are their edges smooth so they won't snag your finger tips or interfere with glissando (the movement of the fingers of the left hand smoothly along the string without lifting them from the fingerboard)? This movement should be accomplished so that there is a sliding progression between two notes, not a distinct and sharp change of pitch. Are the frets nicely proportioned to the size of the scale and the width of the fretboard? Does the instrument have extra frets. These are frets which are not a part of the diatonic scale pattern common to the mountain dulcimer. Do you require extra frets? 2) Is the material of the fretboard a hardwood that will stand up to wear and punishment? Check the fretboard for flatness, straightness, and absence of torque or winding. 3) Does the instrument have fine-tuning mechanisms? Does it need them? Fine-tuning mechanisms are devices which enable small adjustments of pitch when tuning. These are usually mounted on the strings between the saddle and tailpiece. They are helpful with instruments which have friction pegs (similar to a violin) rather than mechanical tuners (similar to a guitar or banjo). 4) Look at the string end-pin arrangements. The end-pins or string pins are the devices which hold the string ends at the tailpiece. Is the wood protected from wear by the string end?

Examine the nut and the bridge. These are the devices which define the ends of the strings. The nut is one of two end-defining devices; the bridge (or saddle) is the other. The nut and bridge have distinctly different musical functions. The nut controls the height of the string above the fingerboard or fret and defines the angle at which the string approaches the tuning mechanism. This breaking angle defines, to some extent, the clarity of the tone produced by the string. The bridge (or saddle) defines the string end opposite the nut. The bridge also defines the height of the strings above the fretboard and the angle of the break toward the end pins. However, the bridge is a major element of acoustic transfer between the string and the top of the musical instrument. 1) Consider what material the nut and the are bridge made of. Is it hard enough to both protect itself from wear and give adequate acoustic transfer (the transfer of acoustic energy between various components of a musical instrument)? The control of acoustic energy transfer is a major element in the success of a musical instrument. 2) Check for wear and unusual string lead into the nut, and out of the bridge. This may cause string breakage, buzzing, difficult tuning, and excessive wear on the nut and bridge. 3) Is the bridge designed to bend the string enough to avoid acoustic energy "bleed" into the tailpiece? The tailpiece comprises the whole mechanism which supports the string between the bridge and the end of the instrument upon which the string's end is fastenend. The string's other end fastening is determined by the peghead and its tuning mechanism. 4) Is a zero fret used instead of a nut? Fretwire is sometimes used as a substitute for the nut. The fret occurs behind the first fret, hence its name. Beware of the shortcomings of the zero fret.

Test for fret accuracy, the ability to play a scale in tune. 1) Play a duet on the bass and treble string, a third apart, up the major or minor scale. Is the duet true and sweet all the way up the fretboard? 2)Compensation. Tune to daD and check compensation at the first and second harmonics on the first and fourth strings. Producing the first and second harmonics yields tones which are, respectively, one and two octaves above the string's fundamental frequency. When two strings are tuned to D an octave apart, one can produce the first harmonic of the D string at the higher pitch by producing the second harmonic on the string with the lower pitch. Thus one can fret the higher D string at the octave fret while producing the second harmonic of the lower D string. If the fret is properly placed, the fretted string will be slightly sharp because of the slight increase of tension produced by fretting the string. Compensating the bridge means moving its position slightly further away from the fret, thereby making the string's pitch slightly lower at that fret. The string will then be generally in tune throughout the fretboard. Note that compensation is an approximating technique, as is the whole equal tempered scale. 3)> Check for back-buzzes. Back-buzzes occur when you play a note on one string which is harmonically related to the "back-end" of another string you are fretting. If that back-end note is not free to play without striking frets, back-buzzes result. The following five chords will exercise some typical back-buzzes. (The letter indicates the string and the number indicates which fret is to be pressed to produce the chord.)

d 5 --- d 5 --- d 5 --- d 5 --- d 5
a 4 --- a 4 --- a 5 --- a 6 --- a 6
D 0 --- D 7 --- D 5 --- D 7 --- D 8

4) How is the string voicing? This refers to the general timbre, pitch, and more subtle acoustic behavior of the plucked string. Achieving consistent string voice over the whole set of strings on the instrument at every fret is a important and delicate matter.

Here are the principal points to consider when purchasing a mountain dulcimer:

1. Action height and ease of playability

2. Aesthetic beauty

3. Choices of materials, finish, and fittings

4. Consistent voicing from string to string

5. Fret compensation and accuracy of placement

6. No buzzes or back-buzzes

7. Overall musicality of the instrument

8. Sound projection and volume

9. Sweetness in the high end

Dwain Wilder is a luthier in Rochester, New York. Do you have comments or questions about this article? Contact Mr. Wilder directly by e-mail. To learn more about him, see the Contributors section of Sweet Music Index.