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Dulcimers & Épinettes
Economy 19th Century Style Dulcimer
We special ordered
this custom instrument from
Black
Mountain Dulcimers and furnished it with
rosewood friction tuning pegs.
 Construction
cost is reduced by substituting a thin Mahogany laminated top from quarter sawn
spruce or cedar. This gives the instrument a brighter tone than the "hour
glass" dulcimer below, but still sweet and subdued. It is great for
voice accompaniment or for solo performance. The aspen leaf or tear
drop shape is actually more appropriate for the mid-19th century, with the
hour-glass shape becoming more common later in the century and into the
twentieth century. If you are looking for an American made sturdy, light weight
little travel instrument, this is your best buy.
It has a four-string set up with
one
piece peg-head and fretted fingerboards. The rosewood friction tuning pegs
are added to appear more "old-timey". The
teardrop or aspen leaf shaped bodies have lacquered finishes. Length, width,
and depth are 31inches x 7.5 inches x 2.6 inches. Scale length is 25.88
inches. (Also available with geared tuners)
Laminated mahogany top dulcimer with friction tuning pegs ..........$124.00
+ S&H.
Printable PDF
Order Form - Complete the form and either fax or mail it.
Please do not send your credit card information via e-mail. You may
also phone in your order and credit card info if you prefer.
A
short history of the dulcimer
Attention Colonial Reenactors!!
Looking for a period correct 18th Century musical
instrument?
The 18th Century Épinette des Vosges
Believed to be the ancestor of the Appalachian dulcimer, this instrument is
first mentioned in accounts dated to 1730. It remained popular through
mid-19th Century France and Germany, but now it is rarely seen except in
Scandanavia. The épinette is a member of the Zither family of
instruments and very easy to learn to play.
Starting
 with
four strings the épinette quickly evolved to five-strings. The Val-d'Ajol
épinette is a smaller size in the form of a trapezoid. Originally numbering
fourteen, the number of frets increased to 17 in the 19th century. Épinettes
are typically tuned diatonically to open C major. Fretted with the fingers
of the left hand or with a small piece of smooth wood, the right hand strums
with the thumb, a goose quill, or a pick. Traditionally only the first
paired treble strings are fretted while the remaining strings act as drones.
It is played in the same manner as a dulcimer.
The Wikipedia
has a nice summary of the history of the Epinette des Vosges.
I am often involved in Colonial reenacting and I wanted a simple string
instrument that would be appropriate for the American French and English
Colonial era. Using the Dulcimer is a bit of a stretch, but the
épinette is perfect. It is sturdy, very portable and easy to play.
Unlike many of the fretless fingerboards of other instruments with tied on
frets, the épinette had wire frets from its very beginning.
 This
is a picture my prototype five string maple épinette copied from the style
of older instruments. I have copied the shape of the sound holes from an
18th Century epinette. My épinette is rectangular (33" x 5 5/8" x 2
3/4"), but épinettes come in many different shapes and sizes. I string it
with banjo strings.
With steel strings, it is very bright and loud. With nylagut strings
it is very quiet and mellow. I really love this instrument and I will
be making more! As I work up some other models, I'll be posting them
here, so please check back often.
I would be willing to part with my prototype for $350.00 + S&H.
Please contact me for details. |
