Violette dulcimer (was: Spousal protection order)

[pristine2]

I may need to approach the authorities for help when I tell my wife about this:

http://tinyurl.com/4pagjy9

R

[Randy Adams]

Why would she mind Richard? That's a very unique dulcimer with a nice story behind it.... : )... Hope you'll be telling us more about it in the near future!

[pristine2]

Well there's this matter of all the unpaid bills ...

Still I'm really excited about this instrument. It should arrive at Bill's within a few days, along with a letter detailing its history. It really has been in the same family all these years. It might well reveal some secrets about the origin of the craft ...

[strumelia]

Wow. droool droooolllll.....

Richard do you consider this a mountain dulcimer, or an MD ancestor?
I hope you'll post more details about it's background soon, and any markings or clues about it's playing styles.
Looks more like 6 strings, but can't tell from the pitchur.

Lucky you- congratulations!

[pristine2]

Richard do you consider this a mountain dulcimer, or an MD ancestor?

I think it's safe to say that it isn't a mountain dulcimer, but I can't ascribe a term like "scheitholt" or anything else until I spend some time with it. Ken Bloom or Richard Hulan are better equipped to offer a credible designation for it based on the photo.

Although early diatonics like this are obviously related to the mountain dulcimer, true MDs existed simultaneously, so it might not be accurate to call it an "ancestor" until we know more about what was happening before 1832 -- the date commonly used for the first mountain dulcimer.

[john p]

Looks like 5 strings to me, most interesting is the shape, never seen a pronounced step like that before.

john p

[kwl]

It looks like a nice acquisition to your collection. I can't wait to hear from Bill once he receives it. Congratulations.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

[strumelia]

Well, though it looks rather 'scheitholtish' at first glance, it does have the raised fretboard running down the middle of the soundboard, which is one of the critical points differentiating mtn dulcimers from a European dulcimer ancestor, right? Also, it was definitely made in America, correct? 1880's?

[pristine2]

Well, though it looks rather 'scheitholtish' at first glance, it does have the raised fretboard running down the middle of the soundboard, which is one of the critical points differentiating mtn dulcimers from a European dulcimer ancestor, right? Also, it was definitely made in America, correct? 1880's?

No question. The four-strings, too, suggest a mountain dulcimer.

The beauty of this acquisition is that I will not only know precisely where and when it was built, but also know the ancestry of the builder. That enables me to look at everything in context before I draw any conclusions. So I have to reserve judgement for now ...

[Ken Bloom]

In my humble opinion, definitely a dulcimer. Raised staff is one of the hallmarks of the American dulcimer as opposed to any of the European cousins of the time. Looks much like one I examined at a museum in South Carolina several years ago. Having the case is a big plus.
Congratulations on the find!

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.com

[pristine2]

In my humble opinion, definitely a dulcimer. Raised staff is one of the hallmarks of the American dulcimer as opposed to any of the European cousins of the time.

That works for me.

What made me shy away from the term "mountain dulcimer" is the width of the fretboard and the apparent array of the strings. I guess it is unclear whether there are four strings (as the description states) or five (the single low-res photo seems to suggest five zither pins up there). It's also unclear whether there is one string over the fingerboard, or two. But the in any case the drone strings seem very widely spaced, something I's usually associated with "Americanised" European diatonics ...

Soon we'll have some very detailed pictures!

Richard

[Ken Bloom]

HI Richard,

To me the raised staff is the key. We see a lot of variation in the number of strings, including how many are over the frets. Many hummls have double melody strings as well as more than one pair over the frets. Having a centrally located raised staff is such a common and unique trait that it always stands out to me. This screams "American" to me.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.com