17/16 Sycamore Soundboard Hammered Dulcimer

Description

When Sycamore is quarter sawn it shows this distinct tiger striped pattern. The millwright usually chooses to quarter saw timber when the tree is very large in circumference so the wood in this soundboard comes from a very old growth tree. Quarter sawn timber is ideal for a soundboard because when the grain is vertical as opposed to horizontal especially in soft wood as is Sycamore, it gives a uniform vibration across the soundboard providing an optimal rich dark sound. Sycamore is a very light colored wood so I have stained this soundboard to give a darker background so that it is easier to see the strings.

The backboard is made of hand selected curly Yellow Birch. The side tuning rails take the greatest pressure and must resist bowing. This is why they are made of three 2 ¼” wide pieces glued together. The two bottom pieces are curly Yellow Birch and on top is bird’s eye hard Maple for the tuning pins. These two woods are very similar in strength and density and when laminated together laterally they make a very strong bond which can endure the enormous stress of the tensioned strings without bowing. I chose curly Yellow Birch for the back board because it is a very dense wood and the sound readily bounces off, giving ideal amplification.

The front and back rails are made out of American Black Walnut as well as the treble and bass bridges and also the rosettes for the sound holes.

The internal structural braces and the tone bar are made of Yellow Poplar, chosen for its light weight to reduce the overall instrument weight but more importantly, Poplar is a low density wood which vibrates evenly, enhancing the richness of the instrument tone when the strings are struck. This is especially important for the tone bar and the bridge supports which translates the sound vibration throughout the instrument. The tone bar is a critical element because it is precisely placed under the center of the soundboard. It is slightly higher than the rest of the internal structural material which connects the soundboard directly to the backboard. When the instrument is strung and the strings are tensioned for tuning the tone bar creates a slight arch in the soundboard, maximizing the sound vibrations throughout the instrument. The internal components of these beautiful instruments are as important as the external elements which you can see.

What’s Included

Included in the sale of this instrument is a pair of handcrafted double sided hammers, a T-handle tuning wrench, a tuning chart and a Korg electronic tuner.  The price of this instrument is $1785.00 which includes packaging for shipment.  I use UPS ground service for shipping so shipping cost is to be added based on the zone the instrument is to be shipped.  State sales tax will also be applied based on the state you are from.

Details

Dimensions: 40” long, 19.25” wide, 2.75” deep

Weight: 16 lbs.

66 strings make 4 full octaves

Lowest note: D-1

Highest note: B-4