1.156 2002 O’Brien 4 String Hourglass £295 inc. original branded soft case
“T K O’Brien’s/ Handcrafted Folk Instruments/ 11/02” stamped inside back, with date handwritten. All solid, bookmatched walnut back and sides with attractive lightly figured ?maple top. Usual hummingbird and vines soundhole design. Walnut hooked scroll headstock and enclosed tuners. Walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets. Composite ‘nut’/zero fret and floating bridge. Three mushroom-headed pins as string anchors. Overall length 34½”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7⅝”, depth 2⅛”, FBW 1½”, VSL 27⅝” (medium scale), weight 2lb 6oz (1090g), strings now 11/11, 14, 23w. 6+ and 13+ frets.
This excellent example was imported directly to the UK from new. It has a clear voice with a slightly brighter sound than the usual all-walnut O’Briens – and an easy action.
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1.153 2018 T.K. O’Brien 4 String Hourglass £Sold
Stamp inside: “T K O’Brien’s/ Manufacturer of Instruments/ [h/w] 6/18″.
Big, quite hefty solid walnut body with walnut top, hummingbird and vines soundhole design. Solid (i.e. not hollow) fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets, composite nut and bridge. Walnut hook ‘scroll’ and closed pegbox fitted with enclosed chrome tuners. Three very small mushroom-headed pins serve as string anchors on the slab tail. Overall length 34¼”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium/long scale), weight 2lb 14oz (1300g), strings originally 10, 12, 22w, now 10/10, 14, 22w. Original 6+ & 13+ frets.
Almost unused since purchase and in excellent condition. Soft-sounding, considering size of body, but accurate and very playable. An ideal beginner-improver instrument.
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1.150 2010 T.K. O’Brien 4 String Hourglass £Sold
“T K O’Brien’s/Handcrafted Folk Instruments” stamped inside back, with handwritten, superimposed date “3/10”.
Standard dark walnut, all solid-wood body with a straight-grained, bookmatched back. Top has soundholes with hummingbird and vine designs. Hooked scroll with solid-bottomed pegbox and chrome, enclosed tuners. Composite nut/zero fret and bridge. Solid (i.e. not hollow) walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets. Three mushroom-headed pins for string anchors on a flat tail. Overall length 34¾”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2⅛”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27¾” (medium/long scale), weight 2lb 09oz (1166g), strings now 10/[10], 14, 23w. Original 6+ & 13+ frets.
Excellent condition and little used. As always, the attractive design and solid wood construction, with accessible action and easy sound make this an ideal instrument for the beginner/improver.
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1.143 Recent (2017/2018) Red Kite #125 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £Sold
Oblong printed label: “Bird Rock Dulcimers/ ‘The Red Kite’/ Handmade in the Ozark Mountains/ USA/ [signatures] Chas Mark Janice (?) / No. 125 [h/w]”.
Usual Hagen solid walnut body with neat, bookmatched back, sides and top; soundholes comprising red kite outline and leaves. Wide, walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets; walnut scroll/ closed pegbox fitted with covered guitar-type tuners. Composite ‘nut’/zero fret and bridge. Simple mushroom-headed pin string anchors on tail. Single chrome strap button on tail. Overall length 35⅛”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium), weight 2lb 8oz (1130g), strings 10/10, 14, 23w. 6+ and 13+ frets.
A good, sound intermediate instrument, as always, with good intonation up to the second octave and easy action. Body is in superb condition, with just some faint hints of pick wear on the upper fingerboard.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.137 2017 T K O’Brien 4 String Hourglass £Sold
Stamp inside: “T K O’Brien’s/ Handcrafted Instruments/ [h/w] 1-17″. Big-bodied hourglass dulcimer made from solid, bookmatched dark walnut with an attractive sapwood colour on the back. Usual wide, hooked scroll and slotted pegbox with decent quality enclosed chrome tuners. Solid (i.e. not routed underneath) two layer walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets present. Brown, composite ‘nut’ (zero fret) and bridge. Mushroom-headed pins as string anchors. Chrome strap buttons each end. Overall length 34½”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1¾”, VSL 27⅝” (medium/long scale), weight 2lb 15oz (1328g), strings now 11/[11], 14, 24w. Original 6+ & 13+ frets.
Light but decent sound, with good intonation and reasonable action. Original case in good condition.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.136 2013 Red Kite #61 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £Sold
Printed label: “Bird Rock Dulcimers/ ‘The Red Kite’/ Handmade in the Ozark Mountains/ USA/ no. 61 [h/w]/ [sgnd] Chas Mark Janis 10/2013”.
A pretty example of the classic Hagen Family design. Appropriately named in this case, having a rich red (stained?) cherry top, with the red kite soundhole design, and a bookmatched walnut body, which has a nicely flecked/curly figure on the back. Usual hooked scroll and narrow, closed pegbox with enclosed guitar-type tuners. Composite ‘nut’ with zero fret and bridge. Heavily built.
Overall length 35″, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium), weight 2lb 16oz (1353g), strings 11/[11], 14, 25w. 6+ and 13+ frets.
Unusually heavy build (200-300g heavier than previous examples I’ve sold) give it a restrained, but very transparent and warm sound. Has some pick wear on the upper fingerboard, a few pressure marks (i.e. not scratches through the varnish) on the back, and some slightly matt areas of wear on the glossy top. So, shows signs of use, but overall is in very sound condition.
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1.132 2012 O’Brien 4 String Hourglass £Sold with original case
Oval black stamp inside: “T K O’Brien’s/Handcrafted Folk Instruments/ 5/12 [h/w]”. Solid walnut body with bookmatched back and sides, making attractive use of the lighter sap wood colouring near the tail. Top also solid walnut, again with a light/dark contrast in colour. Hummingbird and vine leaf soundholes; standard hook scroll and wide pegbox with enclosed-gear chrome tuners. Light-coloured walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets; composite “nut” (zero fret), and fixed, shallow bridge; three small mushroom-headed pins as string anchors; no strainer on top of tail, so strings are lightly incised. Overall length 34½”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2⅛”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium/long scale), weight 2lb 09oz (1161g), strings now 11/11, 14, 24w. Original 6+ & 13+ frets.
Unmarked with attractive woods. Decent, light sound with good action and intonation. Excellent instrument for beginner/intermediate player. Original soft case included.
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1.116 Recent (2017?) Red Kite 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £Sold inc. original case/bag
Oblong printed label: “Bird Rock Dulcimers/ ‘The Red Kite’/ Handmade in the Ozarks Mountains/ USA/ [signatures] Chas Mark Janice (?) / No. 115 [h/w]”.
Solid walnut body with neat, bookmatched back. Butternut (?) top with brown sheen and pronounced grain, soundholes comprising red kite outline and leaves. Wide, walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets; walnut scroll/ closed pegbox fitted with covered guitar-type tuners. Composite ‘nut’/zero fret and bridge. Simple pin string anchors on tail. Overall length 35⅛”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium), weight 2lb 8oz (1130g), strings 10/10, 14, 23w. 6+ and 13+ frets.
A really good intermediate dulcimer in absolutely spotless condition.
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1.104 2006 O’Brien 4 String Hourglass £Sold
“T K O’Brien’s/ Handcrafted Folk Instruments/ 09/06” stamped inside back, with date handwritten. All solid walnut body, bookmatched back, sides and top. Solid (not hollow) walnut fingerboard with zero fret, 6+ and 13+ frets; composite ‘nut’ and floating bridge (since replaced with a compensated bone bridge). Chunky headstock/pegbox with a hooked ‘scroll’, hollowed out interior and enclosed gear tuners. Standard O’Brien bluebird (?) and flower soundholes, reinforced beneath. Overall length 34½”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1¾”, VSL 27½” (medium scale), weight 2lb 8oz (1147g), strings now 11/11, 13, 22w. 6+ and 13+ frets.
This example has a rich walnut colour, plays well – especially with its new bridge – and is in almost pristine condition.
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1.107 2017 T K O’Brien 4 String Hourglass £Sold inc. original soft case
Stamp inside: “T K O’Brien’s/ Manufacturer of Instruments/ [h/w] 5/17″. Big-bodied hourglass dulcimer made from solid, bookmatched dark walnut with an attractive grain on the top. Usual wide, hooked scroll and slotted pegbox with enclosed chrome tuners. Brown, composite ‘nut’ (zero fret) and floating bridge. Quite narrow frets with 6+ and 13+ present. Overall length 34¼”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7⅝”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium/long scale), weight 2lb 10oz (1196g), strings now 10/10, 13, 24w. Original 6+ & 13+ frets.
An attractive dulcimer with light but decent sound and an easy action. Has been involved in an accident which resulted in a couple of splits on the back near the tail. These have been fully secured and the back refinished, but the unevenness is still visible. In other words, a very useable, modern dulcimer which is not perfect cosmetically – a good buy at a much reduced price.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.84 2017 T. K. O’Brien’s 4 String Hourglass £Sold
Stamp inside: “T K O’Brien’s/ Manufacturer of Instruments/ [h/w] 6/17″. Big, standard pattern hourglass with bookmatched walnut body and red gum top. Usual wide, hooked scroll and slotted pegbox with enclosed chrome tuners. Composite ‘nut’ (zero fret) and floating (?) bridge. Quite narrow frets with 6+ and 13+ present. Attractive hearts and bell flower soundholes, set against a white/red grained top. Chrome strap buttons each end.
Overall length 34½”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium/long scale), weight approx. 2lb 8oz (1129g), strings now 10/10, 12, 24w. Original 6+ & 13+ frets.
Excellent intonation and decent, open tones. Not shouty but with some volume. Red gum top is very pretty but thin and slightly porous, so vulnerable to changes in humidity. A few fine stress cracks appeared along the grain when it was brought back to the UK by its original owner. All have now been sealed and stabilised, with no implication either for playing or looks
1.80 Recent (2015?) Red Kite 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £Sold
Printed label: “Bird Rock Dulcimers/ ‘The Red Kite’/ Handmade in the Ozark Mountains/ USA/ [sgnd] Chas Mark Janice”.
An example of the good quality, entry-level dulcimers imported by Robin Clark of Bird Rock Dulcimers from Arkansas. The Hagen Family have a workshop producing identical dulcimers under the brand names Cedar Creek and O’Brien in the USA. This has a solid wood walnut body, bookmatched on both sides and back, and possibly a butternut top. It has the standard – but attractive – red kite soundholes with vine tendrils, a walnut single piece fingerboard (not routed underneath), walnut pegbox and scroll. “Nut” and bridge are composite, with a zero fret, 6+ and 13+ frets. Closed gear tuners and strap buttons each end.
Overall length 35″, upper bout 6⅜”, lower bout 7⅝”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1¾”, VSL 27¾” (medium), weight 2lb 6oz (1092g), strings (original?) 11/11, 16, 26w. 6+ and 13+ frets.
This has some hardly noticeable pick wear, but is otherwise in excellent original condition. It has a good balanced sound, reasonable sustain and clarity, and decent volume. These are really good introductory instruments.
1.38 2010 O’Brien 4 String Hourglass –– £Sold
Solid walnut sides, back and top, and attractive vine and hummingbird soundhole design. Walnut headstock with elephant trunk scroll, covered nickel plated guitar tuners; broad fingerboard with straightforward action and 6+ fret; composite bridge and nut; small mushroom-headed pins for string anchors.
Overall length 35”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, weight 2lb 8oz (1129g), VSL 27¾” (medium scale). Original 6½ fret.
“T K O’Brien’s/Handcrafted Folk Instruments/ 3/10” stamped inside back, with date handwritten. Brand new and unmarked except for one small ding on side of scroll. Original strings 10/10, 12, 25w nickel. As always, attractive design and wood grain with accessible and easy sound make this an ideal instrument for the beginner/improver.
1.58 Early 2000s? O’Brien 4 String Hourglass – £Sold
This is a decent quality instrument from the Ozark Mountains, Missouri, produced by the same family concern (the Hagens) that builds the Cedar Creek range in the US and the Red Kite, sold in the UK by Bird Rock Dulcimers.
Stamped “O’Brien’s/ Handcrafted Folk Instruments”, no date. Solid walnut sides and bookmatched back, lovely flecked quarter sawn sycamore/American plane top with neat bluebird and flower soundhole and pyrograph pattern on both sides LB and farside UB. Walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ fret. Composite nut and bridge with zero fret. Hooked “scroll” and routed pegbox with standard sealed unit guitar type tuners. 3 pins for string anchors. Body is in excellent condition, but instrument has been stored somewhere damp and tuner buttons have some light tarnishing.
Overall length 34¾”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium scale), weight approx. 2lb 8oz (1129g), strings now 10/10, 14, 23w. Original 6+ fret.
An attractive design and an all-solid wood body, together with a well balanced sound, make this an excellent and affordable instrument for the beginner/improver.
