Miscellaneous U.S. Beginner/Intermediate Dulcimers
Some decent quality affordable U.S. made dulcimers suitable for those starting out on the dulcimer.
1.129 1998 Ken Hollar Hourglass #56 £285 + NEW soft case £25
Oblong label under far-side soundhole: “Date: 12-22-98 [h/w]/ Number: 56 [h/w]/ Ken Hollar, PO Box944/ Conover, NC/ [Tel. No.]”.
Old-fashioned instrument in the elegant Kentucky style/shape, with a shallow body and narrow fingerboard. All solid walnut, sturdily built with guitar-style internal lining to top and back, purfling strip round top, and bookmatched back. Heart (upper bout) and weeping heart (lower bout) soundholes. Walnut fingerboard (no overlay), composite ‘nut’/zero fret and bridge, 6+ but not 13+ frets, and mother of pearl makers at frets 3, 5, 6+/7. Simple walnut headstock – scroll with narrow pegbox – fitted with open-geared, guitar-type tuners and vertical shafts/white plastic buttons. Plain pin string anchors with a cross-grain strainer block and felt pad on top of the tail to reduce string damage and ‘ring’. High gloss finish, generally well done. Overall length 37”, upper bout 5⅞”, lower bout 6½”, depth 2”, FBW 1¼”, VSL 26⅞” (medium scale), weight 2lb 10oz (1202g). Has a 6+ but not 13+ fret. Strings now 12/[12], 14, 22w.
An attractive-looking dulcimer in spotless condition apart from a few pick scuffs near the strum hollow. Excellent quality woodworking and construction, but not a very loud or full-toned instrument, partly because of its sturdy build and gloss finish. Bright and light tone, decent action, intonation OK in DAD, slightly better in DAA.
Click on images below to enlarge.
Stoney End Hourglass
The Stoney End concern was born in the early 1990s when cabinet maker Gary Stone discovered he enjoyed making musical instruments. The family then lived on a dead-end road in rural Red Wing, Minnesota and they began to trade under a name which was a combination of their surname and that remote road. They started with mountain dulcimers as the main focus, but as time went on, harps grew in importance. They relocated to the nearby town in 2001 and now have a retail store, workshop and concert venue. The mountain dulcimers are plain and economical in design, and many are exported to be sold by firms like Hobgoblin and Amazon in the UK. Current new price (2021) £275 + case £23.99 .
1.157 2011 Stoney End 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £230 inc. soft case
Pencil inscription inside: “Jenny or June 11/2011”. Usual simple almost austere design with quite narrow but deep walnut body and decent quality spruce top. Single continuous walnut fingerboard (hollowed out underneath for volume) and flat headstock (the latter made broader with extra wood fillets). Enclosed guitar-type nickel tuners. White composite nut and bridge. 6+ but no 13+ fret. Simple copper pins as string anchors and leather strip on top of tail, acting as a string strainer. Heart soundholes. Overall length 35½”, upper bout 5⅛”, lower bout 5⅞″, depth 2¼”, FBW 1½”, VSL 26⅞” (medium scale), weight 2lb 1oz (926g), strings now 12/[12], 15, 23w. Original 6+ no 13+ fret.
Small ding on f/s upper bout, some pressure marks on back. Previous owner has attached a plate hanger (?!) to back of the body, near the head, which I have not tried to remove in case of irreversible damage. Otherwise in very good condition. Sounds full and strong.
Click on images below to enlarge (shows dulcimer immediately prior to re-stringing).
1.81 Here Inc. [Stoney End] 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £165 NEW soft padded case £25
Early, all solid wood instrument from the Stoney End concern, branded Here Inc. Similar design to the current model, sold by Hobgoblin in the UK, but more shallow bodied. Body is walnut, top spruce.
1.142 2018 Stoney End 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £Sold
Pencil inscription inside: “Gary Stone/ 2018″. Usual narrow body shape, but made from solid cherry wood rather than the more common walnut. Bookmatched back and sides. with a nice figuring on the back. Decent quality spruce top (?possibly cedar) with small heart soundholes, pointing to to tail. The cherry fingerboard and headstock are a single continuous piece of wood, the head broadened by the addition of cherry “wings”. Enclosed nickel tuners with capstans extending through headstock, but without bushes on top. Hollow cherry fingerboard with 6+ but no 13+ fret. Composite nut and bridge. Long copper pins as string anchors for loop- or ball-end strings and leather strainer on top of tail to reduce string damage. A small vent below the headstock and the string anchors at the tail, presumably to increase volume a little. Overall length 36”, upper bout 5”, lower bout 5¾″, depth 2⅜”, FBW 1½”, VSL 26⅞” (medium scale), weight 1lb 15oz (891g), strings now 12/[12], 15, 24w. Original 6+ no 13+ fret.
As new condition, except for a couple of very small impact marks on the far side top edge. Cherry body gives it a little more verve than the walnut. Sounds good and plays well for a simple beginner/intermediate instrument.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.135 Unlabelled early Stoney End/Here inc. model, probably late 1980s/ early 1990s. 4 string, 3 course hourglass £Sold
Usual pattern walnut body, but shallower than later Stoney End models. Quite nicely figured, bookmatched solid walnut back. Reasonably good quality, straight-grained spruce top with heart soundholes, tails pointing to tail. Continuous walnut fingerboard and headstock core, latter with added walnut wings to make a broader flat head. Former is routed underneath, originally with no 6+ or 13+ fret, now added. White composite nut and bridge, with copper pins as string anchors and original leather strainer over top of tail. Cheaper enclosed tuners without bushes. Overall length 35¼”, upper bout 5”, lower bout 5⅞”, depth 1⅝”, FBW 1⅜”, VSL 26⅞” (medium scale), weight 1lb 09oz (733g), strings now 11, 14, 22w. Added 6+ and 13+ frets.
Simple, even austere design, but the woods are decent and solid, rather than laminate. This has a slightly higher than normal action, but plays easily and sounds good.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.133 Modern Stoney End 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £Sold
No label or even pencil signatures. Usual narrow body with solid walnut bookmatched back and sides. Wide-grained spruce top with small heart soundholes, pointing to tail. Walnut single-piece through fingerboard and headstock, the latter extended by the addition of extra walnut “wings”. Enclosed tuners with capstans extending through headstock, but without bushes on top. Hollow fingerboard with 6+ but no 13+ fret. Long copper pins as string anchors for loop- or ball-end strings and leather strainer on top of tail to reduce string damage. Overall length 35½”, upper bout 5”, lower bout 6″, depth 2”, FBW 1⅜”, VSL 26⅞” (medium scale), weight 1lb 14oz (868g), strings now 11/11, 14, 22w. Original 6+ no 13+ fret.
Excellent condition, with only one small ding on the far-side lower bout. New, slightly compensated bone bridge. Sounds good and plays well for a simple beginner/intermediate instrument.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.85 Unlabelled early Stoney End model, probably 1990s. 4 string, 3 course hourglass. £Sold + £15 used case
Usual walnut body, but shallower than later Stoney End models. Quite nice straight grain and bookmatched back. Fine, straight-grained spruce top with hearts (bigger ones than usual in LB), tails pointing to bottom end. Flat walnut headstock, made in three parts; fingerboard also walnut, routed underneath. 6+ but no 13+ fret. Thin rosewood (?) nut and bridge, with copper pins as string anchors and original leather strainer over top of tail. Cheaper enclosed tuners without bushes. Overall length 35¼”, upper bout 5”, lower bout 6″, depth 1½”, FBW 1⅜”, VSL 27″ (medium scale), weight 1lb 14oz (850g), strings now 10, 14, 22w. 6+ but no 13+ frets.
Simple, even austere design, but the woods are decent and solid, rather than laminate. This has a rather low action and sounds sweet but a little more constrained than it could be, perhaps.
1.75 2007 £Sold. Handwritten in pencil: “Gary Stone/ 2007”, otherwise as below. Condition is good with few scuff marks or finish flaws. New bone nut and bridge fitted.
Click on pictures below to enlarge
1.67 2009 £Sold. Handwritten in pencil: “Gary Stone/ 2009”. Solid walnut sides and bookmatched back. Spruce top, straight grained but not fine. Plain flat guitar-style headstock with open-geared tuners and white plastic buttons. Thin white (?composite) nut and bridge. Copper pegs on end as string anchors and thick brown cowhide as string strainer on top of tail. Heart soundholes pointing to tail. 6+ not 13+ frets.
Overall length 35½”, upper bout 5”, lower bout 5⅞”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1½”, VSL 27″ (medium scale), weight 1lb 12oz (800g), strings 14/14, 15, 23w. 6+ but no 13+ frets.
Light build and deep sides give some volume and a balanced sound. A plain instrument, but made with decent materials. Odd existing string set. Original seems to be 11/11, 16, 24w, so probably fine at standard medium gauge of 11, 15, 22w or 23w.
1.76 2002 Off the Beaten Path 4 String Hourglass £225 case extra
Printed label: “Off the Beaten Path/3439 Teaster Lane, Pigeon Forge/ [website]/ Jerry O. Meador/ 8/2/02 [h/w]”.
Chunky body with walnut sides, spalted maple top, maple laminated back. Heavy strutting with a rather large, clumsy headstock (walnut and cherry?), open-geared chrome tuners. Heart/f-shape soundholes. Chunky composite “nut” and zero fret, with composite bridge. String anchors are simple, mushroom-headed pins.
Overall length 36”, upper bout 5⅞”, lower bout 7″, depth 1⅞”, FBW 1½”, VSL 26⅝” (short/medium scale), weight 2lb 8oz (1148g). Has a 6½ fret. Strings now 11, 14, 23w.
Modern instrument and very playable. Resonates well but limited depth of tone.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.110 (previously 1.15) Late 70s/Early 80s? Ohio Hourglass 5 String, 3 or 4 course £Sold
Anonymous, unlabelled hourglass – well made by a good craftsman, but possibly not an instrument builder. Purchased from, and possibly made in, Ohio.
Solid walnut two-piece (but not bookmatched) back, walnut sides. Sassafras or poplar (?) top with four, slightly angled, elegant hearts, tails pointing to tailpiece. Top and back overlap sides in traditional manner. Nicely made, elegant walnut scroll and pegbox. Walnut single piece fingerboard. Original wooden nut has been re-cut several times, replacement ebony, compensated floating bridge. Basic screw-head string anchors. Originally had mechanical friction, rather than violin-style, tuning pegs suggesting a late 70s or 80s date. Now updated with gold open-geared tuners with real Koa wood buttons. Originally no 6+ fret, now added. Overall length 35¼”, upper bout 6½”, lower bout 7½”, height ?”, FBW ?”, VSL 28″ (medium/long scale), weight ?lb ?oz (????g), strings now 11/[11], 14, 24w.
Broad, quite heavy instrument, nicely constructed (except for a slight bending flaw on one side) and good-looking. Currently strung as a conventional DAdd, 4 string, 3 course dulcimer, but the 5th tuner gives scope to experiment. It has a light but sweet tone and plays easily, accurately and responsively. A nice instrument with a good dulcimer sound.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.87 1980s? Anonymous US-made 4 String, 3 or 4 Course Hourglass £Sold
No label or other identifying marks. Apparently craft-made in the US and brought over to the UK.
Fairly crudely made, but light construction and from solid woods. Mahogany single piece back and sides, softwood (pine?) top with pyrographed vine and leaf design round simple heart soundholes. Rather narrow, mahogany fingerboard, originally with no 6+ fret (now fitted). Buffalo horn nut, carefully cut, and buffalo horn (floating) bridge. Narrow string array going over tail to pins. Basic open-geared guitar tuners (secured with pins rather than screws) and two hole capstan. Overall length 32¼”, upper bout 5½”, lower bout 7½”, depth 2”, FBW 1⅜”, VSL 25¾” (short/medium scale), weight 1lb 13oz (813g), strings now 10, 14, 23w. Newly fitted 6+ but not 13+ fret.
Reasonably accurate intonation with a decent action. Sounds surprisingly sweet!
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.60 Late 80s Anon “Shamrock” 4 String, 3 Course Hourglass £Sold
A neat but unlabelled dulcimer bought from Maine, New England and possibly made there. The shallow, narrow body has a mid-brown finish which makes the woods difficult to distinguish, but it appears to be made from three different woods: a straight, fine-grained softwood top, probably western red cedar; butternut or possibly walnut sides; and a cherry single-piece (un-bookmatched) back. There appears to be no lining or bracing. The simple, flat-sided scroll and narrow pegbox looks like cherry. The fairly narrow fingerboard is maple, hollowed-out below, and it has shallow frets – and these include a 6+ and 13+. The nut and floating bridge are made from dark rosewood. There are four shamrock-shaped soundholes and a rather angular, deep strum hollow. There are black plastic friction pegs which seem to work adequately and small mushroom-headed pins for string anchors.
Overall length 35¼”, upper bout 5½”, lower bout 6¼”, depth 1⅛”, FBW 1¼”, VSL 28″ (medium/long scale), weight 1lb 11oz (770g), strings now 0.011, 0.014, 0.023w. Original 6+ and 13+ frets.
This is a neat dulcimer with decent tone and volume. The intonation is good and the action reasonable, although higher frets would have helped. This instrument is not factory-made but is well built, good-looking and has few vices. A change of tuners (at extra £) would improve its practicality, but I’ve kept it cheap deliberately. As is, would enthuse most beginning players.
Click on images below to enlarge
