2.79 1998 McSpadden FM12-CR – 4 String Hourglass – £Sold
Late middle period Model 12 flat head, cherry and redwood instrument, signed in the traditional way by the individual craftsman who built it (Larry McSpadden, brother of founder, Lynn McSpadden). McSpadden are perhaps the best known and most consistent craft maker of mountain dulcimers in the world. They continue to produce well-made, reliable and great-sounding instruments. This is no exception.
Printed label inside: “McSpadden/ Mountain Dulcimers/ Mountain View, Arkansas/[handwritten] Larry McSpadden/ Model [handwritten and pasted in] FM12-CR, Feb. 1998/ [printed] #36895”.
This instrument has a quite wide-grained redwood top with typical McSpadden style “squashed heart” soundholes. Solid cherry flat headstock and fingerboard with zero fret for accurate intonation and fitted with both 6+ and 13+ frets. Solid (?) cherry sides with typical figuring and good-quality laminated cherry single piece back. Delrin (?) composite nut and bridge. Good quality chrome Gotoh guitar-style tuners. Company name inscribed on fingerboard just to the right of the strum hollow. Small stainless steel string pins.
Overall length 35½”, upper bout 5⅝”, lower bout 6⅞”, depth 1¾”, FBW 1½”, VSL 28⅜” (medium/long scale), weight 2lb 2oz (977g). Strings currently fitted: 11/11, 15, 22w.
Cherry body with a redwood top is a classic dulcimer combination, balancing the brightness and punch of the cherry with the warmth of the cedar. Excellent intonation in DAD and the typical McSpadden clear, trebly sound. Looks pretty much brand new, apart from some small pick marks on the top.
Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge each photo:
