Bird Rock Dulcimers
Bird Rock was a small specialist concern, based in North Wales, which sold a variety of interesting dulcimers until 2021. It was run by Robin Clark, one of the foremost world experts in noter/drone playing and a fine teacher. He imported McSpadden dulcimers but also sold three lines under his own brand name. Student instruments were made locally, but the other two came from the workshop of the Hagen family in the Ozark Mountains, Missouri. The Hagens made Cedar Creek and O’Brien instruments in the US and created a Red Kite version of their standard, large-bodied dulcimer for Bird Rock. However, Robin also commissioned them to produce an entirely new concept – The Heritage, a traditional-style dulcimer with fiddle edges, a purely diatonic fingerboard and a sweet, non-standard fret scale/intonation.
3.106 2016/7 (?) Bird Rock “Heritage” 3 String Hourglass [but with earlier standard Red Kite label]….from the collection of the late John Shaw £Sold
Printed oblong label: “Bird Rock Dulcimer/ ‘The Red Kite’/ Handmade in the Ozark Mountains/ USA/ [signd] Chas Mark Janis/ No. 123 [h/w]”.
Made by the Hagen (Cedar Creek) concern in the USA to a design by Robin Clark of Bird Rock Dulcimers, N Wales. Shallow, wide Kentucky-style body made from bookmatched walnut and a beautifully-grained, dark orangey cherry top. Heart soundholes, pointing unusually to the head rather than tail. High traditional tail with slot and holes, suitable for ball end strings, although has single pin on tail for loop end if required. Narrow walnut pegbox and stubby scroll, fitted with the expensive optional black Wittner geared violin pegs. Narrow walnut fingerboard – possibly hollow but not emerging into the body – with no 6+ fret. A kind of just intonation scale, borrowed I believe from the N Carolina Glenn dulcimers. Composite nut (but without zero fret) and bridge, as standard Hagen dulcimers. Overall length 36″, upper bout 6½”, lower bout 8”, depth 1¾”, FBW 1⅜”, VSL 28⅛” (long), weight 2lb 2oz (961g), strings 12, 12, 24w – originally nickel wound, now phosphor bronze. No 6+ or 13+ frets.
John Shaw had expensive Wittner geared viola tuners fitted as an option. He also raised the action a little to suit his playing, but without the packing, the dulcimer plays easily and without buzzes. Clearly, the traditional intonation requires a 1:5:5 tuning (DAA or equivalent) and in this genre it sings very sweetly, without huge volume. Livens up even more if played with a noter. A very practical traditional/modern dulcimer, easy to tune and with a good sound, in as-new condition and very pretty!
Click on images below to enlarge.
3.90 2017 (?) Bird Rock “Heritage” 3 String Hourglass £Sold
Printed oblong label: “Bird Rock Dulcimer/ ‘The Heritage’/ Handmade in the Ozark Mountains/ USA/ [signd] Chas Mark Janis/ No. 132 [h/w]”.
Shallow, wide hourglass body along the lines of classic Kentucky makers like Homer Ledford. Body is solid walnut, bookmatched sides and back (some rather odd discolouration near the head); top is nicely figured rich cherry, decorated by a scored line ⅛” from the edge all round (one flaw); four heart soundholes pointing to the head; top and back have fiddle edges – i.e. they protrude over the sides in the traditional manner. Lighter-coloured walnut fingerboard in two layers, probably therefore hollow underneath, but apparently not routed through into the soundbox/body. Traditional high walnut tail with horizontal slot for ball end strings – but loop strings also catered for, by anchor pins mounted lower down. Shallow walnut scroll and closed pegbox with standard ebony viola (?) pegs. The nut is composite, the bridge hardwood (maple?). Quite narrow, high frets set in a purely diatonic scale – i.e. no 6+ or 13+.
Overall length 36¼”, upper bout 6½”, lower bout 7⅜”, depth 1¾”, FBW 1⅜”, VSL 28⅛” (long), weight 2lb 2oz (962g), strings (original?) 12, 12, 22 nickel wound. No 6+ or 13+ frets.
A very attractive, as-new instrument with a pleasing shape and mellow colouring. Big, sweet sound becoming slightly edgier if played with a noter. Existing tuners work well, but for even greater precision and ease of use, this can be fitted with black Wittner Finetune geared viola pegs (£60 extra).
