‘Joe’ Brown Dulcimers
“Joe is 95 years old now [February 2022] and is in good health. He started making dulcimers in 1978 when his wife bought him a kit. Unimpressed, he decided to make his own from scratch and eventually completed nearly 400. Each was made by and for himself, but then he had so many that some were sold. There are still a handful at his house. He hasn’t made any for a decade now after heart surgery slowed his pace [and] he passed on his shop equipment a couple of years ago…..” Postscript: Joe died in January 2023 at the age of 96.
2.217 2000 ‘Joe’ Brown 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £325 + £20 shell case
Branded inside on back: “Handcrafted by/ J.M. ‘Joe’ Brown/ #297/ 5 – 2000”. From a business card which came with the dulcimer, the workshop (or sales base) was at 604 N. Roosevelt, Liberal, Kansas 67901.
Nicely proportioned N Carolina-type hourglass with reverse shop shoulders; solid walnut body (single piece back) and tiger maple top. McSpadden-style ‘soft’ heart soundholes, pointing to the tail. A rather squat, walnut headstock with thick sides and an odd ‘scroll’ which turns back on itself and comes to a point facing the tail. The closed pegbox is fitted with what look like top of the range, gold Schaller banjo tuners, each with pearlescent buttons. The hollow walnut fingerboard has 6+ and 13+ frets, with mother of pearl markers at frets 3, 5, 7 (double), 10. Composite ‘nut’/zero fret and bridge, latter now better compensated for DAD playing. Shortish strum hollow leaves room for a range of well over 2 octaves. The tail is routed/inset with four mushroom-headed pins as string anchors and a small soundport into the body (as with McSpaddens). The string strainer on top of the tail is made from a sliver of ebony. Overall length 34”, upper bout 5⅝”, lower bout 6¾”, depth 2”, FBW 1½”, VSL 27½” (medium scale), weight 2lb 0oz (908g), strings originally 12/12,12, 22w (which suggests design for 1:5:5 playing); now 12/[12], 14, 24w.
I have only seen one other dulcimer by this maker, but it is clearly the work of a confident and competent maker. The overall construction is excellent, with proper linings top and bottom inside, really neatly executed strutting and tight joints everywhere. In many ways this is a somewhat traditional dulcimer, with a slightly short 1st fret and a distinctly dulcimery/trebly tone. But the intonation in DAD is OK, it plays easily and it certainly looks the part!
Click on images below to enlarge.
