2.280 1976 Peter Abnett 4 string, 3 course hourglass £Sold
Printed, ornate calligraphic label: “P.J. Abnett/Luthier/ Burham, Rochester, Kent/ Instrument: Appalachian Dulcimer [h/w] Date: January 1976 [h/w] No. 1 76/ P J Abnett [signed]”.
Peter Abnett was a major luthier in the British and Irish folk scene, especially in the 1970s. He built the first Irish (flat-backed) bouzouki for Donal Lunny (Planxty, Bothy Band, Moving Hearts) and a guitar for Martin Simpson (featured on several of his early albums). He also made mandolas, citterns, hurdy-gurdies and a fair number of distinctive dulcimers. I commissioned Peter to make me a rosewood dulcimer in 2010 which cost £535 at the time.
Fairly early (?) dulcimer with a shortish but deep body with quite sturdy bracing, made probably from English walnut – beautifully bookmatched with a central purfling strip and purfling round the edge. Three feet on back to raise it from table. Spruce (?) top and distinctive soundholes. Top and back protrude producing so-called fiddle edges. Plain, flat, spade-like headstock with four open-geared tuners and a black overlay – possibly ebony but also possibly stained. Very narrow fingerboard seems to have been designed with guitar string spacing in mind. The fingerboard seems not to be hollow and is made from a sandwich of softwood outer and hardwood core (again probably walnut), covered with an ebony overlay. Ebony nut and thin, uncompensated bone bridge. The string anchors are small screws set (originally too far forward) on the end of the fingerboard/top of the tail. Originally no 6+ or 13+ frets, now fitted. Overall length 34”, upper bout 5¾”, lower bout 7½”, depth 2½”, FBW 1⅛”, VSL 25¾” (short scale), weight 2lb 4oz (1012g). Strings now: 12/[12], 15, 23w. Originally no 6+ or 13+ fret (now added).
Sound is good for an instrument of its time, good volume, clarity and tone. Perhaps a little on the brighter side, but can be expressive. With its narrow fingerboard and short scale length, it’s ideal for those with smaller hands.
2.119 2006 Lee Norris 4 String Hourglass with pickup £Sold
Lee is a guitar luthier and general stringed instrument repairman who claims to have worked on over 6000 instruments over the last 35 years. He has a small workshop on the Dorset/Hampshire border at Christchurch, from where he turns out numerous instruments built to his own designs. Dulcimers are a steady sideline: “I still make a few now and again during the summer. They’re fairly easy to sell straight from the workshop, I must have made hundreds of them over the last thirty five or more years! Some were made in batches of a dozen or so. But I stopped that, feeling that I was turning into a factory! So yes, now a steady trickle… But still, each a one off! I do agree with you about their quiet sound. But they are solidly built with care. And usually I will pop a pick-up in them…(for those who appear to like a lot of noise!).”
Printed label in script – “Handmade by Lee Norris/ Christchurch/ Date Nov 2006 [h/w]”. Deep body made from a beautifully-figured, red-brown, walnut-type wood, possibly African Bubinga, with a lightish hardwood top, possibly Tulipwood (poplar). Has an interesting hand-cut cherry soundhole design. Fully bound body, with plain maple on the bottom and a stunning mother of pearl lozenge/black/curly maple binding on the top. Cherry fretboard with bubinga (?) overlay and MoP markers at frets 3, 6+/7, 10, 14. Flat head with lighter wood inlay and open-geared tuners on the back. Pickup with jack output to tail. Originally no 6+ fret, now added. Overall length 34¾”, upper bout 6½”, lower bout 8⅛”, depth 2¾”, FBW 1½”, VSL 26¼” (short scale), weight 2lb 12oz (1259g), strings now 12/[12], 14, 22w. Has a 6+ but no 13+ fret.
This is a pretty, short-scale instrument with an easy action. A few scuffs and dings but generally very sound condition. Well-constructed with some quality appointments, but has needed a little work to make it sound out cleanly. Now much improved. Intonation OK in the first octave, but despite a new, compensated bridge, is less secure in the second. For such a deep body, it doesn’t boom, in fact is relatively restrained, sweet and well-balanced. Pickup – apparently a single piezo mounted in front of the bridge on the bass side – plays cleanly without feedback.
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2.215 John Telling 1982 Dulcimer 6 String 3 Course Hourglass £No longer for sale
Large square label, part-printed: “Date: 1982 No. 50/ A Handmade Instrument/ by John E. Telling/ JET [initials]/ 20c Windmill Street/ TUNBRIDGE WELLS”.
Unusual combination of woods on the body – nice curly maple bookmatched back with mahogany central purfling; mahogany sides; spruce (or possibly cedar?) close-grained top. Heart soun dholes pointing to tail. Shallow mahogany (hollow) fingerboard with rosewood overlay; MoP markers at frets 3, 5, 6+, 7 (double), 10, 12; 6+ no 13+ fret. Flat mahogany peghead with integral “scroll”, fitted with quality chrome Gotoh tuners. Bone nut and thin bridge; brass mushroom-headed pins for string anchors. Kerfing on top and bottom internally, a few back struts, but generally a light construction. Chrome strap buttons at each end. Overall length 39¼”, upper bout 6”, lower bout 7⅝”, depth 2”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27½” (medium scale), weight 2lb 04oz (1012g). Strings now 11/11, 15/15, 25w/25w.
A nice looking dulcimer in the English tradition, well built and specified. Low action, some volume but not great clarity. Intonation good on the paired melody strings. Hair cracks in the top have been professionally repaired and reinforced with cleats underneath. Excellent plush fitted hard case, made from sturdy but lightweight materials.
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1.128 1995 Chris Harvey 3 String Hourglass #1 £Sold
Yellow handwritten label with fine printed (?) border: “Chris Harvey/ February 1995”. Elegant, narrow solid mahogany body with bookmatched back. Shallow open mahogany pegbox with carved scroll; open-geared tuners (mounted underneath) with white buttons. Beech fingerboard with dark exotic mahogany overlay. Mother of pearl 3, 10, 17. Dark mahogany hand rest/ string anchor for ball end strings with inset bone decoration. Shallow bone nut, glued to fingerboard; replacement bone bridge, modelled on the original, but now floating (movable) and slightly compensated for improved intonation. Overall length 37¾”, upper bout 4¾”, lower bout 6¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅜”, weight 2lb 7oz (1098g), VSL 27¼” (medium scale), strings 10, 14, 23w. New 6+ no 13+ fret.
Decent sound, rather trebly, but some volume, easy action and sound intonation up to the second octave. Well-built and good-looking. A pretty good beginner instrument.
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1.127 1996 Chris Harvey 3 String Hourglass #2 £Sold
Oblong printed label: “Hand crafted by/ Chris Harvey/ 1996”. UK homemade narrow-bodied dulcimer made from nicely bookmatched mahogany and straight grained spruce. Elegant heart soundholes with their tail pointing to the tail. Mahogany open pegbox with half-carved “scroll” and a mother of pearl dot in the centre. Open-geared tuners, originally mounted below the pegbox, now set vertically for easier access and properly “sided”. Beech fingerboard (not routed underneath) with dark brown exotic wood overlay (probably Australian red mahogany, eucalyptus resinifera, according to the maker). Mother of pearl markers at frets 3, 10, 17; originally no 6+ fret, now added. Unusual lozenge shaped bridge carrier with bone saddle. Replacement bone nut (original too shallow and glued direct to the fingerboard). Unusual combined hand rest and tailpiece/string anchor, designed for ball end strings. Overall length 37¼”, upper bout 4¾”, lower bout 6¾”, depth 2½”, FBW 1¼”, weight 2lb 4oz (1027g), VSL 27″ (medium scale), strings 10, 14, 23w. New 6+ no 13+ fret.
Well-constructed to a neat design, the workmanship is better than that generally found in homemade instruments. It feels solid and reassuring to the touch and is in excellent condition for a 25 year old instrument. However, there are a few white flecks in the high gloss finish and it has needed some tinkering to improve playability. The intonation is still a little variable, partly because of the non-adjustable bridge. Good treble/bass balance but no huge depth of tone. A good solid wood beginner instrument.
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1.98 – 1990s/2000s? Anonymous 4 String, 3 or 4 Course Hourglass £Sold
No label, though some writing underneath top. Design has some features in common with a recent Folkcraft, but the body size is different and the construction not that of the kits. Purchased from the UK (Hull) but with no history. Came in a presentation plywood box.
Solid walnut body and top, finished with a light brown stain; single piece back; bookmatched sides. Scroll is hooked like a Folkcraft, but the whole head/pegbox is carved rather than cut on a machine. Open-geared tuners with pearl buttons on the closed pegbox, unfortunately not paired on each side! Original and striking angular design for the soundholes, but the nearest was seemingly damaged in assembly. The ensuing short cracks were carefully and solidly glued. Nut and bridge are made from clear, hard composite (Perspex?). String anchors are on top of the tail and comprise four copper pins – in typical Folkcraft fashion. Overall length 38”, upper bout 5⅝”, lower bout 6¾”, depth 2⅛“, FBW 1½“, VSL 26⅞” (medium scale), weight 2lb 6oz (1085g). Currently fitted 11/[11], 14, 24w strings. Original 6+ but not 13+ frets.
In excellent original condition and well-constructed. Plays very well, good intonation with some volume and subtlety.
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