Cripple Creek Dulcimers
This well-known US dulcimer business was started by Bud and Donna Ford in Cripple Creek, CO around 1970, but in 1973 moved to an old mill near the larger Manitou Springs, some 30 miles away. They opened a retail shop on the ground floor and set up their workshop in the basement. Bud was a good player and he and Donna produced a popular Mel Bay instruction/tune book called “Cripple Creek Dulcimer”. The workshop was destroyed by serious floods in 2013 and this, together with a prolonged dispute with the IRS over back taxes, led the concern to close permanently in 2014. Bud Ford died in 2017 [Gherald LeRoy Ford Jr, June 20 1944 – October 7 2017].
In their heyday, they were producing large numbers of decent quality instruments at different price points and generated many loyal fans. There was talk of varying quality and service towards the end, but the ones I’ve played have been above average for their type.
1.148 1988 Cripple Creek Hourglass 4 String £285 + £20 shell case
Roughly printed oval label, “Cripple Creek/Dulcimers/740 Manitou Ave./ Manitou Springs, Colorado, 80829/ [tel. no.]/ No. 171240”. Several sets of handwritten initials in elaborate label design (JN, JC, AEH, DF).
Large but well-proportioned body (much copied afterwards) made from solid walnut with a bookmatched back, close-grained sides and attractive top with bird and vine soundholes (again, much-copied later). Walnut ‘scroll’ peghead with four nickel, open-geared tuners. Composite nut and bridge. New brass mushroom-headed pins as string anchors, replacing twin dowels on tail. Now with 6+ and 13+ frets. Overall length 35”, upper bout 6”, lower bout 7⅝”, height 2¼”, FBW 1¾”, VSL 27¾” (medium scale), weight 2lb 03oz (1000g). 6+ and 13+ frets. String sizes currently 10/[10], 15, 22w.
A cut above the standard big-bodied O’Briens & Cedar Creeks. Sounds open and pretty clear /full, but without huge complexity. Good volume if required. Good design, solidly constructed and in excellent condition for its age. A great place to begin playing – and continue to progress without selling yourself short.
Click on images below to enlarge.
2.263 (formerly 2.98) – 2004 Cripple Creek “Eagle” – 4 String Hourglass – £Sold
Gold stamp on far side of fingerboard, “Cripple Creek Dulcimers” with handwritten markings inside, “EG/10-04”. Typical elongated scroll and chunky pegbox, fitted with decent gold Schaller-type enclosed geared tuners. Solid all-walnut body with bookmatched top and back, nicely executed vine leaf and eagle soundhole design and large eagle’s head etched onto each side of the scroll. Hollow, wide walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets. Composite nut and bridge, three gold mushroom-headed pins as string anchors. Gold strap buttons have been fitted each end and a good quality Levy’s eagle-themed strap is available to match the overall design theme, if required. Overall length 35”, upper bout 6⅛”, lower bout 7¾”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27¾” (medium scale), weight ??lb ??oz (????g), strings originally 10/10, 10, 22w, now 10/10, 14, 23w.
Uncomplicated, but attractive and nice-sounding dulcimer- a cut above the standard entry-level US instruments.
Click on thumbnails below to enlarge.
1.144 2000s? Cripple Creek Hourglass, 4 String 3 Course £Sold
No label or date, but stamped “Cripple Creek Dulcimers” on far side of fingerboard.
Standard big-bodied CC hourglass design with bookmatched walnut back (nice grain) and ditto sides (small filled knotholes in corresponding places). Pretty, red-tinged ribbon mahogany (?) solid top with neat design of stars, moons (meteor?) and wolves/coyotes howling! Low walnut scroll with closed pegbox fitted with enclosed chrome machines. Wooden nut and bridge with brass mushroom-headed pins as string anchors on flat-ended tail. Walnut fingerboard (not hollow underneath) with mother of pearl markers at frets 3, 7 & 10. Overall length 35¾”, upper bout 5⅞”, lower bout 7⅞”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27¾” (medium scale), weight 2lb 08oz (1121g), strings now 11/[11], 14, 22w.
Excellent condition and sings well, with pretty good intonation. Slightly higher action than usual, but easily adjusted if required. An excellent intermediate instrument, a notch up from the standard O’Brien/Cedar Creek fare.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.112 1992 (?) Cripple Creek Hourglass, 4 String £Sold
Roughly printed oval label, “Cripple Creek/Dulcimers/740 Manitou Ave./ Manitou Springs, Colorado, 80829/ [tel. no.]/ No. 92 019 [h/w]”. Several sets of initials in elaborate label design, possibly handwritten.
Popular model with birch laminate sides and back, walnut scroll, pegbox and fingerboard, solid cherry top. Top has attractive soundhole design of small hearts and vine tendrils. Fitted with open-geared tuners, white plastic buttons and capstan with double string holes. 6+ and 13+ frets, unusual chamfered strum hollow, more like a Walnut Valley than a conventional Cripple Creek, composite nut and bridge, mushroom-headed pins as string anchors.
Overall length 35¼”, upper bout 5⅝”, lower bout 7”, height 2⅛”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27⅝” (medium scale), weight ?lb ?oz (???g). 6+ and 13+ frets. String sizes currently 11/[11], 14, 23w.
Tidy beginner/intermediate model from a well-respected concern, with good action and intonation and few vices.
1.120 Early 2000s? Cripple Creek 4 String 3 Course Hourglass: £Sold
No label, just stamped “Cripple Creek Dulcimers” on far side of fingerboard. Traditional, large solid walnut CC body, bookmatched to back and sides with, unusually, a solid cherry top. Vine leaf and hummingbird decorations, but latter is a stunning multi-coloured wood design set into a circular hole – a one off? Wide, walnut fingerboard routed underneath; 6+ and 13+ frets; wide, high frets; and hard composite white bridge and nut. Low “scroll”, long CC open pegbox and decent quality open-geared tuners with metal knobs. Simple tail with mushroom-headed pins for string anchors (loop end strings only). Small cross carved into far side of scroll – post-purchase? Overall length 35¾”, upper bout 5¾”, lower bout 7⅝”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1¾”, VSL 27¾” (medium scale), weight 2lb 06oz (1074g), strings now 11/[11], 15, 22w.
Excellent condition with easy action and pleasant sound, without great depth of tone. Intonation pretty good. An good intermediate dulcimer with striking looks.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.115 1980s (?) Cripple Creek Hourglass, 4 String, 3 Course £Sold
Oval printed label with ornate design round edge: Cripple Creek/ Dulcimer/ 740 Manitou Ave/ Manitou Springs Colo. 80829/ No. 170656 [stamped]” and initials round edge – MGA, EC or BC.
Solid walnut bookmatched body with solid redwood top, hawk/eagle and leaf soundhole design. Walnut, closed pegbox with decent geared chrome tuners. Composite high nut and bridge. Originally no 6+ and 13+ frets, now added. Original twin dowels in the tail, intended as string anchors, now supplemented by more conventional brass mushroom-headed pins. Black strap buttons at tail and head. Walnut, hollow fingerboard. Overall length 35”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7½”, height 2¼”, FBW 1⅝”, VSL 27¾” (medium scale), weight 2lb 04oz (1035g), strings now 11, 15, 25w. Added 6+ and 13+ fret.
Stout walnut body is in good shape, but thinner top has sustained a little damage. Crack alongside fingerboard at waist, now secured; two tiny cracks between far-side soundholes, visibly repaired; three or four much finer cracks and broken ear in near side soundhole, almost imperceptibly repaired. Surprisingly good, meaty sound, with good balance, sustain and some volume if required. Easy action and good intonation.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1.99 1983? Cripple Creek Hourglass, 4 String 3 Course £Sold
Oblong printed label with sweeping semi-circular motif. “Cripple Creek/ Dulcimers/ 740 Manitou Ave/ Manitou Springs Colo. 80829/ No. 834804.”
Nice solid walnut body with bookmatched sides, top and back. Attractive grain, good rich colour. Vine leaf soundholes. Typical low slung CC scroll with open peg box, flared at the nut end, and good quality chrome open-geared tuners. Wooden (?) nut and bridge; two wooden dowels for string anchors. Has a 6+ fret, possibly added later, no 13+. Overall length 35”, upper bout 6⅛”, lower bout 7½”, height 2¼”, FBW 1½”, VSL 27⅝” (medium scale), weight 2lb 08oz (1129g). 6+ fret. String sizes currently 10/10, 14, 23w.
Well-constructed and in excellent cosmetic condition. Has a decent scale length with an easy action and sounds good, with excellent intonation. An ideal starter/intermediate instrument.
