Dulcimers from Scott Antes-related Workshops
Boulder Junction was a small dulcimer workshop founded by Scott Antes in Uniontown, Ohio. The instruments were sold from the shop and at arts and craft fairs. Scott also owned a popular coffee house nearby which booked local and international folk artists. Quite a few of the local musicians seem to have received extra income as luthiers, building and repairing at the workshop. Well-known dulcimer players like Leo Kretzner and Jay Leibovitz were employed there in the mid-70s. Other musicians whose names appear as luthiers on Boulder Junction instruments include Dave Neff, his wife Diana, banjo player Christian Wig, and guitarist/mandolin player Roger Phillips. The workshop also made (and repaired) guitars and folk harps. Locals still remember with affection the informal Thursday evening sessions at the coffee house which attracted players (and would-be players) from many miles around – and no doubt sold many instruments as well!
The two dulcimers from 1977 have different labels, one printed, one handwritten, but the two addresses are only 15 miles apart…and one is a P.O. Box. It’s possible therefore, that: EITHER the workshops are one and the same, but with the second label showing its actual location; OR that the ownership of Boulder Junction changed in 1977 and Scott Antes established a new workshop nearby. Christian Wig recalls buying the Boulder Junction business from Scott, after he apprenticed with him in 1976, then going into partnership with Dave Neff.
2.131 May 1977 #1043 4 String, 3 or 4 Course Teardrop £295 + NEW padded case if required £25
Big pasted-in label, all handwritten: “No. 1043/ May 15, 1977/ [sgnd] Rex Antes/ Scott E. Antes & Co./ Massillon, OH 44646”. [NB record of another made 9-9-77 #1091 at Massillon by Thomas deFine Licht (?)]
Nicely-figured cherry body with bookmatched sides and back, latter with a central purfling strip. Spruce top with a soundhole design comprising a cluster of round holes. Cherry fingerboard and open pegbox with simple scroll. Rosewood (?) nut and bridge with mushroom-headed pins as string anchors. Unusual step-down from high fingerboard to pegbox and an almost elliptical rather than teardrop body shape. Very low frets. Grover sta-tite friction tuners with black plastic buttons. Originally, a clean crack on the far side body, towards the neck end, probably following an impact. Now solidly repaired and cleated, leaving a faintly visible line and slight depression, which has no effect on sound or integrity. Overall length 36¾”, upper bout n/a, lower bout 7¾”, height 2¼”, FBW 1½”, VSL 28″ (long/medium scale), weight 2lb 02oz (963g), strings now 0.012, 0.015, 0.025w. 6+ but not 13+ fret. Note that the key dimensions of this teardrop are very similar to the Boulder Junction hourglass (2.174 below).
Big-bodied instrument, very well constructed with attractive light cherry body, showing a wide variety of dark orange and yellow hues on the back. Low nut and frets generally make for an easy action which seems to work well even with fairly heavy strings – although the action is correspondingly higher towards the end of the second octave. Very playable, with a good sound and quite a bright and lively feel.
2.179 May 1979 Boulder Junction Artist’s Model #533 4 string, 3 course teardrop £Sold
Oblong printed label: ““Handmakers of/ Fine Stringed Instruments/ [h/w] Artist’s Model #002/ BOULDER JUNCTION,/ INC./ PO Box 471 13890 Cleveland Ave./ Uniontown, Ohio 44685…[tel. no.]/ [h/w] # 533 May 16, 1979/ [h/w] Heege (?) Behanna”.
Deep bookmatched cherry body, darker than usual on sides, but ginger on back with a prominent light sapwood streak and central purfling strip. Unusual combination of sculpted scroll with guitar tuners (Grovers), made possible by a flat, solid pegbox. Lightly flecked redwood (?) top with unusual squashed S soundholes – two large two small up the neck. Sides slot into tail and head block, with pegbox secured by back running under first inch or so. Cherry fingerboard with rosewood (?) overlay, 6+ but not 13+ fret. Rosewood nut and slanted bridge, notched with middle string unusually far to the bass side. Four mushroom-headed pins on end of fingerboard/tail as string anchors. Overall length 37”, upper bout n/a, lower bout 7”, height 2½”, FBW 1½”, VSL 27″ (medium scale), weight 2lb 09oz (1150g), strings now 0.011, 0.015, 0.023w. 6+ but not 13+ fret.
Pretty instrument, made from good quality materials. Clear, balanced tone with some power from the deep body. Excellent condition generally. Only cosmetic flaw is some external, electrolytic damage to two of the tuners which does not affect their functioning in the least.
Click on images below to enlarge.
2.180 May 1979 Boulder Junction #535 4 string, 3 course teardrop £Sold
Oblong printed label: ““Handmakers of/ Fine Stringed Instruments/ BOULDER JUNCTION,/ INC./ PO Box 471 13890 Cleveland Ave./ Uniontown, Ohio 44685…[tel. no.]/ [h/w] # 535 May 16, 1979/ [h/w] Roger Phillips”.
Deep bookmatched rosewood body – probably east indian rosewood from the colour, but does have some interesting grain patterns. Back has central purfling strip. Sides dovetail into tail and head block. Close-grained cedar (?) top with heart soundholes (two big, two small), tails pointing to tail. Identical scroll to #533 above, but on more conventional open rosewood pegbox with horizontal tuners – originally Grover Sta-Tite friction, but now replaced with a set of stunning geared gold Gotohs and ivory white buttons. Mahogany fingerboard with rosewood overlay, 6+ not 13+ fret, bone nut and slanted bridge, notched with a 4 equidistant and (originally rather uneven) 3 course setup – now adjusted. Mushroom-headed pins on end of fingerboard/top of tail. Overall length 37½”, upper bout n/a, lower bout 7”, height 2½”, FBW 1½”, VSL 28″ (long/medium scale), weight 2lb 08oz (1129g), strings now 0.012, 0.014, 0.023w. 6+ but not 13+ fret.
This is a handsome instrument and must have been expensive in its day. Highest quality materials, well-built and to a tried and tested design. It has an open, rich sound, some attack and volume if pushed, but with good clarity and some interesting overtones. Easy action and excellent intonation, with its practicality much enhanced by the new, top quality Gotoh geared tuners.
Click on images below to enlarge.
2.174 (formerly 2.113) January 1977 #300 4 String 3 or 4 Course Hourglass £Sold
Printed label: “Handmaker of/ Fine Stringed Instruments/ BOULDER JUNCTION,/ INC./ PO Box 471 13443 Cleveland Ave./ Uniontown, Ohio 44685…/ [h/w] No. 300 Jan. 7 1977/ [h/w] Roger Phillips”.
Well-proportioned solid walnut body with book-matched back and a white-wood purfling strip down the middle. Sides are deeper than average for an early dulcimer. Close-grained pale-ish cedar (?) top with stylised “dripping” heart soundholes. Darker walnut open pegbox/scroll was originally fitted with Grover sta-tite friction pegs, but now has a fine set of gold Der Jung 1:4 banjo-type tuners with pearlescent buttons. Walnut single-piece fingerboard with 6+ but not 13+ frets. Walnut (?) hardwood nut and bridge, cut for four equidistant or traditional three course strings set-up – but with rather odd spacing. Four mushroom-headed pins set on the top of the solid walnut tail. Construction-wise, the sides slot into channels in the head and tail, a la Amburgey. Overall length 36¾”, upper bout 6”, lower bout 7¾”, height 2¼”, FBW 1½”, VSL 28⅛” (long/medium scale), weight 2lb 4oz (1018g), strings now 0.011, 0.014, 0.023w. 6+ but not 13+ fret.
This is a big bodied dulcimer, though the design disguises the bulk well, and it has good volume and clarity, with a well-balanced treble and mid-range – unusual for such a comparatively early dulcimer. The action is good and the intonation fine in DAD. This is a well thought-out and very playable dulcimer.
Click on images below to enlarge.
