Furman Thornton Dulcimers
Furman was a contractor turned luthier from Elrod Fry, NE Georgia, who built over 600 dulcimers between the early 1980s and 2018(?) when he died. He started out in his early 40s, trying to re-create an instrument he had seen on television, without even realising it was a dulcimer. His hobby soon became a career and he opened a shop in Rabun Gap 10 years later on the tourist route through the Appalachians. He also sold hammered dulcimers, celtic harps and native american flutes but was best known for his mountain dulcimers, built in a variety of traditional styles.
2.203 Furman Thornton/Cripple Creek 4 String 3 Course Hourglass £Sold
Handmade (and hand-coloured) irregular shape label with big tree in centre: To R “CRIPPLE CREEK/ DULCIMERS/ W. Furman Thornton/ Hartwell, GA.” To L “9” – just the ninth instrument he made?
Big body made from solid (but thinnish) walnut bookmatched on the back. Top is possible cedar, with big heart soundholes, tails pointing to the tail. Neat chamfered scroll, following the Presnell pattern, with a short, shallow pegbox fitted with friction tuners. Hollow walnut fingerboard with 6+ and 13+ frets; ebony nut and bridge – the latter an unusual pattern, mounted in a wide slot. The end of the fingerboard is cut away as it approaches the tail, to allow the strings to angle downwards and pass through holes in the tail. Ball end strings are therefore required. Overall length 37½”, upper bout 6¼”, lower bout 7½”, depth 2¼”, FBW 1½”, VSL 28” (medium/long scale), Weight 2lb 2oz (950g). 6+ and 13+ frets. Strings now 0.11/[0.11], 0.14, 0.23w.
The light construction and large body make for an instrument with some presence, but quite a hard tone. Intonation is a little odd in DAD (1:5:8 tuning) but it works well in DAA (1:5:5). Both the top and the back are uneven, having settled slightly, possibly because the internal strutting is sparse and light, and its ends do not meet the sides or any kerfing. It has a lively back!
Click on images below to enlarge.
2.191 Furman Thornton Fiddle-Shaped Dulcimer, 4 String 3 Course £Sold
Small oblong printed label: “MF 129105 [h/w]/ W. Furman Thornton/ Route 3 Box 3362/ Hartwell, Georgia 30643/ [Tel. No.]/ WFT [h/w initials]”.
Elegant Davis [Clemmer] fiddle-style dulcimer with lustrous walnut body, bookmatched on back and sides. Top and back overlap the sides, so-called fiddle-edged. Beautiful walnut top, with small hearts in flower cluster (LB) and pairs of hearts (UB). Long Davis-style scroll and closed pegbox, mounted with Grover planetary-geared banjo tuning pegs which have real walnut buttons. Walnut fingerboard with dark streaked wenge overlay, 6+ and 13+ frets. Rosewood (?) ‘nut’ (with zero fret) and bridge. Brass screws act as string anchors, two of which have ball-ends. Overall length 38”, upper bout 6¾”, lower bout 7”, depth 2”, FBW 1½”, VSL 28” (medium/long scale), Weight 2lb 8oz (1138g). 6+ and 13+ frets. Strings 0.11/[0.11], 0.15, 0.25w.
This design is very similar to instruments built from the late 60s inwards by Bill Davis in neighbouring Tennessee. The style was continued by Sam Carrell and then, in the modern day, by Mike Clemmer. The walnut wood and choice of grain is beautiful and enhanced by a very lustrous, but not artificially high gloss, finish. In excellent condition, with little wear and few marks, although it does have two short, parallel stress fractures on the back which seem to be stable. This design seems to produce loud but very balanced dulcimers and this is open, incisive yet warm. The action has been lowered slightly and is now good, the intonation has been improved but, in retrospect, it might have benefited from slightly lighter strings (14, 22w perhaps). An unusual and attractive design with a great sound.
Click on images below to enlarge.
