Mountain Dulcimer
"Lily of the West"

Original design based on the J. E. Thomas dulcimer housed in the Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C. The top, back, sides, head and tailpiece are black walnut. The fingerboard is pine with a black walnut fretboard lamination. The tuning pegs are hand-carved maple stained black to look like ebony.

My newest singing maiden is named after the fickle Flora, the Lily of the West. (An 18th-19th century folksong from the period of Western expansion.) I'm very pleased with the sound and ease of playing on this instrument. I finished this September, 2004, just in time to use it on the last song I recorded on my new folk music CD, Calling Me Home.

Click here for a short sound clip of the title song.