Mountain Dulcimer
"Ol' Black Joe"

Traditional teardrop design made with cocobolo, black walnut, spalted maple, and recycled pine.

Dulcimers have been around in their current forms since the mid-1800s. They are commonly associated with the ancestors of European immigrants, but because many Southern states, like Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina, were (and still are) centers of dulcimer development and playing, I've assumed that some slaves might have taken up the instrument. I have not found any documented proof, yet, but it is possible.

With that in mind, I created "Ol' Black Joe." I found a copy of an 1865-75 tin-type photo of an ex-slave on the internet, and used his likeness for the black walnut dulcimer head carving. The tuning pegs are ebony, and the sound hole carvings are of spalted maple. It's a very lovely sounding instrument.