Mountain Dulcimer
"The Singing Maiden #2"

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. TThe fingerboard is pine with a black walnut fretboard lamination. The tuning pegs are hand-carved beech.

I completed this instrument in 2002 just before packing up and moving home and shop to a new location. I'm in the same general Westside Santa Cruz location, but in a smaller, more efficient work space.

This dulcimer is nearly all walnut with recycled beech tuning pegs. The pegs used to be tenons on a junked early-American style pine trestle table. I carved the Singing Lady from my imagination. I used no photos or drawings to copy from this time. She has a small antique ivory bow in the back of her hair.