Mountain Dulcimer (Detail)
"Le Bete"

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

I completed this just before exhibiting at the Marin Art Festival in June. Not only is this the first animal head I've done in almost 20 years, but I based it on a viola da gamba head that's in the St. Petersburg Musical Instrument Museum. I also added recycled ivory "fangs" and carved "king and queen" tuning pegs. I named "Le Bete" after the "beast" in Le Belle et Le Bete (Beauty and the Beast). This dulcimer has a warm tone that's a result of the warm, red woods.