Category Archives: hammered

The Santur

2007
AL#92 p.35               read this article
Javad Naini                                                                                           

▪ The santur is the Persian version of the hammered dulcimer, often tuned to scales that would make it unplayable by Western musicians. With 9 photos and a 2-page version of GAL Plan #56.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Makers: Sue and Ray Mooers of Dusty Strings

2004
AL#77 p.8   BRB7 p.142            
Jonathon Peterson   Sue Mooers   Ray Mooers                                                                                   

▪ This is a wonderful story of how a couple began a basement lutherie business and ended up employing 36 people in the creation of fine harps and hammered dulcimers. Everybody in the lutherie trades should be this nice and interesting (and the wonder of it is that so many are!). With 37 photos, including a bunch of the harp assembly shop.

Designing and Tuning the Hammered Dulcimer

1995
AL#44 p.26   BRB4 p.238            
Chris Foss                                                                                           

▪ This is one of the most invigorating articles on the hammered dulcimer ever. Foss has made over 1000 instruments, has developed some hard opinions, and has tried a truckload of interesting experiments. Ever carpet the inside of a dulcimer? Foss has. Find out why.

Dedicated Drill Press for Hammered Dulcimer Production

1995
AL#42 p.44   BRB4 p.190            
Chris Foss                                                                                           

▪ Foss describes his permanent setup for drilling tuning pin and hitch pin holes in dulcimer pin blocks.

GAL Instrument Plan #39: Hammered Dulcimer

1995
AL#41 p.29   BRB4 p.137            
Debbie Suran   Nicholas Von Robison                                                                                       

▪ Suran’s design allows for the least amount of tension over the side bridges, which contributes to instrument stability. A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

A Practical Approach to Hammered Dulcimers

1995
AL#41 p.18   BRB4 p.154            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The goal is to make the lightest possible instrument that will stay in tune. Calkin examines bracing, bridge design, scale lengths, wood, and hammer design. With 9 photos and several drawings.

Jatoba

1993
AL#36 p.50   BRB3 p.420            read this article
Nicholas Von Robison   Debbie Suran                                                                                       

▪ Two luthiers examine an alternative wood and find that their samples do not match each other, and that their research texts don’t match descriptions, either. Two chunks of wood point to a common problem for those who are driven to be different.

Flexible Dulcimer Hammers

1987
AL#10 p.55   BRB1 p.409            read this article
Russ Carlisle                                                                                           

▪ These hammers sport a shaft of bamboo. They can be quickly flipped to offer hard or padded hammer surfaces. Make a set. Throw a dance.

The Hammered Dulcimer: Ancient, Wonderful, and Still Evolving

1987
AL#10 p.20   BRB1 p.374            read this article
Sam Rizzetta                                                                                           

▪ Rizzetta is often called the father of the modern hammered dulcimer. This lengthy lecture transcription from the 1984 GAL convention covers the 19th century dulcimer as made in America as well as Rizzetta’s entry into field in the 1960s. He carefully explains his own innovations, material choices, and construction techniques. With 18 photos.

The Cimbalom

1986
AL#5 p.38   BRB1 p.186            read this article
Alexander I. Eppler                                                                                           

▪ Eppler describes the most sophisticated member of the hammered dulcimer family, but offers no construction information.

Hammered Dulcimer Tuning Tricks

1983
DS#234   BRB2 p.335            
Edward Damm                                                                                           

▪ Some of these tricks need to be built into the instrument. The others are useful after it’s complete. With hammered dulcimers you need all the tuning help you can get. With 5 drawings.