Gallery Of Completed Instruments

For some philosophical notes on lutherie, click here.

These are instruments I have completed over the course of my efforts as a dulcimer-maker. They do not include all of the instruments I have made, but the are representative. Usually I never make two exactly the same, but if you see something you want reproduced, I would be more than happy to oblige.

This instrument is made of Ailanthus wood and I used the natural knots for the soundholes.

My Celtic Dulcimer. This one belongs to a man in New Mexico now.

It is made of Padauk and Western Red Cedar. This is what he had to say about it:

"Hi Jack.........I think you
did a fine job with it, and I really like it, so I'm not going to give it back
to you, and that's final!!! :) My running partner showed up just after it arrived, and helped unpack it. He's
the director of the manufacturing technology center on campus here(New Mexico State University), and he liked the workmanship on it very much, too, as well as the fine selection and finishing
of woods. Thanks very much for the fine work, and I'm glad I was surfing around
on ebay awhile back.

Best regards,
D."

 

This is a mahogany hourglass with padauk fingerboard

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This is another mahogany hourglass with much tighter waist. This had a higher voice than the previous one.

This is a mahogany teardrop. As with all teardrops, this had an especially nice bass register.

This is a curly maple with walnut back and sides hourglass dulcimer.

This is a european curly maple body with spruce top and ebony fingerboard.

This is a twin to the one above. It is of the same woods, but a different finish was applied.

Mahogany back and sides with spruce top. The fingerboard is purpleheart.

This is another Concert Model, mahogany back and sides, spruce top, carved peghead, rosewood fingerboard with MOP inlay. Here is what the owner had to say about it:

Dear Jack, "My music buddy's response to the photos you sent was "Wow We!". He understated the reality by several magnitudes.

To be frank, I half anticipated that your claim to be able to produce an instrument that looks and sounds "truly spectacular" was liberally flavored with salesmanship. I am absolutely delighted to discover how wrong I was. This dulcimer is exquisite in looks, sound and playability. I'm proud to own it.

Please feel free to give my hearty endorsement to any who ask.

Now, about that half-finished mandolin hanging in your shop... Seriously...

By the way, the first dozen songs were all hymns. Something about the way the old church music just flows from those strings!"

M

 

These three were recently finished.

Some Pegheads I have done recently. This one is on Leroy, the Red Lion dulcimer

This one is a gryphon on a walnut/butternut dulcimer.

These are just a few of my instruments. Please feel free to call, I'd like to think that your instrument is only limited by our imaginations and the laws of physics as we know them.