Making Mountain Dulcimers

Building Mountain Dulcimers

Bear Meadow Dulcimers-Click to see full size

These pages are crammed with info about how I build dulcimers. My aim is to demonstrate the quality of my methods to prospective clients and students, help beginning builders, and exchange information with my luthier colleagues around the world.

Design. A fine musical instrument begins with designing one which will augment or complement the musician's voice, repertoire, and range of performance styles.
Materials. The woods, glues, and finishes used, and their contribution to the character of the instrument being built.
Tools. This is a small discussion of tools I use, and the basis for choices between old and new techniques.
Dulcimer Building Methods. Here we delve into the details of building. Look here if you are after details of how I get a specific job done, such as installing FlexiFrets®.
Finishing. We discuss a narrow slice of the art of finishing, pertaining to the process I use in finishing a musical instrument.
Dulcimer Building Classes. If what you see here inspires you to build dulcimers of the highest quality, consider attending classes at Bear Meadow.

Dwain Wilder dwain@bearmeadow.com