Construction:body:Assembling the Dulcimer

Assembling
the Dulcimer Body

The body is one of the major assemblies of the dulcimer, needless to say. The components of the body--back, ribs, peghead and tailblock are assembled in one step in a building jig. Then further interior furnishings are added.

We begin by assembling the major body parts in the building jig. Each model has its own jig. Assemblying into the jig is a dramatic moment, culminating lots of work in design, carving of peghead and tailblock, tonewood selection and preparation, and--in the case of the Concert Grand and Baby Grand--back ornamentation.

The assembly is removed from the building mold, ready to receive inner structures. These bracings and linings give the body strength, so the dulcimer can be light and responsive acoustically without sacrificing .

In creating the back, tailblock, and peghead, the edges and planes are made just approximately correct, to be trimmed later. Now we do that carving of the body to fair lines.

Finally, we trim the top back to a fiddle edge. This is done free-hand with a very sharp knife, then the edge is faired with a sanding block, rounded slightly so the edge won't catch on things. The body is done. In such a simple step, our assembly is done.

Dwain Wilder

My guestbook has excellent anti-spam features for your protection as well as mine. Please write me there at Guest Book