unlabelled 3-String Appalachian Dulcimer (1900)
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Item #13501
3-String Model Appalachian Dulcimer (unlabelled), c. 1900, made in Huntington, West Virginia, natural finish, chestnut top, back, and sides.
This is a non-functioning, very early example of a teardrop-shaped Appalachian dulcimer meant for three strings. While we do not usually deal in non-functioning or as-is instruments, a couple of these primitive dulcimers came as part of a larger collection from a dulcimer aficionado and we share a historical appreciation for even cruder artifacts of early American musicmaking. Traces of age and hardware couples with the buildsmanship of the instrument itself suggest that this instrument is over a century old; the elongated "teardrop" shape of this kind of dulcimer precedes the hourglass that would come to be the more popular choice of Appalachian dulcimers after its introduction to Appalachia in the late 1800's. This extremely primitive dulcimer was found by a folk musicologist unexpectedly in a barn in Huntington, West Virginia.
This one appears to be made entirely of a totally unfinished chestnut wood all around with two very crude crescent moon sound holes carved into the top; chestnut would have been a commonly sourced wood in the region, and this instrument could even have been assembled before the infamous blight that essentially rendered the once-abundant chestnut extinct in Appalachia and devastated the ecology of the region in 1904. Decades later, the worm-riddled chestnut trees fallen in that blight would become a popular choice of resourceful dulcimer makers!
This dulcimer was clunkily made but all signs point to it being a functional and used instrument at the time. The frets are bent nails and the tailpiece is a fantastically resourceful use of a bent tin spoon. There are no Philips or flat head screws here: all joints are held together by now-rusted iron nails hammered into place; seemingly, some areas may have been heated up to encourage cleaner nailing judging by some darker brandishing around the screws on the back for example.
Appalachian West Virginia has a reputation for its tremendous contributions to American folk lutherie, being home to many historically prevalent builders and folklorists. The work is older and more amateur, but overall beautiful even more so as a triumph over circumstance. This was almost certainly built by a quite poor (financially, but not spiritually) musician using what little they had to participate in storytelling and ballad-singing which was a major part of not only everyday life and merriment 19th-20th century Appalachia but how many of these families and communities kept a historical record.
Length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) in depth at deepest point.
This is a non-functioning, unrestored and extremely primitive instrument sold as a historical artifact and decorative, musicological piece. Restoration would be a labor of love and risky (due to the age and condition of the wood) but perhaps not impossible for a willing luthier. All that said, we think it is best kept as a truly beautifully piece of Americana to be admired rather than a piece to be restored.
There are a few gaps between the nailed-together pieces of wood which have obviously dried out a bit over the decades; a few grain cracks can be seen coming off some of the nails as the wood has shifted around the iron more than the iron has shifted around the wood. One hand-carved friction tuner is missing. The nut and saddle are both quite jagged but in place and the tablespoon tailpiece is sturdy. This would make a fine display piece as it is, at the very least. Original Artifact. Unrestored Condition.
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This is a non-functioning, very early example of a teardrop-shaped Appalachian dulcimer meant for three strings. While we do not usually deal in non-functioning or as-is instruments, a couple of these primitive dulcimers came as part of a larger collection from a dulcimer aficionado and we share a historical appreciation for even cruder artifacts of early American musicmaking. Traces of age and hardware couples with the buildsmanship of the instrument itself suggest that this instrument is over a century old; the elongated "teardrop" shape of this kind of dulcimer precedes the hourglass that would come to be the more popular choice of Appalachian dulcimers after its introduction to Appalachia in the late 1800's. This extremely primitive dulcimer was found by a folk musicologist unexpectedly in a barn in Huntington, West Virginia.
This one appears to be made entirely of a totally unfinished chestnut wood all around with two very crude crescent moon sound holes carved into the top; chestnut would have been a commonly sourced wood in the region, and this instrument could even have been assembled before the infamous blight that essentially rendered the once-abundant chestnut extinct in Appalachia and devastated the ecology of the region in 1904. Decades later, the worm-riddled chestnut trees fallen in that blight would become a popular choice of resourceful dulcimer makers!
This dulcimer was clunkily made but all signs point to it being a functional and used instrument at the time. The frets are bent nails and the tailpiece is a fantastically resourceful use of a bent tin spoon. There are no Philips or flat head screws here: all joints are held together by now-rusted iron nails hammered into place; seemingly, some areas may have been heated up to encourage cleaner nailing judging by some darker brandishing around the screws on the back for example.
Appalachian West Virginia has a reputation for its tremendous contributions to American folk lutherie, being home to many historically prevalent builders and folklorists. The work is older and more amateur, but overall beautiful even more so as a triumph over circumstance. This was almost certainly built by a quite poor (financially, but not spiritually) musician using what little they had to participate in storytelling and ballad-singing which was a major part of not only everyday life and merriment 19th-20th century Appalachia but how many of these families and communities kept a historical record.
Length is 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm.), 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) in depth at deepest point.
This is a non-functioning, unrestored and extremely primitive instrument sold as a historical artifact and decorative, musicological piece. Restoration would be a labor of love and risky (due to the age and condition of the wood) but perhaps not impossible for a willing luthier. All that said, we think it is best kept as a truly beautifully piece of Americana to be admired rather than a piece to be restored.
There are a few gaps between the nailed-together pieces of wood which have obviously dried out a bit over the decades; a few grain cracks can be seen coming off some of the nails as the wood has shifted around the iron more than the iron has shifted around the wood. One hand-carved friction tuner is missing. The nut and saddle are both quite jagged but in place and the tablespoon tailpiece is sturdy. This would make a fine display piece as it is, at the very least. Original Artifact. Unrestored Condition.
