Folkcraft Instruments

I received my gorgeous D series dulcimer two weeks ago. Prior to this I had never seen, let alone played one. Yet I was inspired by a number of my favorite tunes and artists including the late Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones and Cyndi Lauper. I have quite a collection of stringed/fretted instruments so the dulcimer was relatively easy for me to pick up with some great instructional lessons online.

So just a beginner but intent on improving everyday and learning different musical genres from Pachabel to The Beatles. I have several fiddler friends and I was actually able to sit in with them on a few standard old-timey tunes using just a few chords. I wish however that I had ordered my dulcimer with a pickup as playing with my fiddler buddies requires a bit more volume.

In short I would order another one from Folkcraft without a second thought. Maybe the resonator model?

I got books 1, 2 and 3. All of the books are wonderful. I am enjoying playing the songs. I much appreciate the tips in each of the books.

Where to even begin? It’s probably safe to say I’m a level below “amateur” woodworker, so this kit offered an exciting challenge. I was worried about the quality of the sound hole appearance if I cut them, so I contacted the Folkcraft team and Richard setup to have my design laser-cut on the sound board! I also wanted a larger scale fret board (I have long thing fingers). These options were a minimal cost added to the price, and again Richard for the win! The wood is very high quality. All the pieces are cut with precision, and the instructions are really easy to follow. The only even remotely non-extraordinary thing I’d say if that I would liked to have had the option for the California size dulcimer and maybe a Galax back. This kit, while robust, requires patience to achieve great results. The old adage “measure twice, cut once” is certainly applicable. Cannot praise the kit and the Folkcraft team enough!!!!!!

Nothing sweeter than a fresh set of strings and I love the ones from Folkcraft.

Tom McConnell - Baritone Dulcimer Jam Book

Good picture, has mm and weird inch measurements. Don’t expect step by step instructions but all in all very high quality and a fun build.

After taking an online class with Melanie, I purchased her TablEdit book as an easier resource than my scribbled notes. The manual is well organized and offers effective and clear examples and tips. This is a good adjunct to the online user manual and will be a great resource as I work to gain skill in writing out, saving, and printing tab-based arrangements.

The original Ungar/Mason book is not optimized for mountain dulcimers. Rarely do they offer more than single-note treble notation. Their tunes range widely in key signature and, while providing chord names, there is no tab. In this adaptation, Melanie has done the work of transposing these chosen tunes to dulcimer-friendly keys (mostly D, with occasional G) and standard DAD tab (one DAC tuning). The tab fills out the chords, and allows for solo chord-melody performance. Hopefully, Melanie will continue to adapt tunes from the Ungar/Mason portfolio.

Some of the nicest folks you will ever "meet"! Love their dulcimers, wish I could afford one at this point but hopefully in the future. Very helpful staff. I ordered some noters and they are wonderful. I have been playing the dulcimer for years and this is the ONLY company I would recommend. So I'm saving up to get a dulcimer from them and you will not have any issues when you purchase from them

So thankful to Folkcraft for making these Second Saturday Workshops available. Especially when they have those Dulcimer Legends that you have only seen or heard on video. To be able to set in workshop and learn from the Legends. Hurry get your tickets, limited seating. This is something you don't want to miss.

Like the variety of stiffness and good grip on each pic, various colors make it clear which pic you are using (stiffness/thickness) Great for someone just beginning who wants to experiment with different pics at a good price

Our order was somehow lost between Ersy and Folkcraft. When I contacted Folkcraft, they immediately went to work on correcting the problem and even sent a second strap to make up for the inconveinence. Now that is a company that deserves recognition for customer satisfaction!

The instrument is everything I wanted and more. I had very specific set-up requirements due to fairly severe arthritis in my left hand. I need the action as low as possible as well as slightly lighter strings than are standard on a 25” VSL. I’d spoken to several other dulcimer builders in my quest for a dulcimer to meet my needs, and they were all reticent to go outside their usual box to accommodate me. Not Richard! He made sure to set up my dulcimer exactly per my requirements. Not only does it play exactly like I wanted it to (so easily!), its sound it absolutely captivating, clear as bell, with lovely sustain. And it plays in absolutely perfect tune, yay! I’m also impressed with the exquisite attention to detail in the finishing, the outstanding craftsmanship, every aspect perfection. The look of the wood chosen for the instrument takes my breath away! One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

Looking forward to using

This series will take you from beginner thru advanced! Its as good as any books out there on the subject! I highly recommend them! As with any book, stick to it. Keep trying and you will progress and get better. I dont have access to anyone or near by clubs, so i have purchased many books. This series is up at the top. Pricey but worth it. The spiral binding works great and keeps the book open where you need it!