If you have ever wondered how to build your own mountain dulcimer, then you need our building plans for a traditional hourglass-shaped mountain dulcimer. Our full scale pattern shows you the exact dimensions and shapes for the fingerboard, soundboard (top), braces, back, tail block, fingerboard, fret spacing (this plan shows a 27" VSL), bridges, string spacing and so much more. Suggested wood types are also provided. This plan will get you past the hard part of building an hourglass dulcimer, and right into the fun part - cutting, gluing, and finishing!
Please note: The various wood parts that we offer are appropriate for use with this dulcimer plan, but you may find that some dimensions don't match exactly. If you use the wood parts that we sell (the same parts we use in our own shop for building Folkcraft and FolkRoots dulcimers!) you may find it necessary to adjust this dulcimer plan to fit the wood perfectly. The intention of this dulcimer plan is to offer you a starting point and a set of guidelines for the instruments you will build.
