The Cutaway Dulcimer plays the same and sounds the same as a traditional mountain dulcimer. One side, however, is narrower which allows the dulcimer to be played in a "guitar position" in addition to the normal "lap position". Thus the fingering is inverted from normal style. It is kind of a missing link between the traditional mountain dulcimer and our "stick style" Wildwood Dulcimer. The inverted fingerings are a little easier for guitar players but it still produces the rich, full sound of a mountain dulcimer. When you want to play in a traditional style, lay it flat and play it like any other mountain dulcimer.



The solid spruce soundboard features three "heart" holes. The back, sides, and fret board, are rosewood. The fret board has arches underneath allowing free space between the soundboard and the fret board. The carved scroll peg head has geared 4:1 banjo style tuners. Many tunings will work, but we recommend the traditional DAD to make it easy to pick up and play. A pick and noter are included.



Special Note: The strings put on the instruments in our workshops, while playable, are put through some rigorous testing. They should probably be replaced for improved play-ability, sound quality, and better tuning shortly after you receive the instrument. For your convenience we offer Roosebeck Wildwood Dulcimer strings, and you can order them here.