How to find the right Dulcimer Accessories AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Dulcimer Accessories
- Mountain vs hammered dulcimer
- Confirm whether you own an Appalachian (mountain, fretted, plucked) or a hammered dulcimer before buying anything. The two instruments share a name but use entirely different strings, tools and accessories.
- Mountain dulcimer strings
- Match the set to your string count (3 or 4, including doubled melody strings), your scale length and your tuning (DAD is the most common). Gauges are chosen for scale length and tuning, so a mismatched set breaks or feels slack.
- Hammered dulcimer tuning tools
- The tuning wrench must match your instrument's zither-pin size. Use a chromatic tuner. Hammered dulcimers have dozens of courses, and a poor-fitting wrench damages pins.
- Hammers
- Choose hammer weight and face (bare wood or leather/padded) for the tone you want. Lighter, flexible hammers suit fast playing. Hammers change the instrument's tone and response more than any other accessory.
- Picks and noters
- Mountain dulcimer players typically use thin, flexible flatpicks. A wooden noter is optional for traditional drone style. Heavy guitar picks sound harsh and catch on the closely spaced strings.
Brands that matter
- Folkcraft: Mountain dulcimer maker that also sells strings and accessories.
- McSpadden: Established mountain dulcimer builder with matching strings and noters.
- Dusty Strings: Hammered dulcimer maker that supplies hammers, wrenches and strings.
- GHS: Offers mountain dulcimer string sets.
What to avoid
- Accessories listed only as 'dulcimer' without saying mountain or hammered
- Medium or heavy guitar picks for mountain dulcimer strumming
- String sets that do not state the tuning or scale length they are made for
Questions
Can I use banjo strings on a mountain dulcimer?
Individual loop-end strings of the right gauge can work, but a set made for your scale length and tuning is simpler and more reliable.