The patterns of the dulcimer are only limited to the wood-carpenters imagination.

This folk instrument is native to the wild and wonderful Appalachian mountains. Though it is frequently interchanged there are a few tone qualities that differ this instrument from its close brother, the mountain dulcimer.

Even though it's origins go back to the early 19th century, with Irish-Scott immigrants, this fretted string instrument has know history in Scotland or Ireland. Typically it has three or four strings that stretch the full length of the finger board and it is a member of the zither family.

It wasn't until the late 1930's that this proud Appalachian instrument came out of hiding and was heard around the U.S. Famous names like Jean Ritchie, George Pickow, and Richard Fariña began incorporating this beautiful instrument into their pieces and actually producing them nation-wide.