Ron Gibson Mountain Dulcimer Strings

There is nothing more frustrating than breaking a string - and not having a replacement! Always keep a couple of spare sets....

Most pre-packaged Mountain Dulcimer strings contain a nickel wound bass string.  But as experienced musicians will tell you, nickel wound strings are made for electric guitars - not acoustic instruments. 

My dulcimer strings use only phosphor bronze wound bass strings for a crisp, clean, true acoustic sound.  Each package contains two full sets of dulcimer strings. Strings sold with a dulcimer are shipped for free. The flat rate shipping charge for strings purchased separately is $2 regardless of quantity.

To my knowledge, these are the only pre-packaged 6-string sets for a Mountain Dulcimer.  As with my 4-string sets, they contain a phosphor bronze bass string - for a true acoustic Mountain Dulcimer sound.

Mountain Dulcimer Cases

Price: $35 + $7.50 shipping

Dulcimer cases sold with a dulcimer are shipped free of charge.

I believe these cases offer the best alternative to the chipboard cases that fall apart after minimal use and the hardshell cases that often cost more than the dulcimer itself.  These padded cases are made of heavy-duty, canvas type nylon with a soft inner lining, a sturdy nylon handle and shoulder strap, and a large-sized zippered pocket to keep tuners, picks, books, etc.

Case MD-1 The interior dimensions of the case are 37" length and 10½" width.  It can accommodate a dulcimer with a total depth 3". These cases offer the best fit for a Kentucky style dulcimer.

Price: $35 + $7.50 shipping
 

Case MD-2 The interior dimensions of the case are 40" length and 10½" width.  It can accommodate a dulcimer with a total depth 3".  These cases offer the best fit for Jenny Lind and Barbara Allen style dulcimers.

Price: $35 + $7.50 shipping

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Case MD-1 & MD-2	Case MD-1 & MD-2	Case MD-1 & MD-2

Case MD-3 The interior dimensions of the case are 39" length and 9" width.  It can accommodate a dulcimer with a total depth 3". This case has sidewalls and a more plush  interior than the MD-1 & MD-2 cases.

Price: $40 + $7.50 shipping

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Case MD-3	Case MD-3	Case MD-3	Case MD-3

 

Guide To Playing the Mountain Dulcimer

Price: $7.50 + $2 shipping

Books sold with a dulcimer are $7.50 with no shipping charge.

Over the years I have seen several beginner books.  This is one of the better ones currently available.  It features step-by-step instructions on playing the mountain dulcimer with 23 common songs (such as Amazing Grace, Wildwood Flower, I'll Fly Away, etc) written in musical tablature and music notation so you do not need to read music to use this book. 

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The Best Dulcimer Method - Yet!

Price: $12.50 + $2 shipping

Books sold with a dulcimer are $12.50 with no shipping charge.

This is one of  the best selling dulcimer books ever written. It contains easy to understand instructions and information on the Mountain Dulcimer as well as 139 common songs written in both tablature.  This is a great starting point for beginners and a very good introduction to the Mountain Dulcimer.

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Chromatic Electronic Tuner

Price: $19.95 + $7 shipping

Tuners sold with a dulcimer are $19.95 with no shipping charge.

For most people, the hardest thing about learning to play a dulcimer is learning how to tune it!  But an electronic tuner takes all the guesswork out of tuning. Just turn on the tuner, place it near the dulcimer and pluck the string.  The screen displays the note ( for instance "A") and the needle moves left or right to show if the string's pitch is too low or high.  Then turn the dulcimer tuning key until the needle points straight up and the green "in tune" indicator light illuminates.

I believe Korg tuners are among the best on the market and I have personally used them for years.  The Korg CA-30 is easily the best tuner in this price range.  It operates for years on a 9-volt battery and can be used to tune any instrument. It also has a calibration feature that lets you tune an instrument slightly above or below standard pitch.  If playing with other instruments, an electronic tuner is the perfect tool to insure a great sound.

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Dulcimer Capo

Price: $18.50 + $4 shipping

Capos sold with a dulcimer are $18.50 with no shipping charge.

Capos allow a Mountain Dulcimer to change a keys by "clamping" the strings at a particular fret and thereby raising the pitch of the dulcimer (without retuning the strings).  To return to the original key, simply remove the capo. 

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Dulcimer Noter

Price: $4.50 + $2 shipping

Noters sold with a dulcimer are $4.50 with no shipping charge.

These noters are solid oak, 3/8" diameter and approximately 4" long.  A noter is used to slide up and down the melody string instead of fretting the string with your finger.

I highly encourage you not to use a noter because it severely limits your playing ability. While there is some minor discomfort to learning to play any stringed instrument because of soft fingertips, after about two weeks you will discover that sliding your finger on the string will come as naturally as drinking water and there is no soreness or discomfort. 

Dulcimer Picks

Price: $1 ea. + $1 shipping (any quantity)

Picks sold with a dulcimer are $1 ea. with no shipping charge.

Pick # H-1:    These Herdim picks have three picking edges and a textured center section to make the pick easier to hold.

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Pick # F-1:    These Fender picks have three picking edges and are the picks I normally use for a dulcimer.

Pick # D-1:    These Dunlop picks have three picking edges and are a synthetic copy of natural tortoise shell. From my experience, they simply do not wear out or break and are good all around picks.

Pick # D-2:    These Dunlop picks have three picking edges and textured center section making the pick easier to hold.  They are a bit thicker, which makes them better for "picking" than hard strumming.