The Best Dulcimer Builders [2024]

There are many excellent dulcimer builders throughout the United States and abroad. Sometimes good builders can be hard to find. However, if you belong to a dulcimer club or take lessons you should be able to start your search through word of mouth. In this article, we provide a list of some of the best dulcimer builders in the country.

Some dulcimer builders maintain an inventory of custom-built instruments, while others will build on-demand based on your specific criteria. And others will sell custom kits. Regardless of your need, there are dulcimer builders who can help. And they are all a friendly bunch.

Below is a list of experienced dulcimer craftsmen (or luthiers) to get you started.

If we are missing a builder you recommend, please let us know.

Arkansas

McSpadden Dulcimers
Mountain View, AR
Well known for their exceptional quality, McSpadden Dulcimers builds custom mountain dulcimers. Options include different wood species and other features. They are offered in a variety of voices including Ginger, standard, 26 inch, baritone, bass or dulci-banjo. A standard, 26 inch or baritone may be a six string. They also build a new model of mountain dulcimer called the Flatwater, a eco-friendly design utilizing scraps of wood that would otherwise go to waste.

For more information, contact Jim Woods at (870) 269-4313 or visit the website.

Modern Mountain Dulcimer
Batesville, AR
Modern Mountain Dulcimer builds high performance mountain dulcimers for discerning players ranging from beginners to professionals. These finely crafter instruments are about sound and playability. Their beauty is derived from the attention to detail given both in craftsmanship and construction method. For pictures of their custom-built instruments, visit their website or view the gallery.

For more information, email info@modernmountaindulcimer.com or visit the website.

California

Blue Lion Dulcimers & Guitars
Santa Margarita, CA
Blue Lion Dulcimers & Guitars have been builders of mountain dulcimer and other fine instruments since 1977. They offer a variety of pre-built mountain dulcimers, and take orders for custom pieces. If you are interested in custom inlay or modifications, visit their inlay and options pages. 

For more information, contact Robert & Janita Baker at dulcimers@bluelioninstruments.com and (805) 438-5569, or visit the website.

Joellen Lapidus
Los Angeles, CA
Joellen Lapidus is dulcimer who does custom work and also sells refurbished used instruments. You can view their latest inventory here.

For more information, contact Joellen Lapidus at lapidusmusic@aol.com or visit the website.

Connecticut

Backyard Music
Willimantic, CT

Backyard Music makes inexpensive beginner instruments by using durable corrugated cardboard for the sound box. Their mountain dulcimer kits are perfect for beginners, and can easily be assembled with basic Elmer’s glue, a Phillips head screwdriver, and a hammer.  Their goal is to build a full-sized, long-lasting, easily-tuned, and easily-played instrument with a dulcimer sound. Both kits and instruments have solid wood fretboards, reliable geared tuning pegs, and pre-installed metal frets.

For more information, contact (860) 771-0820 or visit the website.

Indiana

Folkcraft Instruments
Woodburn, IN

Folkcraft Instruments builds handmade mountain dulcimers just the way you want it. From their entry-level Folkcraft FSH Series and FolkRoots D Series dulcimers, to the more expensive FolkRoots H Series dulcimer, to their exceptional Folkcraft Custom Series dulcimers, the choice is ours. In addition to custom mountain dulcimers, they also offer accessories, kits, and other fine folk instruments.

For more information, contact Richard Ash at (317) 539-1855, or visit the website.

New Harmony Dulcimer Company
New Harmony, IN

Since 2013, New Harmony Dulcimers has been reinventing the mountain dulcimer. In addition to showcasing beautiful woods and simple elegance in craftsmanship, they constantly innovate to create a sound like no other. Builders include long-time woodworker-turned-luthier Rick Gooden (the company founder and lead designer of the New Harmony Dulcimer line) and Rob Woodring, a woodworker and luthier from the guitar world who been training to continue the legacy ever since.

For more information, contact Rick Gooden at (833)-852-4637, or visit the website.

New Traditions Dulcimers & Wood Crafts
Somerset, IN

New Traditions Dulcimers & Wood Crafts is based in Wabash County in Indiana, and is owned by luthier Dan Daniels. Dan has been building beautiful dulcimers and other musical instruments since high school but launched New Traditions in 1982 on an island near Seattle, Washington.  His goal is to provide customers with the finest in handmade instruments made with love, grace and mercy.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact dan@newtraditionsdulcimers.com, or visit the website.

Kentucky

Warren A. May Woodworker
Berea, KY

For over forty years, Warren May Woodworker has been making the original Kentucky dulcimer using the best local woods and finest tone woods in the world. His priority is playability as well as ease of learning and the enjoyment of the dulcimer. Native woods from Central Kentucky are used, including walnut, cherry and tulip poplar. Warren is an accomplished builder and has made over 17,000 Appalachian dulcimers, maintaining the authentic design and sound of the mountain dulcimer. His work has been featured in Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, and seen on HGTV and The American Woodshop.

For more information, contact Warren May at (859) 986-9293 or visit the website.

Jeffrey Lambert
Flemingsburg, KY
Jeffrey Lambert hand crafts each of his dulcimers in his woodshop, located in beautiful Fleming County, Kentucky. His custom dulcimers are available completely finished or in a kit form (for those who want to experience the joy of building their own instrument). Learn more about how his dulcimers are created at his website.

For more information, contact Jeffrey Lambert at dulcimersbyjeff@msn.com, (606) 209-0142 or visit the website.

Michigan

Doug Berch
Okemos, MI

As both a musician and dulcimer builder, Doug Berch makes dulcimers that meet his demanding requirements as a player. Doug strives to combine the best elements of traditional dulcimer craftmanship with the techniques of historic and modern lutherie to make beautiful, responsive dulcimers that are a joy to play. In 1983, Doug won first place in both the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship and the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship in Winfield, Kansas.

For more information, contact Doug Berch at (517) 325-3091, or visit the website.

Missouri

Wild Meadow Dulcimers
St. Luis, MO
Wild Meadow Dulcimers is a well-regarded custom dulcimer builder in Missouri, crafting exceptional instruments since 1979.

For more information, contact Dale Penrose at penroseduo@att.net.

North Carolina

Bob Gerard Dulcimers
Mount Airy, NC

Bob Gerard Dulcimers creates beautiful, one-of-a-kind mountain heirloom quality mountain dulcimers, as well as German/Pennsylvania Dutch hummels/scheitholts and instrument cases. Each instrument made by Bob is a work of art. They are very carefully hand-crafted, without using any mass-produced techniques, in his wood shop in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

While Bob will no longer be building custom instrument, pre-built dulcimers will be available through Facebook, eBay or Etsy.

Ohio

Prussia Valley Dulcimers
Waverly, OH

Prussia Valley Dulcimers features many quality musical instruments, including Prussia Valley dulcimers, Tacoma guitars, Masterworks hammered dulcimers, mid-Missouri mandolins, and other fine acoustic instruments. Order three ways – either online, by calling, or when in Southern Ohio, by stopping by their shop in Waverly. Their acoustic music shop also stocks many other instruments, instrument accessories, books and recordings to meet your every musical need.

For more information, contact Gary Sager at (740) 941-1271, or visit the website.

Ron Ewing Dulcimers
Columbus, OH

Ron Ewing is a very experienced dulcimer builder and musician, having built and played about 1700 dulcimers since 1970. His goal is to build fine, attractive instruments at reasonable prices. His dulcimers are crafted in a variety of styles, and use only solid domestic and imported woods, selected for their tonal quality, beauty, and compatibility.  He builds exceptional quality dulcimers, dulcimettes, baritone dulcimers, as well as hammered dulcimers with many different options available. As a musician, Ron has also performed and taught throughout the country and is particularly known for his lively renditions of traditional Irish, Appalachian, and European dance tunes. 

For more information, contact Ron Ewing at ewing.ron@gmail or (614) 263-7246.

South Carolina

Stephens Lutherie
Indian Land, SC

Stephens Lutherie is a mountain dulcimer builder in South Carolina that focuses on innovative design that results in improvements in tone, volume, and longevity.  Their goal is to make a contribution to the serious dulcimer players of the world. Stephens combines the traditional design and construction of the dulcimer with the latest techniques in classical guitar craftmanship and computer controlled manufacturing techniques. They strive to build instruments that meet the needs both amateur the serious professional musicians.  While their current focus is building prototypes for professional musicians, they will build instruments for sale.

For more information, contact Robert Stephens at stephenslutherie@gmail.com or (414) 640-0712.

Tennessee

Wood-n-Strings Dulcimer Shop
Townsend, TN

Wood-n-Strings Dulcimer Shop has a great reputation for repairing, trading and buying instruments, borne from the owner’s life-long love of many types of music, playing, and singing. They have over 30 years of experience building hand-crafted mountain dulcimers, and invite customers to visit them in their shop. They build custom dulcimers from walnut, cherry, butternut, sasafras or wormy chestnut, and are known for their original Ban-Jammer creation. They will help you create a special dulcimer with your own soundhole pattern design.

For more information, contact Mike Clemmer at (865) 448-6647 or visit the website.

Dulcimore Dan
Tazewell, TN

Dulcimore Dan is a traditional Appalachian dulcimore builder nestled in the heart of the Cumberland Gap. Dulcimore Dan specialized in indigenous woods, staple frets and hand-rubbed finishes. For at least ten year, he’s worked on several models. The “Betty” and “Ultra-lite” are their two best known, but they offer many others. Dan is also a proud member of the Cumberland Gap Artist Co-Op, as well as a historian and curator with the goal of preserving the craft.

For more information, contact Dulcimore Dan at dulcimoredan@gmail.com. or visit the website.

Magowan Mountain Dulcimers
Memphis, TN
Magowan Mountain Dulcimers is a custom-only dulcimer builder based in Memphis, TN. For more information, contact Bob Magowan at magowandulcimers@comcast.net.

Texas

McCafferty Dulcimers
Pattison, TX

McCafferty Dulcimers began building mountain dulcimers and pick’n sticks for sale around 1996. A traditional mountain dulcimer builder, McCafferty Dulcimers uses only the finest materials in the construction of their instruments, and are constantly in search of beautiful woods suitable for instrument building.  They believe mountain dulcimers should be a balance of beauty.  They also believe they should be beautiful to listen to, to look at, to play, and to touch. Demand is high for these custom builds, but is worth the wait.

For more information, contact Terry McCafferty at terry@mccaffertydulcimers.com or (713) 906-7318.

Virginia

Appalachian Flutes and Dulcimers
Salem, VA

Appalachian Flutes & Dulcimers first started in 2002 and offer custom built mountain dulcimers and accessories. They build three basic dulcimer types, 1) hour-glass, 2) tear-drop, and 3) the German Scheitholt style. Each type also has a mid-size model somewhat smaller in design for special playing needs. Customers can choose from a variety of wood types, sound-holes, and fret-boards to meet his/her needs. Raw materials are primarily hardwoods that are sourced from the Appalachian Region of the United States. They use only salvaged wood, including Black Cherry, Black Walnut, Dogwood, Curly Maple, Eastern Red Cedar, and re-claimed American Chestnut. Live trees are never cut or damaged to meet their needs. Each instrument is hand-crafted and tuned to provide the very best in playing enjoyment.

For more information, contact Jack Ferguson at his Facebook page.

West Virginia

Nicholas Blanton Instruments
Shepherdstown, WV

Nicholas Blanton Instruments has been making custom hammered dulcimers since 1977. These include custom instruments of their own design, as well as those of well-known dulcimer builder Sam Rizzetta’s for thirty years. Their instruments and accessories are designed to meet the musical needs of the most demanding players. Subscribe to their newsletter.

For more information, contact Nicholas Blanton at updf@ earthlink.net or (304) 263-2531

Interested in learning more about joining a dulcimer club? Check out our post that lists active dulcimer clubs across the United States.