Where Medieval and Modern Collide
Purchase a Hammered Dulcimer
Scott sells
MasterWorks hammered dulcimers, his dulcimer of choice
for shows and performances. MasterWorks dulcimers are superlight
and supernice. Pictured here is the 16-15 Ultralight, the
same model that Scott uses for the majority of his
performances. Just because you are a beginner doesn't
mean that you need a 'beginner dulcimer'. The 16/15 is
perfect, but you could also do a 15/14 which has a
slightly softer voice. This 16/15 is $1099.
The top-selling instrument of the MasterWorks line is the 'Russell
Cook Edition' 16/16, pictured below. Russell, the owner /
founder of MasterWorks, designed this after being
asked repeatedly what he would build for himself. This
one costs $2099.
Upgrade the 16/15 to the "Bantam Weight"
option for $200. Russell Cook says, "you get more for
your $200 than anything else we sell." The Bantam
weight has a thin mahogany back and honeycombed
internal endrails making the instrument slightly
lighter. But the true advantage of the Bantam weight
is that the instrument has a richer voice and tone.
The MasterWorks dulcimers come with threaded inserts on
the back of the dulcimer so you can screw your
favorite camera tripod into it for a stand. I use the
adjustable stand and you can either stand or sit, and
adjust for whatever angle you prefer. I prefer a steep
angle that matches my natural forearm angle. Some prefer
a much flatter surface. Ergonomics makes for better playing and
longer practicing.
Most of us dulcimer players are fairly self-taught. An
incredible book to get you going and then some is
written by Russell Cook, himself. It's called 'The
Ultimate Hammer Dulcimer Resource Book' and sells for
$30.
Another very cool thing offered by MasterWorks is damper
pedals. Dampers mute the string's sustain, giving the
instrument a whole different voice and playing
options. You can play superfast stuff without it
getting 'muddy'. If you own a copy of my 'The Road to
Lisdoonvarna' CD, listen to the beginning of 'Over the Waterfall'
and that's a dampened dulcimer. Dampers on new instruments
add an additional $600 to the price.
Choosing a dulcimer can be an overwhelming and confusing
process. What size? What woods? Diatonic or chromatic?
What kind of stand do I need? Do I really need a
damper pedal? The best thing to do is simply call me
with questions:
949.859.7528
I can answer most if
not all of your questions. Anything we don't know I
can find out from MasterWorks and get an order placed
if you'd like.
Download the following pdf files to learn more about MasterWorks dulcimers and their prices:
MasterWorks brochure
Order Form - prices
MasterWorks Accessories
