The Kitchen Musician has not personally visited all of the stores, sources and people in this list, and, while we try to keep the list and the links up to date, we can't guarantee it. Also, we have not tried all the products from all the places listed; you will have to do that yourself.
Aunt Lu's
Judi Morningstar's Dulcimer Books, and the person to contact about Ruffwater String Band and Just Friends, the Ruffwater Fake Book, and about Michigan dulcimer styles. Judi Morningstar (GMorning@aol.com)
BB Hammers
Bob and Betty Kiogima
1079 Tinker Lane
Proctorville, Ohio 45669
Phone - 1 740 886 2284 - Makers of dulcimer hammers. Bob and Betty appear at various dulcimer festivals with a variety of hammer choices.
43 York Street
Bay City MI 48708
989 892-4672 - Clifford Atwater makes and sells various accessories, chair/carts, stools, stands, dusters for dulcimer players.
Cindy Baker
(231) 744-9303 Hammered Dulcimer cases with gray Cordura cloth exterior, foam padding/insulation, and industrial strength Velcro closures that really work, formerly made by the Michigan Bag Lady, Peg Earl. Now made by Cindy Baker. cindy@noteworthycases.com Custom cases available.
Cloud Nine Hammered Dulcimers
Michael Allen
5701 Stover Road
Ostrander OH 43061
740/666-4253 - Michael Allen makes and sells very nice hammered dulcimers, and sometimes performs with Kendra Ward and Bob Bence.
Dalglish Malcolm Dalglish
Ooolitic Music
1111 E. Wylie
Bloomington, IN 47401
812 333 0838 Studio & Fax email: maldal@oooliticmusic.com - Recordings and scores, and more by multi-talented dulcimist Malcolm Dalglish, and his new organization, the Ooolites. Includes recordings by Metamora and the Banish Misfortune Album.
Different Strummer
909 West Armitage
Chicago IL 60614 - Music store for all kinds of folk music, lessons, books
Elderly Instruments
1100 N. Washington Ave
P.O. Box 14249
Lansing MI 48901
Showroom 517-372-7880 | mail order 517-372-7890 | fax 517-372-5155 - Massive folk store, with mail order operation so large they have separate catalogs for books, recordings, instruments and supplies and vintage acoustic and electric instruments. Web site includes listing of vintage instruments for sale. If you are looking for vintage instruments, check here, and at Gruhn's and Mandolin Brothers.
Dale Evans
208 1/2 E. Locust
Bloomington IL 61701
309/828 0928 - Dale builds dulcimers in central Illinois, and he also handles books and accessories
Famous Old Time Music
6019 Vine
Cincinnati OH 45216
513/242-1442 - and
20322 SR 33, Wapakoneta, OH 45895,
419-568-1220 - Mainly known for Bluegrass instruments, fiddles, banjos and guitars, Vernon & Kitty McIntyre also have hammered and lap dulcimers, and host concerts and workshops. Home of Appalachian Grass.
Folk Notes
2329 Curdes Ave
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
219-484-9078 - Dennis and Linda DenHartog have Hudson, Songbird (Chris Foss), and Dusty Strings hammered dulcimers and accessories including cases, stands, and a variety of hammers. They also have a very large selection of mountain dulcimers by at least 8 different builders at any given time. Many other folk instruments, harps, banjos, ethnic percussion, tinwhistles, native american and Irish flutes, and more. Many titles to choose from in instructional and music books as well as recordings. Teachers are available for hammered and mountain dulcimer, as well as autoharp. open Mon-Fri days and most Sat, mornings. Let them know you're coming to avoid conflicts with their lessons and performance schedule.
Front Porch Music
505 East Lincolnway
Valparaiso IN 46383
219- 464-4700 - Folk music stores with dulcimers, other instruments, books and teachers
Gruhn Guitars
400 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
615/256-2033 Fax 615/255-2021 - In the "Other Stuff" category (as respects dulcimers) but your friends that play guitar, mandolin, etc. will want to check Gruhn and the website. One of the main vintage instrument sites I know.
H&R Dulcimers
4N221 Ferson Creek Rd.
St. Charles, IL 60174
630/377-1504
Fax: 630/513-1085 - New website for hammered dulcimers by Bill Robinson and Ken Harris. Primarily H&R build two sizes (an 11/10 and a 17/16) using the original method of "floating" soundboard construction.
Hooker Hollow Hammered Dulcimers
Rt. 5 Box 295
Keyser, WV 26726
304 788-6167 - Steve Raschella makes custom order and experimental hammered dulcimers, including work with interesting woods (like cedar and lignum vitae) and does other custom dulcimer work.
Jim & Kathie Hudson - J&K Hammered Dulcimers
310 E. Chicago Blvd.
Britton MI 49229
517/451-8259 - In addition to selling hammered dulcimers, and supplies, Jim also performs and records, and is a great story teller. I've seen him go through a 20 minute set at a dulcimer festival, with an encore, and no one realized until much later that he had never played a note. He also has a recording studio. E-mail to Jim Hudson for more info.
Kitchen Musician
449 Hidden Valley Lane
Cincinnati OH 45215
513/761-7585 - Tunebooks for hammered dulcimer and other instruments by Sara Johnson. You're on the Website now. Kitchen Musician® Books
Lost Valley Dulcimer
Linda Foley - Curt Sanders
8022 W. Fruitdale Road
Montague MI 49437
(231) 894 8478 - A nice line of instruments with beautiful ornamental carving available. Linda has taught carving at Augusta. One of my dulcimers is a Lost Valley, and the dulcimer with the light colored soundboard pictured on this site is a Lost Valley.
Maple Valley Hammered Dulcimers
10670 S. Lowell
De Witt MI 48820
517/669-8219 - Handcrafted hammered dulcimers made by John Kelly
Jim Miller - The Hampton Music Shop
PO Box 228
Hampton, Tennessee 37658
615/725-3191 - Jim makes dulcimers, and also performs and records, and is a great story teller.
Morningstar, Judi - Dulcimer Books, Recodings by Ruffwater String Band and Just Friends - See Aunt Lu's above
Mountain Made Music
PO Box #816
Nashville IN 47448
866-372-8576 - Hammered dulcimers, mountain dulcimers and lap harps handmade by Bill Berg. Nashville, Indiana is full of interesting "old-timey" shops, and near Brown County state park. If you are interested in visiting Nashville IN, drop in at Mountain Made; if you are interested in visiting Mountain Made Music, allow some time for sightseeing in Nashville.
Note-Ably Yours
Mail order sales of dulcimer and folk instrument accessories, CDs, cassettes and music books. Catalog. Now at Stoney End in Minnesota
Noteworthy Instruments
John H. Huron, Prop.
1220 Windsor Avenue
Bristol TN 37640
423/764-3332 - Mountain dulcimers and mouthbows (no HDs yet), but the fretless banjos and historical reproduction gourd banjars not only sound nice, but are museum quality, and well worth checking out. (John tans his own ground hog skins for the banjars.)
Old Time Music Shoppe
608 Water Street
Union Mills IN 46382
219/767-2877 - Hammered and Mountain Dulcimers and other instruments, including harp, psaltery, banjo and autoharp, tapes and CDs, plus antiques.
Pigeon River String Instruments
#7 Millstone Village
Pigeon Forge TN 37863-3414
865 453 3789 - Hammered Dulcimers, including a beginner's model, HD books, accessories and stuff, Appalachian dulcimers, old time mountain banjos and mandolins (including a backpacker) - up in the Smokies at the gateway to Gatlinburg. E-Mail dulcimers@pigeon-river.com - Great place to visit.
Red Dragon Music Den
670 Winchester Ave.
Martinsburg WV 25401
Box 3362
304/267-0411 - Books, including music and medieval and renaissance books.
Rizzetta Music - Sam Rizzetta
P. O. Box 530
Inwood WV 25428 - Recordings by Sam Rizzetta, dulcimer designer, player, theorist, teacher and builder. Sam was one of the founders of Trapezoid as a hammered dulcimer quartet, and carries a re-release of the original Trapezoid recording, as well as his new albums. Sam is the creator of the Dulcetta (soprano dulcimer), a bass dulcimer, and the new Rizzetta "piano dulcimer", a fully chromatic instrument. Sam's albums are available on-line at Amazon.com.
Silver Chords Dulcimer & Gift Shop
125 East Main Street
Jonesborough, TN 37659
(423) 788-2863 - Hammered Dulcimers, Appalachian Mountain Dulcimers, Bowed Psalteries, Lap Harps, Folk Harps, Custom Mandolins, Guitars and Banjos, also a very unique instrument, The "Dujo". Rhythm Bones, Books, Hammers, Accessories, etc.
Simple Sounds
225 North Harrison PO box837
Shipshewana, IN 46565
219 768 7776 toll free 1 888 MTDULC-2 - Located in the Amish country in Indiana, Simple Sounds carries hammered dulcimers, lap dulcimers, and many other instruments, including player pianos. They also host workshops for both hammered and lap dulcimer.
Smith Music
425 N Swain
Ingalls IN 46048
317-485-7538 Toll Free1-888-895-3321 (Orders Only) - Tim Smith's site has both lap and hammered dulcimers, as well as other instruments, kits and accessories.
Southwind Dulcimer Shop
4631 Bayard Park Drive
Evansville, IN 47714
Phone: (812) 473-3346 Email: info@remnantspast.com The store handles hammered and mountain dulcimers by Masterworks, David Lindsey, Rick Thum, McSpadden, Folkcraft, T.K. O'Brien, and others; also, Oscar Schmidt autoharps, recordings, books, and specialty items such as embroidered bags and art prints, all with a dulcimer focus.
Stewart-MacDonald
21 N. Shafer Street
Box 900
Athens OH 45701
800-848-2273 - StewMac offers a complete line of hard-to-find tools, parts, and accessories for building and repairing stringed instruments. We also offer a wide selection of instruction books and videos covering all aspects of repair and building. They have a free catalog. Primariliy guitars and guitar kits, but also banjos and some other instruments, and tools and supplies.
Jeannie Tomanica - Wood and Soul
Hammermaker
8250 Mt. Garfield
Nunica, MI 49448
616/853/6371 - A variety of well made standard (whatever that is) and custom hammers, including double headers
Kendra Ward & Bob Bence
1513 Upcreek Road
Bidwell OH 45614
614/388-6464 Fax 614/388-9699 - Dulcimer recordings and dulcimer books by Kendra Ward, and bookings. For information send e-mail to upcreekpro@aol.com
Noteworthy Case
(231) 744-3903 Hammered Dulcimer cases with gray Cordura cloth exterior, foam padding/insulation, and industrial strength Velcro closures that really work, formerly made by the Michigan Bag Lady, Peg Earl. Now made by Cindy Baker. Custom cases available.
St. Anne's Hill Violin Shop
1500 E. 5th Street
Dayton OH 45403-2302
937/461 4166 - Violins, fiddles, violas, cellos and repairs. Has some dulcimer recordings, though here they are called "fiddle recordings with dulcimers".
Cliff's Custom Crafts
Webster String Instruments
William K. Webster
14677 E. 8 Mile Road
Warren, MI 48089
313/882-6853 - Bill Webster's dulcimers have a full, rich sound for solos or for ensemble playing with everything from fiddle, to harp to grand piano. My main recording duclimer is a Webster. Bill makes both fifth tune and octave bass instruments, and recently completed a dulcimer with both bass tunings on one instrument. E-mail address is websterstrings@comcast.net
Wildwood Music
Historic Roscoe Village
Coshocton OH 43812
614/622-4224 - Large selection of hammered dulcimers and mountain dulcimers from various makers, including Dusty Strings, Dulcimer Factory, Chris Foss, J&K, Master Works, Lost Valley, Blue Lion and Cloud Nine. Coshocton is home to the Ohio dulcimer contest in May.
Joe Wojciechowski
23891 80th Avenue
Evart MI 49631
616/ 734-5326 - Dulcimers and hammers and some interesting accessories, like the music stand that sits on the top rail of a hammered dulcimer.
