Hardwood tops, like walnut, cherry, or koa, will generally produce a brighter tone with more brilliance and sustain than a softwood top.

Spruce tops will normally provide a bit more overall volume but with a quicker attack and quicker decay. Some call it a "punchier" sound, which is perhaps best suited for fast fiddle tunes in a bluegrass style.

Redwood tops tend to favor the lower end of the dulcimer's voice and are superb for fingerpicking styles.

Western Red Cedar, my personal favorite, tends to provide the most balanced sound, landing somewhere between the brightness of the hardwoods, and the more mellow sound of the redwood and spruce.

All ESSENTIAL models that have softwood tops (spruce, cedar, or redwood) feature an exclusive Tindle Dulcimers design element. These soft tops are "inset" into the the body sides to protect the them from corner dents and dings. This acts just like hardwood bindings, but without the cost of additional labor and materials.

For aesthetic reasons, all softwood tops on the PREMIUM model with bindings are trimmed with what is referred to as "violin purfling" (labeled as such due to it's common use on violins). This purfling resides between the edge of the top and the bindings on the corner. It is composed of 3 very thin layers of wood in a black/white/black configuration which provides a very nice visual separation of the plain grain and uniform color of the softwoods and the typical curly maple bindings. Several of the dulcimers shown on this website are good examples of this visual appeal.

I know that was a lot to absorb, so please don't hesitate to ask me any questions.

Essential Sonata - Includes a durable Bolivian Rosewood (aka Morado) fingerbaord and tailpiece. The mahogany headstock includes a laser engrave "Tindle" script logo.

Premium Sonata- also includes a Bolivian Rosewood headplate overlay. This wood provides a great background "canvas" for all manner of inlay work. It is typically a very dark purple-ish brown color, which complements a wide variety of inlay materials.

For the additional upgrade cost as shown, you can select Macassar Ebony for the headplate, fingerboard, and tailpiece. It is typically jet-black with a few slightly lighter brown streaks that give it some character. Ebony has been the top choice for stringed instrument fingerboards for hundreds of years. It not only looks fantastic with just about any inlay, but many consider it to be a "faster" playing fingerboard surface.

Essential Sonata- includes a laser engraved "Tindle" script logo on the solid mahogany headstock.

Premium Sonata- includes a metal powder inlay of the "Tindle" script logo on the rosewood headplate.

For the Premium Sonata, there are also numerous add options for headplate inlays to personalize your Sonata dulcimer, and more designs are in the works. I can also do custom designed inlays...just let me know your ideas and I'll see what I can do!

Metal Powder Inlays - these inlays are created by first laser engraving the pocket(s) in the wood. Those pockets are then packed tightly with extremely fine metal powders of various colors and then flooded with very thin super glue. Once sanded back flush with the surface, they reveal amazingly fine detail with a bright metal "shimmer"!

Tindle Dulcimer standard fret position markers are a single inlay at the 3rd and 10th frets and a double inlay at the 7th and 14th frets. Numerous style options are available.

Metal Powder Inlays- these inlays are created by first laser engraving the pocket(s) in the wood. Those pockets are then packed tightly with extremely fine metal powders of various colors and then flooded with very thin super glue. Once sanded back flush with the surface, they reveal amazingly fine detail with a bright metal "shimmer"!

Today, the most common fret arrangement on the mountain dulcimer is the traditional diatonic scale with the addition of the 6-1/2 and 13-1/2 frets. Other very popular but not universal extra frets are the 1-1/2 and, perhaps for some folks, the 8-1/2 fret.

I am happy to include any of these extra frets for your dulcimer at no additional charge, however, if you want some other configuration than what is listed here, please just let me know your preferences.

I can also do a fully chromatic fretboard for the additional cost as shown.

Vibrating string length, or VSL, is the nominal length of the strings from the nut to the bridge. (Due to compensation at the bridge, the correct way to determine the actual VSL is to measure from the nut to the 7th fret and double it).

Longer VSLs typically provide a little fuller and richer quality to a dulcimer's voice, but can be more challenging to play for some folks.

Shorter VSLs may be easier to play, but at the expense of a bit of tone quality.

In order to achieve what I believe to be the optimum balance between tone and playability, my go to VSL is 27". (I also offer a 26" VSL that I think only sacrifices a very minimal amount of tone). However, if you have smaller hands and need an even shorter string length, I offer the Minuet model which has a 25" VSL.

Essential Sonata- Standard hardware includes chrome finished tuning machines and strap buttons. You may also choose to upgrade to black hardware.

Premium Sonata- Standard hardware includes black tuning machines and strap buttons. You may also choose to upgrade to gold hardware.

Most dulcimer players prefer a flat fingerboard surface for ease of playing. However, if your playing style includes a lot of barre chords using your little or ring finger, you may prefer to have a radius fingerboard.

This radius fingerboard provides a 10" radius curve across the top surface of the fingerboard (much like on most steel string guitars) that some players feel is more ergonomic for this style of playing.

This option is for an LR Baggs bridge saddle pickup to be permanently installed and internally wired to a 1/4" cable jack that replaces the tailpiece-end strap button. All you see is the cable jack / strap button.

If you ever want to play your dulcimer through an amplifier, or plug it in directly to a live sound system or recording interface, then this is a smart option. While this pickup can be installed at a later time, it is best to include it within your initial order to save you the cost of shipping your dulcimer both ways.

I have these pickups made to my specifications for string spacing, and they sound wonderfully natural with minimal audio processing. The best advantage of using a pickup in a live sound situation is being able to be heard in a large room without the typical microphone feedback problems.

Protecting your investment is of utmost importance to us. When shipped, your dulcimer will travel safely within its case, which is then carefully wrapped and generously packed inside a sturdy cardboard box.

DOMESTIC USA - Fully insured domestic USA shipping by UPS is provided to any location within the contiguous US for one flat rate fee.

INTERNATIONAL - For all other shipping addresses, fully insured international shipping is provided by UPS or USPS. Rates will be calculated at checkout and can vary greatly based upon your location. Tindle Music Co. does not mark up these carrier rates at all, but includes a modest handling fee to package your dulcimer for safe shipping and include full shipping insurance. (Please note you will also be responsible for any and all taxes, custom fees, etc. when your dulcimer arrives in your country).

CUSTOMER PICKUP - You may also choose to make arrangements to pick up your dulcimer from me, either here in Tulsa, OK or at a festival I attend.

Typical time frame to build and ship a dulcimer not already in progress or in stock is 6-10 weeks, depending upon work backlog, shows, etc. Please contact us if you would like more specific delivery time information before ordering.