My headstocks are basically a sandwich of layers. Leaving the center open for the strings. It pretty easy really. You just figure out how much inside space you're gonna need and the side plate thickness, after you determine what kind of tuners you're gonna use. Sometimes I make the headstock before hand with the headblock attached, and glue it up when I glue the sides to the headblock. And sometimes I'll us a couple wood dowels and attach the headstock to the headblock after the dulcimer is finished. I no longer have any of those dulcimers to show a close up photo. I'll see if I have any more photo's that are closer up. Recently, I've began using guitar style headstocks just because they're so much easier to make.
You can check out Highnoon's photos using the "View Photos" link near the top of this page. He has a couple photos that show the side view and the front view of the headstock. They should give you a pretty good idea of how to make the headstock. Usually, you make the head block and the head stock out of the same chunk of wood. The headblock and the tail block hold the side pieces that make up the frame of the sound box. Add a back board and the soundboard and you have the carcas (body) of the instrument. Be aware that you must complete the fingerboard assembly and glue it onto the soundboard BEFORE you dlue the sounboard to the soundbox frame. Otherwise, there is not much you can clamp down on when gluing on the fingerboard assembly. When designing a headstock, you also need to design it around the machine tuners you plan to use, so make the machine tuner decision early on in the design of your instrument (at least before you get around to the headstock).
Thanks for the comments everyone. I really done't have a pattern that I go by. Just a basic shape drawn on a piece of posterboard. The rest.......... I just kinda make it as I go. I do make another shape dulcimer that I use a form to bend the sides. But the ones in this photo don't require prebending the sides. I just glue the kerfing to the top and back first, and then attach the sides last, as the mild bend will bend easily around the kerfing. As far as the big stack of wood.... that WAS all plain maple. I used it to side my house and an old shack that I make my stuff in. It did however find it's way into a few dulcimers.
Looks like Highnoon has a stack of lumber air-drying behind those 3 MDs. Hopefully the wood is "instrument grade" in the rough. Any comments, Highnoon? Makes me feel a bit envious (like those photos some of the CBG builders have showing bid stacks of cigar boxes).
Mountain Dulcimers are not that difficult to make, but building a beautiful one certainly takes more skill than I have. If you would like some idea of how to build one, you can visit My Mountain Dulcimer Project. There I describe how I built one with an elliptical shaped body using cherry trim wood (2.2m x 3cm x 0.5cm) to form the sides, fingerboard and headstock. For the back board and the sound board, I used 2mm plywood veneer.
Seems to work and sound fine, though I am still not able to play it decently. Next time, I will try soaking the wood for the sides in very hot water for 45 minutes before shaping them. Maybe even try a teardrop shape like those shown above (requires more bending than a thin elliptical body). Using contrasting color woods (as done above) would also add to the beauty of the instrument.
Comments
Thanks for the interest Hal,
My headstocks are basically a sandwich of layers. Leaving the center open for the strings. It pretty easy really. You just figure out how much inside space you're gonna need and the side plate thickness, after you determine what kind of tuners you're gonna use. Sometimes I make the headstock before hand with the headblock attached, and glue it up when I glue the sides to the headblock. And sometimes I'll us a couple wood dowels and attach the headstock to the headblock after the dulcimer is finished. I no longer have any of those dulcimers to show a close up photo. I'll see if I have any more photo's that are closer up.
Recently, I've began using guitar style headstocks just because they're so much easier to make.
I meant "BEFORE you glue the soundboard", not "BEFORE you dlue thesounboard"
Hi Hal.
You can check out Highnoon's photos using the "View Photos" link near the top of this page. He has a couple photos that show the side view and the front view of the headstock. They should give you a pretty good idea of how to make the headstock. Usually, you make the head block and the head stock out of the same chunk of wood. The headblock and the tail block hold the side pieces that make up the frame of the sound box. Add a back board and the soundboard and you have the carcas (body) of the instrument. Be aware that you must complete the fingerboard assembly and glue it onto the soundboard BEFORE you dlue the sounboard to the soundbox frame. Otherwise, there is not much you can clamp down on when gluing on the fingerboard assembly. When designing a headstock, you also need to design it around the machine tuners you plan to use, so make the machine tuner decision early on in the design of your instrument (at least before you get around to the headstock).
-Rand.
While you don't have a pattern, I'd love to see how you build your headpieces.
As far as the big stack of wood.... that WAS all plain maple. I used it to side my house and an old shack that I make my stuff in. It did however find it's way into a few dulcimers.
Looks like Highnoon has a stack of lumber air-drying behind those 3 MDs. Hopefully the wood is "instrument grade" in the rough. Any comments, Highnoon? Makes me feel a bit envious (like those photos some of the CBG builders have showing bid stacks of cigar boxes).
-Rand.
Hi Hal,
Mountain Dulcimers are not that difficult to make, but building a beautiful one certainly takes more skill than I have. If you would like some idea of how to build one, you can visit My Mountain Dulcimer Project. There I describe how I built one with an elliptical shaped body using cherry trim wood (2.2m x 3cm x 0.5cm) to form the sides, fingerboard and headstock. For the back board and the sound board, I used 2mm plywood veneer.
Seems to work and sound fine, though I am still not able to play it decently. Next time, I will try soaking the wood for the sides in very hot water for 45 minutes before shaping them. Maybe even try a teardrop shape like those shown above (requires more bending than a thin elliptical body). Using contrasting color woods (as done above) would also add to the beauty of the instrument.
-Rand.
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