Reply #23: Handmade trumps store-bought [View All]

[buzzycrumbhunger]

I suspect they're more collectible, given this is a folk art. My kit was kind of a no-brainer, except for the scrolly part where the tuning pegs are (they had you glue a block of wood to the end and carve your own). The pieces are pretty much pre-cut, though, so there's not a lot you can screw up. You do need some basic tools like clamps and a coping saw (bet you could make do with a Dremel nowadays), which no self-sufficient woman should be without anyway.

Dulcimers have been made from everything from tin cans to cigar boxes to expensive veneers, so I don't think it has to look store-bought to sound sweet. Maybe you could start with a thumb piano kit and work your way up. :)