Rare Louis Radford Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer

 In 1962, our longtime friend and resident of Meadows of Dan, Virginia asked his neighbor Lewis Radford to make us an Appalachian Mountain dulcimer. He did, and it’s been in our family since then.

 This dulcimer is unmistakably made by Lewis Radford in that it shares many features with the 1969 Lewis Radford dulcimer owned by Washington’s Smithsonian Institution. Common elements include it is strung with four strings: one melody string, two drone strings, and an additional string of uncertain purpose. The instrument includes a metal nut and bridge, 12 metal frets, along with four hand carved walnut friction pegs and a rounded head. The two sound holes are heart-shaped. The Smithsonian comments that “Radford's dulcimer exemplifies traditional Appalachian craftsmanship…”

Dulcimers were the preferred stringed instruments for early Appalachian craftsmen, being cheaper and easier to construct than the more complex guitars or violins. Later, dulcimers played a key role in the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s, featured by such performers as Jean Ritchie and Richard Farina.

Appalachian dulcimers made for several decades by a commercial company sell used in the $500 to $800 range and new models from $500 to over $1000.

This instrument is in pristine condition. Its  availability offers an unparallelled opportunity to acquire a hand-crafted Appalachian dulcimer built over 60 years ago by Lewis Radford, a noted Virginia musician and instrument maker.