General info - 3/16/15/6 Small Custom Chromatic

As a result of having contemplated the advantage of having a smaller, lighter dulcimer to take to jams (especially at festivals), and having decided on going to the   First-Ever Cork Dulcimer Festival  (After entering, click on 2002 Highlights) in Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland in July, 2002, we decided it made sense to buy a new, smaller additional dulcimer for these purposes rather than paying shipping or buying my large dulcimer a seat on the plane every time I wanted to fly with it.  So, I ordered one of   James Jones's  3/16/15/6 Small Custom Chromatic  Dulcimers.  To the right is a picture of my "new" dulcimer taken in Cork.  I decided to have it made using the same woods and finishes as my current 3/16/18/8.  In this way, moving back and forth between the instruments gives less to adjust to.

As a result, the description of the woods, etc. for this instrument are the same as for my 3/16/18/8.  The difference between the two instruments really is in the size, in the number of courses (sets of strings), in the fact that the new one does not have dampers, nor does it have the Dusty Strings Tri-Stander^™ legs.

As for the difference in the number of courses (please refer to the Small Chromatic Tuning chart on the left), the larger instrument, the 3/16/18/8, has a full octave of D, including a G#, in the lowest register.  The 3/16/15/6 Small Custom Chromatic has only the D, G, and A, thus removing five (5) courses (E, F#, G#, B, C#) altogether thereby shortening the "height" of the instrument, and consequently, the width.  All other notes on the Small Custom Chromatic are the same as, and placed the same as, those on the larger 3/16/18/8 Custom Performance.

The tone of the new dulcimer is very nice.  As James told me, even using the same woods, just being smaller gives it less bottom end and somewhat less sustain.  It took me a while before I could hear the difference clearly when playing them side by side.  I find I like using the larger dulcimer, if I can, for airs, waltzes, laments and such, and that the smaller dulcimer works well for fast fiddle tunes.  It doesn't sound bad on the slower, more mellow tunes, just not quite as warm.  And I must say that carrying the smaller one around is much, much easier.  I was most glad I had it rather than the larger one with me in Ireland.  Carrying about 15 pounds for 7 blocks was better than it would have been carrying 28 pounds that far.

I purchased an adjustable scissors stand James started selling.  I tried it out at his shop when I went to pick up the dulcimer from him, and found I could get the height and angle combinations I wanted from it.  One interesting thing is that the adjustable scissor stand is so long, even adjusted to its shortest length when folded, that I have to pack it in a golf bag, but that works OK since I can pack my clothes around it and only have two bags for myself to check.  And since I had the golf bag already (for carrying percussion stands around), that didn't cost me anything extra.  I had hoped it would be short enough that I could cut out some of the foam in the bottom of the flight case to make a channel in which to put it, but that was not possible.

And speaking of flight cases, I also purchased a flight case made for the smaller dulcimer.  The size of the flight case for the smaller dulcimer falls under the maximum Total Linear Dimensions for checked baggage on airlines, so am able to check it as baggage.  It has handles on both ends and on one long side, and it has small wheels which makes it possible to roll it through the airport and on sidewalks.  That is a real life saver.

My James Jones 3/16/18/8 Custom Performance Dulcimer