Roosebeck Emma Mountain Dulcimer 4-String Vaulted Fretboard Spruce Knotwork

This Deluxe model offers the best features from the Roosebeck Mountain Dulcimer line! The vaulted fret board and the completely spruce soundboard are light weight and allow for more sound vibration, producing excellent sound quality. This mountain dulcimer has an hour glass shape and 4 knotwork openings on the sound board. The body, neck, nut, bridge and fret board are solid sheesham and the end peg has a gold color and is shaped like a crown. The carved scroll peg head features 4 gold colored mechanical geared straight tuners with a 4:1 ratio and there are 4 strings, including 2 melody strings, 1 middle string and 1 bass drone string. Many tunings will work, but we recommend the traditional DAD method to make it easy to pick up and play. The following accessories are included with item: pick, noter, draw string bag and owner's guide. The 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 Frets: This model includes the 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 frets. Most early dulcimers had a strictly diatonic scale; that is, the frets were placed so as to produce a major scale (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do) with no extra half steps. More recently, dulcimer players have found that the placement of an extra fret between the 6th and 7th frets and between the 13th and 14th frets allows two things; (1) a major scale can be produced starting at another point (on the open string), and (2) most songs containing "accidental" notes can be played. The 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 frets add versatility. The disadvantage is that it takes a while to get used to the extra frets if you have been playing a dulcimer without it. Note: Whether you purchase an instrument on-line or in a physical store locally, it is recommended that you change the strings on your new instrument as soon as you receive it. The strings of an instrument both in a store or shipped to you are exposed to air and different environments prior to you receiving it. During this time the strings WILL oxidize, decreasing it's life expectancy and reducing