"The 8-7 Matt-Wood minus hiccups"

A dulcimer designed by myself, after a remark made by a close friend of mine, Barrie Matthews. After explaining the problems I was having in trying to prevent the dulcimers from bowing under the tremendous tension of the strings, he jokingly said, "Why don't you take the strings all the way round." Taking the strings all the way round wasn't possible, but something started whirring away in the back of my mind and I eventually came up with the idea of putting equalizing strings on the back. These would just be there to counteract the tension from the main, playable strings on the top. After first trying out the idea on a 8-7 dulcimer, and overcoming various hiccups I was able to increase the courses to a 14-13, with the bottom string length of 46 inches (1170mm), resulting in a deep sounding instrument with quite a resonance.

"The 14-13 Matt-Wood"

This one is the 14-13, with a 46" bottom string length  It was made, using a friends wardrobe door (Dave Clifford of "THIRSTY WORK").  The friends now have their clothes hanging around the walls, but who cares.         

Since those initial experimental dulces, I've gone on to make many more using that same technique of underside tensioning. My original instruments all had quite hefty soundboards, anything up to 1" thick. Dave Clifford suggested trying to get more volume out of them by utilising a thinner soundboard in the playable area, and also by adding a couple of soundholes, notably in the shape of an "M" and a "W" of course!! We started making a few, and they were indeed getting louder. In total we made, and flogged 18 of 'em, one or two even had pickups, designed by Dave, fitted in them. The final design was an oblong box, which served no purpose other than to hold the complete soundboard. They looked quite smart, it was just a case of take the lid off and play....... They are still around and I quite often come across someone who has got hold of one. It's nice to see them still being played. This is what they looked like.