Doug Berch

I consider every component of a dulcimer to be integral to the instrument’s sound, playability, beauty and structural integrity. The choice of wood, the thickness of the top, back and sides, bracing and other structural elements are unique to each dulcimer I build. I adjust each component as the dulcimer is constructed to bring them [...]

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I started making dulcimers on my parents’ kitchen table when I was 17 . When I left home I worked out of a few different shops, houses and apartments. Sometimes where I lived and worked were the same place and occasionally the same room. I was young and the world was mine. I stopped making dulcimers when I [...]

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Since I make dulcimers primarily using hand tools almost everything takes place on the bench. The rest of my small shop contains mostly tools and wood that get used on the bench or stuff that is drying or curing between visits to the bench. Here are a bunch of pictures I took during the past few months of various [...]

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I am often asked how long it takes me to make a dulcimer. The answer is that I don’t really know. Someday I will figure it out. I do know that I am not making very much per hour! Here are some of the things that require my time before making a dulcimer. Design – [...]

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Friends Of  The Mountain Dulcimer is a social network for dulcimer players; think of it as Facebook for people who are mountain dulcimer players, makers and enthusiasts, There are already well over 100 members and you can be one too!

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Dulcimer making and playing requires I use my thumbs quite a bit. I use my left thumb extensively while playing and I use both thumbs when using tools; especially scrapers and planes. I ocaisionally have flare-ups of arthritis in the base of my thumbs. Rarely has it kept me from playing music (I’ve never missed [...]

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My old dulci-buddy (is that a new word?) Lois Hornbostel edits DulcimerSessions.com, a bi-monthly blog about all things dulcimer. I am delighted to have my arrangement of “Texas” featured. The article includes mountain dulcimer tablature, standard notation for hammered dulcimer or other instruments and an mp3 of “Texas” from my latest mountain dulcimer CD, “Songs [...]

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My two new albums are now available online as CDs or digital downloads. These are my first solo projects to be released since 1990. The CDs feature audiophile quality recording and single-speed glass mastering. “The Sadness Of Common Objects – Hammered Dulcimer Instrumentals” Click The CD cover to sample all tracks or purchase the CD. [...]

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Today many boxes of CD goodness showed up on my doorstep. They will be available for sale very soon via the internet. The albums will also be available as downloads through several web sites. Here you can see many trained professionals working diligently to make this happen as quickly as possible. I have complete trust [...]

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Greetings, Today I went into the studio with the intention of recording a few tunes for a demo. It quickly became clear that this had morphed into an album project. I recorded two songs with the mountain dulcimer and I go back to the studio next week to record several more.I’ll also be recording some [...]

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