Orchestral & Folk Strings Buying Guide

Hammered Dulcimer: A Serious Instrument or Just a Collector's Curiosity?

V Rated by Vincent Vandegans · Updated Sep 2026

The hammered dulcimer occupies a genuinely unusual place in folk music — struck rather than plucked or bowed, with a shimmering, cascading tone unlike any other instrument on this site. It's a legitimate, still-actively-played folk instrument (not a museum piece), with a dedicated community of players in Appalachian and Celtic folk traditions, and quality instruments remain in real demand.

The ten dulcimers below are real, currently-listed instruments, checked for seller reliability and priced against comparable recent sales.

At a Glance — Our Top Picks

Editor's Top Pick

Hammered Dulcimer Fundamentals DUSTY STRINGS Jamie Janover 2002 135 Mins Rare

Score 95/100 · $79.99 · Like New

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Best New

Quality Santoor Santour Santur Dulcimer Alizadeh with hard case and accessories

Score 88/100 · $400.00 · New

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Best Used

Hammered Dulcimer Folk Instrument, Dusty Strings , D 45

Score 90/100 · $1,200.00 · Used

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Top 10 Orchestral & Folk Stringss on eBay & Amazon

Ranked and rated by Vincent Vandegans — verified you can buy.

Hammered Dulcimer Folk Instrument, Dusty Strings , D 45

Rating Score: 90/100 · $1,200.00 Used

4 photos

Size: Trapezoid, 40" X 22" outside of case
Color: Brown
Material: Sapele, solid hard wood
Weight: approx. 25 lbs
Vintage: No
Brand: Dusty Strings

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (358 ratings)
•Free shipping
•No returns accepted

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Dusty Strings hammered dulcimer Natural Wood Finish w/ Hard Case & Tuning Wrench

Rating Score: 74/100 · $450.00 Used

4 photos

Size: 29.5 in x 19.5 in x 2 in
Color: Natural
MPN: No. 11745
Material: Wood
Set Includes: Hard Case, Tuning Wrench
Weight: 6 lb 14 oz

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (2 ratings)
•Free shipping
•No returns accepted

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Hammered Dulcimer made by Charlie Alm. Mint Condition. Beautiful Cherrywood

Rating Score: 20/100 · $1,000.00 Used

4 photos

Size: Trapezoid, 37" x 23"
Color: Brown
Material: Cherrywood
Year Manufactured: 1982
Weight: approx. 35 lbs
Vintage: Yes

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 0.0% positive (17 ratings)
•Returns accepted (14 calendar day)

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Hammered Dulcimer Fundamentals DUSTY STRINGS Jamie Janover 2002 135 Mins Rare

Rating Score: 95/100 · $79.99 Like New

4 photos

Country of Origin: United States
Region Code: DVD: 0/All (Region Free/Worldwide)
Format: DVD
Release Year: 2002
Rating: NR
Sub-Genre: Music Video (Concert/Performance)

•Condition: Like New
•Seller rating: 99.9% positive (8250 ratings)
•Shipping: $5.00
•No returns accepted

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Japanese koto

Rating Score: 81/100 · $200.00 Used

3 photos

Brand: Unbranded
Top Material: Wood
Type: Zither
Color: Brown
Instrument: koto
Material: Wood

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (26 ratings)
•No returns accepted

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Quality Santoor Santour Santur Dulcimer Alizadeh with hard case and accessories

Rating Score: 88/100 · $400.00 New

4 photos

Custom Bundle: No
Instrument: Dulcimer
Material: wood
Experience Level: Beginner
Type: Hammered Dulcimer
MPN: B01AI6ZUYQ

•Condition: New
•Seller rating: 90.5% positive (929 ratings)
•Free shipping
•No returns accepted

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Hammered Dulcimer w/ Hammers, Natural Finish, Trapezoidal Shape, Heavy READ

Rating Score: 88/100 · $65.79 Used

4 photos

Brand: Unbranded
Type: Hammered Dulcimer
Size: 14"
Color: Brown
Instrument: Hammered Dulcimer
Features: Handmade, Heavy

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (171 ratings)
•Free shipping
•No returns accepted

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9 Vintage Celtic Folk Hammered Dulcimer Cassette Lot John Mason Tony Elman

Rating Score: 89/100 · $27.00 Good

4 photos

Artist: Lot, Bundle
Format: Cassette
Release Title: Various
Style: Traditional Folk
Genre: Folk, Celtic

•Condition: Good
•Seller rating: 94.1% positive (645 ratings)
•Free shipping
•No returns accepted

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Vintage Folkcraft Instruments Handcrafted Hammered Dulcimer with Hammers & Book

Rating Score: 89/100 · $400.00 Used

4 photos

Size: 36"x13"x2.3"
Color: tan
Year Manufactured: 2000
Material: Maple
Vintage: Yes
Brand: Folkcraft Instruments

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (271 ratings)
•Free shipping
•No returns accepted

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Quality Santoor Santour Santur Dulcimer Alizadeh with learning book and CD

Rating Score: 88/100 · $430.00 New

3 photos

Model: Alizadeh 9 bridge
Instrument: Dulcimer
Material: wood
Type: Hammered Dulcimer
MPN: B0140XTMI8
Finish: Lacquered

•Condition: New
•Seller rating: 90.5% positive (929 ratings)
•Free shipping
•No returns accepted

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Buyer's Guide: How to Pick the Best Orchestral & Folk Strings

What matters when buying a hammered dulcimer.

String Count and Range

More strings/courses generally means a wider playable range but also a larger, heavier instrument — decide based on the repertoire you want to play and your practical space/transport constraints.

Soundboard Construction

Solid wood soundboards resonate more fully than laminate, similar to guitars — this is the primary quality differentiator to check on a used instrument, alongside overall structural soundness of the frame.

Tuning Stability

With dozens of strings under tension, a well-built dulcimer holds tuning far better than a poorly built one — ask specifically about tuning pin quality and how often the seller had to retune it in normal use.

Orchestral & Folk Strings FAQs

Is hammered dulcimer hard to learn as a new instrument later in life? +

It's genuinely approachable — there's no left-hand fretting technique to master as on guitar or violin, and many adult learners find the layout intuitive within their first few sessions, though hammer technique takes practice to refine.

How many strings/courses do I actually need? +

A 12/11 or 15/14 course dulcimer (referring to the string arrangement on each bridge side) covers most folk repertoire comfortably — larger instruments add range mainly useful for more advanced or specific styles.

Can a hammered dulcimer go out of tune easily? +

With dozens of strings, some drift is normal and retuning is a regular part of ownership, similar to a piano — a well-built instrument with quality tuning pins holds reasonably well between sessions.

Is this instrument only for traditional folk music? +

While rooted in Appalachian and Celtic traditions, hammered dulcimer has found its way into modern folk, world music, and even some contemporary compositions — it's more versatile than its traditional image suggests.

Top Sellers Rank

Rank	Seller	Price vs. average	Rating
#1	sandiegopickers858	-81% vs. avg	★ 5
#2	persianmusicshop	-6% vs. avg	★ 4.5
#3	swcompass	-94% vs. avg	★ 4.7

Why Should You Trust Us?

Every dulcimer here is cross-checked against live eBay listings, with soundboard construction and string count confirmed from the listing description before inclusion.

Written by Vincent Vandegans

Vincent has spent years buying, selling, and researching gear across live marketplaces. He personally tests a portion of the products featured on this site — hands-on with the exact model, checking build quality, sound, and feel for himself. For the rest of the lineup, each pick goes through the same in-depth research process rather than being taken at face value from a listing photo.

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How this guide was researched

Hands-on testing, when possible

Whenever Vincent owns or can source the exact model, he tests it directly — evaluating build quality, sound, playability, and how it holds up against the manufacturer claims.

Technical spec sheets, compared side by side

For every other pick, the manufacturer datasheets, manuals, and published specifications are read in full and compared against competing models in the same price range — not just skimmed from a listing summary.

Real owner reviews, mined from blogs and forums

Vincent digs through long-running gear forums, owner blogs, and marketplace review threads to find recurring, repeated feedback from real buyers after months of actual use — not just the top review snippet or a manufacturer-friendly quote.

Live marketplace data, checked at publish time

Price, seller reputation, condition, and availability shown on this site are cross-checked directly against live eBay and Amazon listings, so the ranking reflects what is actually being sold, not a historical average.

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