The Acoustic/Electric Hammered Dulcimer
A video of my cat and I demonstrating and describing the acoustic/electric hammered dulcimer
This sound clip is just me playing all the notes on all the bridges of the Linear Chromatic; first acoustically then with magnetic pickups and a sound system. You hopefully will be able to compare tonality.
A 7/19/18/9 Electric Linear Chromatic with three installed magnetic pickups
This hammered dulcimer has been transformed into an acoustic/electric dulcimer with a semi-permanent installation of strip hum-bucking magnetic pickups sized for the instrument. These pickups will not feedback and will not pick up ambient vibrations. They only read the movement of steel strings exactly like an electric guitar. All three pickups are raised by shims to the optimum height and then attached to the soundboard with brass screws. Shielded cables from each pickup are run internally to a small transformer and ultimately to a 1/4" phone jack for connection to a mixing board, amp and speakers. Each strip magnetic pickup can be isolated to its own jack if you want separate control of that pickup. The dulcimer would have all steel or steel wound strings to optimize the pickup's ability to amplify. Shown is a Linear Chromatic Dulcimer but other dulcimers can be retrofitted with these pickups. Contact me to get current prices for such an installation.
Designing An Electric Hammered Dulcimer
If you'd like to read a little more about the process of developing this dulcimer, visit my blog.