Posted on August 11, 2021March 6, 2024 by Dale Phillips The Cimbalom The Cimbalom by Alexander I. Eppler Originally published in American Lutherie #5, 1986 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 The cimbalom is by far the most sophisticated and highly-developed instrument of the hammered dulcimer world. It enjoys the status not only from the point of view of musical performance, standards, and practice, but also from that of actual construction and design. The appearance of the instrument is rather grand. Its beautiful carved case stands on four turned legs with a graceful, lyre-shaped pedal. Other than its elegant and compact tuning system (see illustration), what sets the cimbalom apart from all other dulcimers is that it is fitted with a full set of dampers and pedal. The legs and pedal are removable for easy transport, and the instrument also has a lockable cover to protect the strings and dampers when the instrument is not in use. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
