"Bucks County" Dulcimer

Birds eye maple with a walnut fretboard in the rectangular Germanic style popular in Pennsylvania. Nine strings give it a very full tone.

"Courting" Dulcimer #2

The Courting Dulcimer is a wonderful sculptural piece. Two dulcimers are joined at the waist, side-by-side, heads facing each other. Traditionally, a man's face is carved on one head and a woman's on the other. Walnut with maple details. Comes with a stand and a carrying case.

"Dragonheart"

Dragonheart! Spalted Maple body with purpleheart eyes, tongue and binding. Tagua nut teeth. Wing and claw pegs of maple.

"John Muir" Dulcimer

Details 

Created in homage to Yosemite National Park. Body, sides and top are of Curly Maple. Carved maple pegs in shape of dogwood blossoms. Redwood fretboard. Dimensions: 36" long x 5.5" wide x 2" body depth. Scale length: 27 1/4" Selected for the Santa Cruz Art League 75th Statewide juried exhibition, June, 2005. Selected for VMRC National exhibition in June, 2006.

"Lily of the West" Dulcimer

Details 

Black walnut body and hand-carved head and tuning pegs. Dimensions: 35" long x 5.5" wide x 2" body depth. Scale length: 27 1/4"

"Tennessee Red Caesar" Dulcimer

Details 

Tennessee red cedar sides and back, redwood top. Hand-carved oak head with maple pegs. From the carved soundholes of black walnut in a "Celtic knot" shape of intertwined snakes, wafts of the scent of red cedar occasionally arise. A lovely treat for all the senses. Dimensions: 35" long x 5.5" wide x 2" body depth. Scale length: 27 1/4" Received second place award in professional sculpture at Santa Cruz County Fair 2005.

"The Bishop" Dulcimer Banjo

Playable right-handed, left-handed, standing or sitting, The Bishop is all salvaged woods: black walnut, maple, purpleheart, mahogany and Douglas fir. The odd shape of the Bishop’s head is because it was a piece of scrap maple. This entire piece is an example of how I am sometimes able to take pieces of scrap (and lots of glue) to create a completely new instrument. The round banjo-like body was glued in my “tile” style and rounded on a lathe. The long neck of maple and purpleheart and the frets function as a timeline from the past (the Bishop’s head) to the present (the banjo head).

"The Hopeful Maiden" Dulcimer-Zither

The Dulcimer-Zither ia a Coog Instruments original design based on historical references. Walnut top and back, maple sides, and hand-carved maple head, four-string dulcimer fingerboard and 12 diatonic "zither" strings. You will find this a fascinating instrument! It's great for two people to play facing each other. One of you plays the dulcimer part while the other strums chords or improvises on the zither side. "The Hopeful Maiden" is hoping someone will come to keep her company with beautiful melodies. Tuning key included. Stand recommended. 34"Lx7.5"Wx3"D 26" scale.

"The Lady with a Checkered Past"

The "Checkerboard" dulcimer. The lady is perhaps the most poignant I’ve ever built. Her eyes are deep-set, reflecting the hard life she now lives. The sides and back are checkered walnut and maple, all scrap wood. Both sides of the front are fancy birds eye maple, yet one side is streaked, almost like tears. The strum hollow, farthest from her head (and mind) is attractive curved two-tone pine and two fancy “S” sound holes are just above it on either side. The hand-carved maple pegs are inset with walnut rounds, echoing the round, second set of sound holes near the top of the body. Although she may no longer believe it herself, the lady is lovely.

"The Prioress" Scheitholt

Details 

The Scheitholt is the very long German ancestor of the dulcimer, played on a table top. It is made of highly figured maple with a hand-carved head and tuning pegs. It is an original Coog Instruments design based on a 17th Century instrument described in Syntagma Musicum by Michael Praetorius. Suitable as a wall hanging, but a fully functional and playable musical instrument. The Prioress has a very throaty, yet lyrical, voice. 42"Lx2.5"Wx3"D scale 34"

"The Satyr" Dulcimer

Satyr head carved in cherry with tagua nut horns and kingwood pegs. Body of koa and salvaged maple. Dimensions: 35" long x 5.5" wide x 2" body depth. Scale length: 27 1/4"

"The Songcatcher" Dulcimer

Details 

Indian head carved in walnut with maple pegs in shape of arrows. Dimensions: 35" long x 5.5" wide x 2" body depth. Scale length: 27 1/4" Selected for the juried Santa Cruz Art League National Exhibition, 2004