The material on the face of the hammers makes an enormous difference to the sound produced when you strike the strings.
For Dulcimers bare wood for a strident, loud and long ringing sounds. Great for playing in the open air and in sessions where you can be drowned out by the other instruments. Leather for a softer, mellow sound. I use different thicknesses for shades of mellow and softer sounds. Great for accompanying singing.
I use “Moleskin” for a bridge between barewood and leather, it slighly softens the sound but does not greatly reduce the volume. Don’t worry, its not real moleskin!
For the Mbira’s I use a thick felt for a soft bell like sound and leather for a louder more percussive sound.
Here are some of the hammers I make.
From left to right we have the lightest set I make with a slightly smaller head that the others, they weigh around 5 to 6 grams, the middle set are the 6 to 7 grams, the others are Mbria hammers with a thick felt, they also make great practice hammers for late at night. The hammers are individually matched for weight and balance to ensure a consistent feel.
A set of my hammers appear on the cover of Mary Lynn Michal and Ken Kolodner’s “Out of the Shadows” CD.
Mary Lynn liked my hammers so much she recommends them for her students and acts as my North American agent and distributor, if you live in the USA and would like a set please contact me and I will pass on your request.
In the UK my hammers are £40 a pair. I usually sell these at dulcimer and folk events.
I can also send you some sets for you to try. You pay a returnable deposit , then return to me the ones you don’t want, you just pay for postage one way and the hammers you keep. Contact me with your requirements.