If you have a non-Dusty Strings dulcimer...
If you are looking for strings for a hammered dulcimer made by someone else, there's a chance we might have what you need, but there are a couple of things you'll need to know. There is quite a lot of variation in how hammered dulcimers are designed, built, and tuned, which means that, unlike guitars, there isn't a generic string set that will work on any dulcimer. For this reason, it's not usually possible for us to tell you what materials and gauges of strings your dulcimer was designed for.
If you can't obtain a string chart from the dulcimer maker, your best bet is to find a micrometer and measure the diameters of the strings that are currently on the instrument. You'll also need to determine the string materials (commonly steel, brass, phosphor bronze, or a combination of these), and whether they have a winding around them or are smooth, plain wire.
If you're unable to measure the existing strings, another option is to try looking at some of our string charts (available on this page) and guessing which one is the most similar to your dulcimer. There's no guarantee any of our string sets will be the right thing for your instrument, but it can be easier to experiment if you have a place to start. When guessing, if you have any doubts about the structural integrity of your dulcimer, err on the side of thinner strings, as these will put less tension on the instrument.
Most modern dulcimers, ours included, are designed with two or more individual strings per course, where each string has a loop that hooks over a hitch pin, and a free end that wraps around a tuning pin. Some dulcimers instead use one continuous piece of wire for each course, meaning that the wire needs to be long enough to go from one tuning pin across the dulcimer and back to another tuning pin. Our 45" loop end strings will not work for this continuous stringing style, but you might be able to use two loop-end strings in place of one continuous string.
To order a particular string for your Dusty dulcimer, you'll need a string chart for your dulcimer model (available on this page under the String Charts tab), which you'll use to determine the diameter and material of the string you need. If you're not sure which model you have, you can find it written on a sticker inside one of the sound holes.
Dulcimer strings can be ordered online (below) or over the phone. Shipping and handling rates can be found on our Shipping Costs page.
Aside from individual strings, we also sell two types of string sets. Full sets contain one of each string used on the dulcimer, allowing you to restring the whole instrument. Spare string packs contain one to three strings of each gauge used on that model, and are useful for having backup strings in case of breakage, but will not provide enough strings to restring the whole instrument.
Loop end strings, 45" - 50" long
Notes:
Enough strings to re-string the entire instrument
Note: The D25 full set contains two strings per course. If you have an older D25 with some three-string courses, you will need to buy an extra individual string for each of those courses.
An assortment of strings to cover incidental breakage, but not enough to re-string the entire instrument.
We use three types of strings on our dulcimers. Depending on the model, your dulcimer will have strings that are plain steel music wire, phosphor-bronze, or wound.
The steel strings seldom break under normal conditions and will sound good for years. If you need to replace a dulcimer string, you can purchase one directly from us, or you can find a loop-end guitar or banjo string of a matching gauge at a music store.
Phosphor-bronze dulcimer strings are not as readily available, and your best bet is to order them directly from us. This type of wire has different physical properties than steel, and in some situations provides a sweeter tone (as on some of the lower courses of the D45 model). However, there is a trade-off: phosphor-bronze has a lower tensile strength than steel and “work-hardens” (i.e., becomes brittle) with use, so it is subject to more breakage than steel. If you prefer the longevity of steel, you can try replacing a phosphor-bronze string with a steel string of the same gauge and see if you find the resulting tone acceptable.
Several of our models use wound strings on some of the bass courses. As time goes by their tone will begin to dull, and you may want to replace them every few years.
Unlike guitar strings, which must be replaced often due to the corrosive effects of salt and perspiration from the player's fingers, hammered dulcimer strings can last many years with a little care. When tuning, use a guitar pick instead of your fingers to pluck the strings. If you notice the strings becoming tarnished, you can wipe them with a guitar string wiping or polishing cloth. If they are heavily tarnished, a very fine steel wool will clean them, but make that choice with care because it may also take off some of the protective coating that keeps them from rusting.
In general (unless they are actually rusty), you don't need to change your plain steel strings at all. It's a lot of work, and in most situations, there won't be a noticeable improvement to the tone. Think of it like a piano, where you might go 50 years or more with the same set of strings. However, if you have one of our larger models with wound strings or phosphor bronze strings in the lower register, you might consider changing just those strings every few years, as they can lose their tone and start to sound dull over time.
Hammered dulcimer strings do break at random times, and this is something you should be prepared for as a player. It's a normal part of owning any stringed instrument and doesn't mean that anything is wrong with the instrument. Replacing your first broken string can seem daunting, but with a little patience, a tuning wrench, and a pair of wire snips, you'll be a pro in no time.
To replace a broken string, turn the string’s tuning pin counter-clockwise for three or four complete revolutions and remove the broken sections of string. This “unwinding” is important because the tuning pins have fine threads that cause them to descend further into the pinblock with each turn. Place the loop of the new string over the string’s hitch pin on the other side of the instrument and stretch it across to the tuning pin, making sure it is sitting in position on top of its main bridge and is passing through the appropriate hole in the opposite bridge. It is helpful to have someone else hold the loop end down on the hitch pin while positioning and stretching the new string, but in a pinch you can devise something to secure it yourself —try a bulldog-type clip, a rubber band, or an eraser with a 1/8″ hole drilled in it.
Before you go any further, take a moment to look closely at an adjacent tuning pin to see how the string coils neatly down the pin with no excess wire sticking out of the hole. This is what you’re going to imitate. The neat, tight coils look good and ensure proper string positioning. Hiding the sharp end of the wire inside the pin keeps it from puncturing your fingers.
Cut the string with wire snips (or sacrifice a pair of nail clippers), leaving two inches of extra length past the tuning pin. Put the end of the string inside the hole in the pin. Hold it there and turn the pin clockwise to form a sharp right-angle bend. Keep tension on the string as it wraps onto the pin, so that it forms tight coils down and away from the small starting hole. Make sure the whole string is sitting in its correct position and is not caught up on any other pins, strings, or bridge pedestals. The pin should rotate about three times before the string becomes taut, but this isn't a crucial measurement. Tune it slowly up to proper pitch. A new string will stretch a bit before stabilizing, so you may need to tune it a few times in its first hour of service.
If you decide to restring the whole instrument, we recommend changing the strings course by course. This maintains the tension on the instrument, and you will able to get it back to holding pitch more quickly. It also avoids the need to re-position the bridges, which are held in place only by string tension and will move around if you take all the strings off at once. The treble bridge in particular must be positioned exactly right in order for the instrument to be properly tunable, but it can be done with some patience and hints. Taking off all the strings has the benefit of allowing you to thoroughly clean the soundboard and the bridges, so you'll have to decide what your priorities are.
