Homemade dulcimer
This is a homemade dulcimer I made in May of 1977. It's pretty horrible, but it works, it's playable, and it hasn't exploded in 31 years. It hangs on the wall and does a nice job of collecting dust, which I brush off every couple years, or when it's features become less distinguishable, whichever comes first.
This was actually a kit that I bought from a short-lived store in Orono, ME (and later Bangor) called Kits Unlimited. Now when I say "kit", don't think for a second that it's just "insert tab A into slot B"; there was a lot of hand work done. The difference was that the stuff most people couldn't do or didn't have the equipment for was taken care of. Most people don't have thickness sanders, drill presses, band saws, etc. These kits gave you all the roughed out pieces, but the quality and success of the finished product was in your hands.
Functionally this is fine I suppose. It could be greatly improved with a better nut and bridge but I refuse to touch it. It's a snapshot in time and I'm happy with it, warts and all. There should be more rustic kits out there and I wish every kid could go through the process. And I hope my workmanship has improved since then!
