The Mountain Dulcimer is also known as the Appalachian dulcimer, lap dulcimer, Kentucky dulcimer and Tennessee music box. There are several theories about the origin of the instrument. While most historians agree that the first Appalachian dulcimer most likely was crafted in the 1700s, some claim that it was first made in the southern Appalachian Mountains while others claim it originated in southwestern Pennsylvania and western Virginia. The word Dulcimer is derived from the Greek and Latin words dulce, meaning sweet, and melos, meaning tune or music. The dulcimer is closely related to the German Scheitholt (also known as the Pennsylvania German zither) but several other European instruments have been mentioned as possible predecessors to the Mountain dulcimer including the Swedish Hummel and Norwegian Langeleik.

Classified as a fretted zither, the Mountain dulcimer has a fretted fingerboard running the length of a long usually narrow sound box. The original Mountain dulcimer probably had a rectangular sound box and three strings. Hourglass and teardrop shaped sound boxes are more common today but detailed designs are almost as numerous as the craftsmen that create these folk instruments. Most Mountain dulcimers today have four strings; the melody string is doubled while the drone strings are still single strings. Like many of the dulcimers I make, a few builders are now doubling all three stings. This gives the instrument a more vibrant sound. The most popular tunings are DAD or DAA. There are many variations for playing the Mountain dulcimer. The easiest method is to fret the melody string and strum across all the strings but it can also be played with cords like a guitar or picked like a banjo. Music sheets are available that use a fret numbering system making the Mountain dulcimer one of the easiest musical instruments to play.

Mountain Dulcimers Handcrafted by Steven Stapleton can be made of a variety of woods including cherry, curly maple, walnut, and mahogany. The soundboard can be the same material as the rest of the sound box but tone woods such as Sitka spruce, western red cedar and my favorite redwood resonate better and provide a better sound quality. In addition to doubling the strings, as mentioned above, the sound board and back are book matched, the sound box is two inches deep and smooth sanded to 7000 grit, the fret board is hollowed, round sound holes are cut into the soundboard and twelve coats of tung oil are used to create a dulcimer with a full and balanced sound. Guitar style tuning mechanisms are used so that the strings stay tuned longer and to provide easier tuning. A pick and noter are included with each instrument.