The greater the instrument's depth, the greater its bass response; therefore, the hourglass and violin shapes, which usually are not very deep, tend to produce less bass and slightly more treble. Moreover, they create a kind of a stereo effect by separating the bass and treble modulations. They are somewhat like the sitar in this effect; the narrow channel at mid-instrument blocks the larger functioning frequencies of sound (bass) and permits the tighter frequencies (treble) to pass through to the smaller chamber toward the head of the instrument.

The teardrop shaped dulcimer, with a sound chamber one and a half to two inches deep, provides a good tonal balance. Easiest of the dulcimer family to build, this and the hourglass dulcimer are the most common, particularly in three- or four-string arrangements.

The hourglass dulcimer is somewhat of a modified guitar shape. Depending on the narrowness of the "waist" and the size of the two chambers, this type instrument can have a wide range of loudness, tone "color" and balance of sound. We have seen them as deep as four inches and as shallow as and inch and a half. Some, like guitars, have tapered sides making the chamber near the tail of the instrument deeper and the other both narrower and more shallow.

The elliptical shape is also about two inches deep. Due to its symmetry, its sound quality, when visualized, resembles two concentric circular ripples converging in a pond. This shape produces a very round sound.

The violin shape is essentially a variation on the hourglass, sharing much of the same tonal properties. As with most folk traditions, early instruments of this shape were most likely copied from from a fiddle, stretched out to accomodate the dulcimer's fretboard.

The lute shaped dulcimer, found with great variation in depth and number of strings, is the rarest type of dulcimer. Some are as shallow as the elliptical or teardrop dulcimers, and others are as deep as ten inches. Some lute shaped dulcimers have four strings, and others have up to ten or more. All have a very rich, full sound, but they are not suited for fast tempos and tend to sound like a piano played with the sustaining pedal depressed.

Two "specialty" instruments are the courting dulcimer and something we call the "wall dulcimer". The courting dulcimer is usually rectangular with two fret-boards placed in opposite directions. Two lovers sit facing each other, rub knees, and play dulcimer duets. It's not a good instrument to learn on because you usually can't maintain the needed concentration. And then there is the "wall dulcimer". Some people call this instrument the "Flatland-Tourist Special" or the "Folk Antique". Aside from the few genuine antique instruments, most of these dulcimers are prevalent in areas where "traditional" means "looks made with the teeth". People who buy these dulcimers usually hang them on rec-room walls in suburban bungalows. If you have one of these, take it off the wall, dust it off, fix it up, give it new strings, and play it.

Each one of these shapes has a particular character and sound, and surely one of them will fit your hands, ears, and head.

So you've gone out and found a friend's friend's dulcimer. Or maybe you ordered one through the mail. Or built one for yourself ... or had an instrument maker build you one. Then again, maybe you were lucky enough to find one in some outlandishly out-of-the-way "shoppe" But how do you know if it's any good?