CHAPTER 4: Dulcimers in the British Isles since 1800 > Dulcimers in East Anglia

The instruments - courses of strings

Most instruments have quadruple courses, although quintuple are also fairly common, and Billy Bennington has one instrument which he is waiting to string, which has pins in sixes.

Molly Whitaker's dulcimer is a rare East Anglian triple-course instrument.

It seems that a mixture of steel wire for the treble strings and brass for the basses was normal in former times - I have an instrument which belonged to the late Mr. Rice which is strung in this way - but players now find problems in obtaining brass wire, and steel must suffice overall.