CHAPTER 4: Dulcimers in the British Isles since 1800 > Dulcimers in the Midlands & the North
Bill Fell - strings
The strings he uses are of steel for the trebles, and phosphor bronze for the bass.
He has one unwound brass string for the low G.
Billy Bennington has a similar extra low note, such as Mersenne referred to as a bourdon (1636), although his is an overspun string.
The courses are arranged as 14 IV; + 10 III, 2 II, 1 I, i.e. basically quadruple trebles and triple basses, but with one single and two doubles for the three lowest notes.
This provides an interesting comparison with Praetorius' Hackebret of 1620.
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