This simple but lovely instrument was lovingly made 25 years ago by an Ohio craftsman. It's a sturdy piece,  newly restrung and perfect for a beginner.

The instrument is also known as a plucked dulcimer, Appalachian dulcimer, or Kentucky dulcimer.  It is essentially a fretted zither traditional to the southern Appalachian mountains of the eastern U.S., consisting of a narrow fingerboard attached to a larger soundbox underneath. It was after the 1940s that the dulcimer entered the urban northeast folk music revival scene.  Revivalist musicians introduced the instrument to national and international audiences.