I am, as of this very day, the proud new owner of a used hammered dulcimer. It is the Maple Valley MV-8C chromatic model shown here: http://www.maplevalleydulcimers.com/oldsite/mv8c.html. 16 treble courses, 16 bass courses, and 6 additional chromatic courses. It has all the flats and sharps from low D on the bass bridge to the top E of the treble bridge, with four additional bass strings (low G, C, A, and D). String spacing is 1" which, I'm told, is ideal for me as a beginner. I've been attending some workshops this year, borrowing others' HDs, but frustrated in my attempts to learn without an instrument at home on which to practice, so I took the plunge and purchased this, my first HD.

I'm thrilled, of course, to be embarking on this new adventure, but I realize that I am going to need some guidance in order to maintain the instrument properly, tune it efficiently, and play it most effectively. So, thought I, where better to turn for folk-instrument advice than here at Mudcat?!

Hoping that Catspaw and others will respond with their tips so I can give this HD the best new home possible.

First order of business: taking the HD out of the shipping box after its cross-country trip from southern Colorado to southeastern Pennsylvania in a cold UPS truck. How best to acclimate it to a heated room and, more generally, to this more humid climate?

Thanks!

Sharon