Cabin Creek Musical Instruments specializes in fine handcrafted hand made musical instruments.  Our talented instrument maker handcrafts unique instruments such as the fretted dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the plucked psaltery, and the bowed psaltery.
Fine Handcrafted Musical Instruments

Walter Messick, Craftsman
290 Bakers Branch Lane
Mouth Of Wilson, Virginia 24363

276-388-3202

CabinCreekMusic@AOL.com
 

 

NEW Updated 2009 Show Schedule

 

The Fretted Mountain Dulcimer
Cabin Creek Musical Instruments specializes in fine handcrafted hand made musical instruments.  Our talented instrument maker handcrafts unique instruments such as the fretted dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the plucked psaltery, and the bowed psaltery. Cabin Creek Musical Instruments specializes in fine handcrafted hand made musical instruments.  Our talented instrument maker handcrafts unique instruments such as the fretted dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the plucked psaltery, and the bowed psaltery.

The Cabin Creek teardrop shaped dulcimer is in the Southwest Virginia style and the hour glass model is reminiscent of early instruments from Kentucky. One of the charms of this instrument is that anyone can play it. Playing your dulcimer is truly therapeutic.

Cabin Creek dulcimers are handcrafted using native hardwoods. Black Walnut, Cherry, Butternut, and Chestnut are favorites. Most often these woods are chosen for the bottom and the sides, with a soft wood like Poplar, Spruce, or Cedar preferred for the top. Sometimes the entire instrument is made of the same wood. Attention is given to every detail and each instrument is hand rubbed to a soft patina finish.

 

Each instrument includes a pick, noter, case and a music/instruction book.

 Fretted Mountain Dulcimer (Teardrop, Hourglass) $325.00

Hammered "Piano" Dulcimer
We are proud and honored to include in our collection of Instruments, a Hammer Dulcimer based on the design of Sam Rizzetta. Sam is a nationally renowned musical instrument designer, craftsman, and player. Sam affectionately calls this Dulcimer a "Piano Dulcimer". This small easily learned and played hammered dulcimer is a major design breakthrough for ease of playing, note arrangement, chromatic capability, versatility, tone, size , and price. This small easily learned and played hammered dulcimer is a major design breakthrough for ease of playing, note arrangement, chromatic capability, versatility, tone, size and price.

The instruments' tuning is based on the piano keyboard with all the notes of the scale adjacent to one another - whole notes (do, re, mi) marked in white and the sharps and flats marked in black. A 2 octave model is available.

Each instrument includes hammers, tuning wrench, case, book and note strips that can be attached on both sides of the center bridge showing each note are also provided.

Hammered "Piano" Dulcimer $279.00 Birch Top,  2 octave

Hammered "Piano" Dulcimer $309.00 Mahogany or Cherry Top,  2 octave

Cabin Creek Musical Instruments specializes in fine handcrafted hand made musical instruments.  Our talented instrument maker handcrafts unique instruments such as the fretted dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the plucked psaltery, and the bowed psaltery.
   
Bones
Cabin Creek Musical Instruments specializes in fine handcrafted hand made musical instruments.  Our talented instrument maker handcrafts unique instruments such as the fretted dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the plucked psaltery, and the bowed psaltery.

Bones are among the world's oldest rhythm instruments. Whereas the originals were made out of animal rib bones, most instruments today are made from wood. Cabin Creek bones are available in several woods both native and exotic. The variety changes from time to time depending on the current stock of wood. Unless you have a specific kind of wood in mind, it is best to order by sound (mellow, bright, or very bright). Once the basic technique is mastered, they are easy to play and fun. An instruction sheet is provided.

Bones:  Native $15.00, Exotic $20.00

   
The Plucked Psaltery
The Cabin Creek Plucked Psaltery is one of a wide range of stringed instruments in the zither family. This instrument has been redesigned through the centuries in an infinite number of shapes and sizes, utilizing various playing methods.

Our Psaltery is designed in the shape of a hammered dulcimer, only much smaller (8x15x1.5 inches). It has fifteen strings, two octaves and is plucked like a harp with fingers or a pick. It is easy to play. Just place the sheet music under the strings and pluck the string above each note. It's as easy as that. Therapists and educators love them.

The plucked Psaltery is made of the finest laminated woods, mahogany and birch being the woods most often used. Each instrument comes with a set of twelve songs, instruction page, tuning wrench, pick and extra wire.

Plucked Psalteries $69.00

 

A smaller 1 1/2 octave Model is also available and an excellent choice for younger children It is made from Baltic Birch and comes with 12 songs, instruction page, tuning wrench pick and extra wire.

Plucked Psalteries $39.00

 

Extra music is available for 5.00 per set of 12 songs

Cabin Creek Musical Instruments specializes in fine handcrafted musical instruments.  Our talented instrument maker handcrafts unique instruments such as the fretted dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the plucked psaltery, and the bowed psaltery.
   
The Bowed Psaltery
The Bowed Psaltery is an instrument which evolved from the Plucked Psaltery during the middle ages. The shape is triangular and has 2 to 2 1/2 octaves. The Bowed Psaltery is easily played by cradling it in the arm and drawing the small bow over one string playing the melody one note at a time. The instrument has a chromatic scale with the natural notes (do, re, mi) on one side and the sharps and flats on the other. The sound created is hauntingly beautiful, indeed, an instrument anyone can play.

The Cabin Creek Bowed Psalteries are made of fine hardwoods for the sides and back (maple, black walnut, or cherry) and good tone wood for the top (spruce, cedar, chestnut, or butternut). Each instrument comes complete with bow, rosin, tuning wrench instruction book and case.

Three models available:

Soprano - 24 notes
$199.00
Alto - 30 notes
$209.00
Baritone - 33 notes
$239.00
Cabin Creek Musical Instruments specializes in fine handcrafted musical instruments.  Our talented instrument maker handcrafts unique instruments such as the fretted dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the plucked psaltery, and the bowed psaltery.
 

 

The Craftsman
Walter Messick pastored Lutheran churches in Konnarock and Whitetop, Virginia. He learned instrument making under the expert guidance of one of his parishioners, the late Albert Hash, a well known fiddler and instrument maker, and his talented daughter, Audrey Hash Ham. He has been making these fine instruments since 1981. His craftsmanship has won numerous awards and his instruments have been recognized around the world.

Walter is a member of:
Holston Mountain Crafts Club
Virginia Carolina Craftsmen
Association of Virginia Artisans

'Round The Mountain; SWVA's Artisan Network

 

2009 Show Schedule

 

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