The resonator dulcimer is an

Appalachian dulcimer The Appalachian dulcimer (many variant names; see below) is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings, originally played in the Appalachian region of the United States. The body extends the length of ...

which features a metal resonating cone inset in the body, which receives and acoustically amplifies the vibration of the strings. The first instrument was conceived in 1977 and completed in 1979 by dulcimer luthier

Homer Ledford Homer C. Ledford (September 26, 1927 – December 11, 2006) was an instrument maker and bluegrass musician from Kentucky who specialized in making dulcimers. Born in Alpine, Tennessee, he started building instruments at an early age. When he was ...

, who called it a "dulcibro" (portmanteau of "dulcimer" and "

dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

").Alvey, R. Gerald. ''Dulcimer Maker: the craft of Homer Ledford''. University Press of Kentucky, 2003. . Pg 48-51 Unlike

resonator guitar A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar that produces sound by conducting string vibrations through the bridge to one or more spun metal cones (resonators), instead of to the guitar's sounding board (top). Resonator gui ...

resonator ukulele A resonator ukulele or "resophonic ukulele" is a ukulele whose sound is produced by one or more spun aluminum cones (''resonators'') instead of the wooden soundboard (ukulele top/face). These instruments are sometimes referred to as "Dobro ukule ...

s, and

resonator mandolin A resonator mandolin or "resophonic mandolin" is a mandolin whose sound is produced by one or more metal cones (''resonators'') instead of the customary wooden soundboard (mandolin top/face). These instruments are sometimes referred to as "Dobro ...

s, the resonator dulcimer was never commercially produced on a large scale.

References

Fretted zithers Resophonic instruments Experimental musical instruments {{zither-instrument-stub