Identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
Visual evidence confirms a high-quality, luthier-built Appalachian mountain dulcimer featuring an hourglass body made of highly figured curly maple, a contrasting hardwood fretboard with inlay, carved nautilus-style sound holes, and a scroll headstock with wooden friction pegs. A hard case is included. The instrument is currently unstrung and will require stringing for playability. The seller attributes the piece to Gene Paul Roach, Portland Oregon, 1986. 7 per policy.
Story
The owner attributes the dulcimer to Gene Paul Roach of Portland, Oregon, and dates it to 1986. No label, signature, or date is visible in the supplied images, so that attribution remains unverified rather than disproven. Its hourglass form and construction fit late-20th-century American folk-instrument making. Mountain dulcimers sell through Reverb, eBay, specialist instrument dealers, and folk-music groups. Buyers distinguish playable instruments by documented makers from attractive but unverified handmade examples.
Maker / Origin
Gene Paul Roach (attributed)
Condition & Value
The photos show figured curly maple, decorative sound holes, a scroll headstock with wooden friction pegs, and an accompanying hard case. The instrument is unstrung, so its tuning stability, fretwork, and playing response cannot yet be assessed.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Mountain dulcimers sell through Reverb, eBay, specialist instrument dealers, and folk-music groups. Buyers distinguish playable instruments by documented makers from attractive but unverified handmade examples. Figured wood and a case help a listing stand out, while an unstrung instrument appeals more to buyers willing to arrange setup. The available comparisons are predominantly asking prices, so they indicate listing competition more clearly than achieved sale values.
▲ Highly figured curly maple distinguishes this build from plainer handmade dulcimers.
▲ Decorative sound holes and scroll headstock support its appeal as a luthier-built instrument.
▲ Included hard case adds practical value for storage and transport.
▼ Unstrung condition prevents a playing assessment and may entail setup or tuning-peg work.
▼ Body seams, cracks, and previous repairs have not been confirmed or ruled out; significant damage would reduce value.
▼ Comparable prices are mainly unverified listings rather than documented completed sales.
Best Venue
Photograph the inside through the sound holes with a flashlight, then inspect and photograph all body seams and any repairs. Have a dulcimer technician string and assess it, obtaining a setup estimate before authorizing substantial work. For a local sale in its present unstrung state, list on Reverb around $495 with clear disclosures and consider offers near $300; confirmed attribution and a satisfactory playing check would justify revisiting the price.
Upside Potential
A photographed Roach label or signature, sound body, and successful stringing and play test could support the high end or a higher specialist-market price. That would require stronger maker and condition evidence than is currently available.