It is excellent, my daughter bought it as a gift and my grandson will be thrilled. It is beautiful...thanks Enis Ingold

I was really excited to receive this because I've never played a dulcimer before, and I was wanting to try it out. Unlike some other instruments I've experimented with (e.g., mandolin, banjo) I chose to go a step up from a cheaper "starter" model and I'm glad I did, even if it was mostly for cosmetic purposes.

The dulcimer came wrapped in a plastic bag and the ends in styrofoam blocks packed in a cardboard box. I suppose if a shipping company is particularly rough damage could occur, but mine came undamaged. As the box has a carrying handle, I kept it and the styrofoam, and it makes for an acceptable carrying case for the time being.

I was immediately struck with how pretty this is. There are no seams and no artifacts such as globs of glue or mismatched edges. The head stock has a nice violin-esque curl and there's a semi-gloss finish to the back. The f-holes are cleanly cut.

Upon unpacking I grabbed my electronic tuner and tuned to D-A-D. The strings have a pleasant tone with a hint of that bluegrass twang I was hoping for. They kept their tuning for a good half hour of play, which isn't unexpected for new strings. However, the further one plays up the fretboard, the more notes tend to go sharp, so some adjustment to the bridge may be necessary. But for casual play it's not overt, so that can wait until the next set of new strings.

I'm really torn whether to give this four or five stars. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but having no previous experience with dulcimers I can't speak to it's relative sound quality and value to other, more expensive, models. I'll also note while a pick and noter were included, there was no draw-string bag as mentioned in the product description.