Frank Rice

Frank Rice lived in Newton Flotman which is on the A140, eight miles south of Norwich. He was a Trades and Crafts training officer.

According to David Kettlewell, the dulcimer was his grandfather's and had owned it c.1910. Frank took lessons from Billy Bennington in his retirement to brush up his forgotten skills, and played Country and Western music, hymns and Noel Coward songs, using only beaters.

Frank Rice's dulcimer now owned by Richard Blake

David Kettlewell described the dulcimer as a very beautiful instrument.

size: 94 x 39 x 6.5 cm

bridges - chessmen

strings: 20 courses, five strings per course, though one whole course of strings is missing

decoration: embossed brass decor, two roses, and a royal arms, gold-painted chessmen and internal framing, sound holes decorated with black-and-brown inlaid compasses, and gold painted outside the soundboard .

special features: hinged extra foot, round corner feet, wrest and hitch blocks are bevelled, allowing the fingers to curve comfortably under when picking it up.