Business of the Week
Greibhaus Instruments
By Dan Williams, V.P., Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
Background: For five thousand years, dulcimers have entertained the world and are referenced in the Bible.
The tradition continues in Petersburg where a skilled artisan makes dulcimers, hammered dulcimers, harps and
psaltries by hand, one at a time.
About the Owner: Jerry Cripe taught psychology at Quincy High School for 30 years. During that time, he found
a fascination with dulcimers. “I always wanted to play a string instrument as a kid but never had an opportunity.
I later heard a man play one in the early 1980s and he offered to build one for me. Later I decided that I could
build them as well,“ Jerry said.
His son found a book on the east coast about building dulcimers and that got Jerry started. He built his
first dulcimer but then trashed it. The second one was a keeper. Since then, he has built over 200 acoustic
dulcimers. He then got the idea to make an electric version in the early 1990s. “Everybody thought I was being sacrilegious as a true dulcimer could not be electric. However, it caught on and I’ve built many since,” Jerry
noted.
Jerry and his late wife Nancy moved to Petersburg on Valentine’s Day, 2003 after visiting the town and
appreciating its proximity to New Salem. The festivals tied in perfectly with his interest in dulcimers. Since then,
he has hosted several national dulcimer festivals in Petersburg, including one a few weeks ago in May. He is
currently in negotiations with some of the top performers in the nation to offer classes and two days of concerts
in May of 2012.
Business: Jerry seldom plays the instruments he
About the Business
builds, due to arthritis and carpal tunnel. However, his woodworking skills and love of the instrument keep him at the top
of his game. He has a keen appreciation of the craftsmanship
of his instruments. His most popular woods are cherry, maple
and walnut. He goes out into forests and cuts the trees himself,
takes the wood to a sawmill to have boards cut. He later creates his masterpieces by using the wood that has been hand
selected and fashioned.
“Dulcimers and other instruments are built in various stages.
There are many steps, including various stages for drying. A
rush order can be built in three weeks, but normally the instruments take up to three months,” according to Jerry. He has also
used a certain type of spruce and cedar for the soundboard. He mentioned making a trip to St. Louis to find a
piece of “curly waterfall bubinga” wood that has a beautiful “tiger stripe” appearance which sort of glows when
the light shines on it. Instruments sell for as little as $400 - $450 and increase in price based on the “bells and
whistles” such as inlays and bandings.
Jerry mentioned that dulcimers are really easy to learn to play and relatively popular with middle age or
older individuals who always wanted to play an instrument. He mentioned Janet Thomson of Petersburg who
he says is an excellent instructor. “Some people only play one string which is the old-fashioned way to play. In
the last 20-30 years, people developed finger picking and flat-picking as a favored way to play. Those who play
electric dulcimers can blow you away,” Jerry said.
Business Challenges: The Internet has changed the way people buy and learn to play music as many enjoy
on-line instruction. However, many of Jerry’s sales come from referrals and from various festivals. He also sells
strings, picks and tuners. However, the difference in Petersburg is that you can literally get “hands on instruction”
from talented teachers. He does not sell on-line where many cheap, foreign made instruments are sold. You can
sense the pride when talking with Jerry. For those of us who have built anything from wood, one can appreciate
a craftsman who can build something beautiful and unique from rough pieces of wood.
About the Name: Jerry Cripe cited his family history that goes back to the 1700s in Germany. Much pride went
into a product when it was built by or associated with a family’s name. His ancestors originally spelled their name
“Greib” and haus means house. Therefore, he named his business “Greibhaus Instruments” as his instruments
are built one at a time in the house of Greib.
Contact: For more information about Jerry’s handmade instruments, please call him at (217) 632-4551. To inquire about dulcimer lessons, please contact Janet Thomson at (217) 632-5238.