I've mostly been playing my Meinel Sr. perfekta these days and I find no problem reaching any of these chords. Granted I have long fingers which does make things easier but consider that in the Darr book, he starts his tuning with Ab. The perfekta has made what used to be a real stretch, easy. I wis...

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the info. I did get in touch with Bill Kolb so I'm trying out the Lenzner strings and see how they do. I did need them in a hurry and they are in the mail as we speak! Thanks again.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.org

Hi all,

Does anyone know if Anne Prinz is still selling strings. I have e-mailed her but have not gotten a reply yet. I need a set of Bergfe Green bass and accompaniment strings and some new phosphor bronze fingerboard strings. Suggestions?

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.org

Hi Rudi, The same goes for me. I lived in Chicago for five years in the 70's. I never see any zither players in North Carolina. For a lot of folks, I am the only zither player they know. Have a great time and know that there are others out there who would love to be there if circumstances were diffe...

Thanks Evelyn, I appreciate the update. My view is from afar. I first learned the zither basically on my own in California before I moved to Chicago and was able to meet Rudi Wacek and Ludwig Karlbrunner. It's always instructive to be able to hear from people who really know what's going on! thank y...

Since we are all constructed differently, there is no "correct" position for the little finger. The mentioned groove on the bridge goes back to the A. Darr book that told you to rest the little finger there. That approach was discarded by the end of the 19th century. My journey in using th...

The warnings about the curled little finger are well founded. I got into the same habit and it has bothered me for decades. It takes energy to curl your little finger up and that steals energy from the rest of your hand. You are doing the same thing I did by keeping your elbow low. I used to get pai...

That is some pretty severe damage. You might want to compare the cost of repair to the purchase of a new and more modern instrument. This one is a smaller instrument with only three contra basses and some of those half frets that were popular on many older instruments. Modern zithers are much better...

Hi Quince, It looks perfect! I have heard nothing but great things about Wunshe and thre few of his instruments I've played were wonderful, every bit as good as my Meinel Jr. I'm sure you will enjy your Perfekta as much as I like mine and having those contras handy is realy wonderful. Ken Bloom http...

I came from a guitar and woodwind background. I have always gone with the idea that there was no reason not to use every finger I had. As I progressed in my playing, I was gifted with the Hintermeyer books for the right hand and they freed up my thinking about which fingers to use where. I will ofte...