Page 1 of 1

Help Identify My Zither

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:37 am
by ejohns2000
I recently purchased the attached Zither and would love to identify it. There are no markings at all. I'm a guitar collector (15) / player and became interested in the Zither. It has 5 fret strings (actually 2 are missing) and 26 other strings. The picture seen thru the sound hole is a farming scene with cows pulling a plow held by an individual.

Re: Help Identify My Zither

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 10:12 pm
by Dave
There are features that one can use to estimate the age of a zither, such as a whether a mechanic is used, the pin shape and such. Without a maker’s mark however, it would be an exercise that would most likely result in many lost hours. Many zithers (student models for example) were made without a mark as the construction was farmed out to small-scale builders. In some cases, a vendor did the same and would simply affix their own label. So, even a label does not always provide an instrument’s exact point of origin. Could the previous owner have covered up the original label? When you receive it, use a dental mirror to look inside the instrument for additional clues. Congrats on your purchase; hope you enjoy it and welcome to the forum.

Dave

Re: Help Identify My Zither

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:16 am
by ejohns2000
Dave, Thank you for your comments....EJ