Franz Schwarzer Table Zither Advertisement

Do you have an item of historical interest to share with the zither community? Did you have an ancestor that played the zither? This is the place to share your stories.

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Dave
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Franz Schwarzer Table Zither Advertisement

Post by Dave »

This illustration shows a lady enjoying a "Schwarzer" zither table, which could be purchased as a portable or stand-alone model. The catalog description reads:

"This instrument is especially adapted for use in large halls and parlors, the resonance being of of a nature that requires sufficient distance between audience and the performer, in order to fully appreciate the wonderful characteristic tones which are peculiar to the zither only. This instrument has undergone some twenty changes so that to-day it is superior in loudness of tone and brilliant carrying power to any zither of any style made."

Franz Schwarzer secured a patent for this instrument on August 8th, 1893.
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Lady playing a Schwarzer table zither.
Lady playing a Schwarzer table zither.
franz_schwarzer_table_zither.jpg (334.44 KiB) Viewed 3567 times
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Rudy Mueller
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Re: Franz Schwarzer Table Zither Advertisement

Post by Rudy Mueller »

nice idea with the folding legs, but would the ankle-height "trestle" get in the way, and distance the player from the strings???

rudy
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Dave
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Re: Franz Schwarzer Table Zither Advertisement

Post by Dave »

Good point Rudy. There are certainly other options. The table I'm using now uses a metal frame for a base, to which the bottoms of the turned legs are attached (see photo). I can't recall another table that uses this type of bracing. It was made decades ago by a former member of the Baltimore Zither Club.

I asked someone who had an opportunity to play one of these Schwarzer table zithers about the cross brace in particular. He couldn't recall any problems, but said it was certainly possible. He did have some remarks on the tone quality of the instrument. He wrote,

"I recall that zither had a bright, sweet, tone quality, which is characteristic of Schwarzer's zithers.  The tone favored the fret strings over the open strings in terms of loudness."

For the record, I've also attached the patent for this table zither, which will provide greater detail on the various components and how they're used.
Attachments
502767_SCHWARZER.pdf
Franz Schwarzer Table Zither Patent, No. 502767.
(180.06 KiB) Downloaded 294 times
Zither table, made by a former member of the Baltimore Zither Club.
Zither table, made by a former member of the Baltimore Zither Club.
zither_base.jpg (62.72 KiB) Viewed 3552 times
We do not take humor seriously enough. —Konrad Lorenz
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