Greetings from New Paltz, New York
(Disclaimer)
Please pardon this 'noob' if any of this info was previously covered in the forums, as I have not, as yet, perused the forums history
Since having heard a Zither as a young man I became enchanted with the voice
of this instrument. ( It was Anton Karas' The Third Man which captivated me
first. ) An opportunity to purchase an older Zither in good shape presented
itself, and with little hesitation and a thought to preserve this instrument
and perhaps play the theme, I brought it home. The Zither is an Echo Zither
manufactured by German Immigrants in Brooklyn NY around the turn of the last
century. In remarkable shape showing some ware at a point were the thumb pick
would strike the edge. I am at the point of restringing (Lenzner Soloklang) the Echo and am
having some difficulty with tuning the bass strings, at least the first two,
(Eb4 & Bb3) since progress has halted till my further education in this
matter takes place. I see nothing abrasive on the Tuning Pin or Guide but
both have broken, at that side of the Zither. I am in need of some guidance
and am wondering if you could put me on a path of enlightenment here. What
to look for, or how to do?
A Zither Guru if you will, familiar with the care and maintenance (feeding) of an older
American Zither.
Danke, Robert
Echo (Zither) as I first found her
Echo Zither (Re-String)
Moderator: Dave
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- Posts: 604
- Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
- Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM
Re: Echo Zither (Re-String)
Welcome RobB,
New Paltz looks like it's within driving distance of Connecticut and New York City, where you'll find players with some experience. Dave might be able to share some e-addresses with you.
Rudi
New Paltz looks like it's within driving distance of Connecticut and New York City, where you'll find players with some experience. Dave might be able to share some e-addresses with you.
Rudi
Re: Echo Zither (Re-String)
Thank you, Rudi,
If I'm going to this thing right, need to network myself out there
I have been in touch with Bill (Dr. Zither) and purchased my Strings through him. He and his wife were in my neck of the woods and we spent a few hours talking Zither restoration and tuning. ( among other things). Very nice people and he was quite helpful.
As of now I've cleaned the Zither and removed and cleaned the tuning pins. Treated the wood with a Citrus oil and Bee's Wax. Reset the pins (some loose, opted for the simpler solution, for now, of newspaper strips) and started stringing.
If I'm going to this thing right, need to network myself out there
I have been in touch with Bill (Dr. Zither) and purchased my Strings through him. He and his wife were in my neck of the woods and we spent a few hours talking Zither restoration and tuning. ( among other things). Very nice people and he was quite helpful.
As of now I've cleaned the Zither and removed and cleaned the tuning pins. Treated the wood with a Citrus oil and Bee's Wax. Reset the pins (some loose, opted for the simpler solution, for now, of newspaper strips) and started stringing.
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- Echo, So Far
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