For those of you who might have missed this blog. I link to an interesting bit of zither and Schwarzer history:

http://www.fretboardjournal.com/blog/sa ... er-written

Although I don't quite agree the zither was never "popular" (judging by surviving relics, I would put it right after guitar and mandolin among fretted instruments 1890-1910), the star did set rather rapidly in the US. Glad it is rising again.

Dan