Does this Marx count?

A forum for all those other zithers....

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mattochan
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2015 6:57 pm

Does this Marx count?

Post by mattochan »

Hey All,

I found this Marx Pianophone at an estate sale. Is this regarded by the community as a zither? If not, is there a forum fo instruments like this? Would standard zither strings would be suitable to use on this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Matt
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Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

Re: Does this Marx count?

Post by Rudy Mueller »

Try "googling" Marx Pianophone" for lots of references. No, this is not a "concert" or "alpine" zither.

Where are you located? Milwaukee County Historical Society has just opened an exhibit entitled "200 years of Milwaukee Music", as cited in Milwaukee Journal "TAPDAILY" section of 1/10/17. Their sites may have some direction.

Some early American cultural/re-enactment groups may be interested.

Rudi
mattochan
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2015 6:57 pm

Re: Does this Marx count?

Post by mattochan »

Hey Rudi,

Thanks for the info. I'm in Chicago so I could definitely get to Milwaukee. I'll check that out.

Best
Matt
Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

Re: Does this Marx count?

Post by Rudy Mueller »

Per Kurt E, any NO-NECKED string instrument would fall into the zither family. This would include all of the autoharps, dulcimers, hackbrett, the concert zither, Japanese Quing (??), etc.

The only one with more than 20 strings and is fretted is the concert zither...and there are variants of the concert zither (Arion, Perfecta, etc.), and two basic tunings, Bavarian and Viennese.

Wikipedia has an excellent citation on "zither". r
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