Primzither

Alternate name(s)

Alpine zither
Concert zither
Zither, Alpine, fretboard, accompaniment, bass, and sub-bass strings

Date1870 ca.

Place MadeMunich, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

ModelSalzburg form

Serial No.none

SignedSoundhole label: rectangular cream-colored label with two-striped border, each corner of border has geometrical embellishment; image on left hand side depicts a coat of arms surrounded by drapes with a crown at the top; image on right hand side depicts a coat of arms flanked by a lion and a unicorn. Printed black text centered on label: GEORG TIEFENBRUNNER / Hof-Saiteninstrumenten-und Saitenfabrik / S.K. Hoheit des Herzog Maximilian in Baÿern / und J.K. Hoheit der Kronprinzelsin Alexandra / von England / MÜNCHEN Petersplatz 811 / Preisgekr"nt zu: London, München, Paris, Philadelphia, Nürnberg, / Sydney, Amsterdam, Boston, / Grolse goldene Ehrenmedaille des Herzog Maximilian in Bäyern / Gegründet 1842.MarkingsStamped behind first fret: G. TIEFENBRUNNER / 8 PETERPLATZ 8 / MÜNCHEN Engraved in script on nickel-silver cover plate: Tiefenbrunner / MünchenDescriptionStrings: 34 strings; 5 melody strings, 29 accompaniment strings
Body:
Top: spruce with rosewood veneer
Back: spruce with rosewood veneer
Sides: hardwood with rosewood veneer, grain running vertically
Edging: 5-ply varnished maple and dark hardwood purfling surrounding soundboard; brown-stained pearwood binding; single ply varnished hardwood purfling around pin block; 3-ply varnished maple purfling and dark hardwood edging sides; 3-ply varnished maple and dark hardwood purfling surrounding back
Soundhole: circular soundhole centered on soundboard; 5-ply varnished maple purfling bordering soundhole; dark-stained pearwood binding
Fretboard: dark-stained pearwood with 30 nickel silver frets including zero fret; nineteenth fret three quarters length, twenty fourth fret half length, twenty sixth fret quarter length; double mother-of-pearl dot position markings behind fifth, ninth, and twelfth frets; single dot position marking behind seventeenth fret
Nut: dark-stained hardwood with silver-plated copper wire saddle
Bridge: black-painted hardwood with silver-plated copper wire saddle for accompaniment strings and nickel silver wire saddle for melody strings; slots cut into hand rest where strings wrap over end of instrument and attach to hitchpins
Tuning Pins:
chord strings: 29 rectangular polished steel tuning pins
Melody strings: aluminum cover plate engraved with floral design and maker’s signature; 5 decoratively turned nickel-plated rollers; 5 worm gear mechanism tuners with ivory heads
Table-top Rests: 3 ball-shaped bone rests with steel needle points on back
DimensionsBody: 500 mm long, 315 mm wide
Fretboard: 330 mm long, 57 mm wide
Melody string vibrating length: 390 mm
Highest chord string vibrating length: 393 mm
Lowest chord string vibrating length: 445 mm
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.

Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979

Object number04267

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