Primzither

Alternate name(s)

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

Date1885 -1900 ca.

Place MadeMunich, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

ModelSalzburg model

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 Kronprinzessin / Alexandra von England / MÜNCHEN Petersplatz 811 / Preisgekr"nt zu: London, München, Paris, Philadelphia, Nürnberg, / Sidney, Amsterdam, Boston, London 1885. / Grolse goldene Ehrenmedaille des Herzog Maximilian in Bäyern / Gegründet 1842.
in blue ink underneath maker information on label handwritten: 1887
[likely written by Arne B. Larson]
MarkingsStamped behind first fret: G. TIEFENBRUNNER / 8 PETERPLATZ 8 / MÜNCHEN
White cloth tape label on top side of pin block in black ink handwritten: 4
DescriptionStrings: 32 strings (3 missing); 5 melody strings, 27 accompaniment strings
Body:
Top: brown-varnished maple
Back: black-painted spruce
Sides: black-painted hardwood
Edging: black-painted hardwood binding around soundboard
Soundhole: circular soundhole centered on soundboard with no edging
Fretboard: black-stained pearwood with 30 brass [or copper] frets including zero fret; single mother-of-pearl inlaid dot position markings behind fifth, ninth, twelfth, and seventeenth frets; eighteenth fret three quarters length, twenty third fret half length, twenty fifth fret quarter length
Nut: black-painted hardwood with silver-plated copper wire saddle
Bridge: black-painted pearwood with silver-plated copper wire saddle for accompaniment strings and brass wire saddle for melody strings; slots cut into hand rest where strings wrap over end of instrument and attach to hitchpins
Tuning Pins: 32 blued steel rectangular tuning pins
Table-top Rests: 3 black-painted maple rests with steel needle points on back (2
missing)
DimensionsBody: 495 mm long, 312 mm wide
Fretboard: 330 mm long, 55 mm wide
Melody string vibrating length: 390 mm
Highest chord string vibrating length: 394 mm
Lowest chord string vibrating length: 435 mm
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.

Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979

Object number04981

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