Zither.

Faudel, Phillips & Sons

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Alternative Title

Regent Zither.

Instrument

Zither

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Faudel, Phillips & Sons

Place Made

Europe ; England ; London ; United Kingdom

Date Made

Circa 1900

Description

Technical description: Body with flat bottom; sides commencing at 90º, before starting a non-symmetrical undulating shape, reaching a point at the top. Nine bridges, designed so that the top left hand bridge has a chord of A minor on the left side, and is joined to another mirror-imaged bridge which forms (along with the first long angled bridge) part of the G major/minor 7th bridge chord sequence section. Other bridge sections (again consisting of a small upper bridge, and a longer more angled bridge) for a B♭ 7th chord, C 7th chord, and F major chord. The longest two strings of each chord are overstrung. Square-headed tuning-pins. Sound-hole diameter 65.5mm. Three brass studs into back. Soundboard thickness approximately 7. British Patent No. 22,999 of 1898 was granted to Alwin Eichler, Berlin. British Patent No. 22,999 of 1898 claims `a zither like instrument in which all the strings are arranged in groups of chords comprising both bass and soprano strings'; and specifies inter alia that `the instrument is principally for the use of persons of deficient musical education enabling them to play this instrument without any difficulty by help of the known music sheets for fitting under the strings. .. the pins on the left hand edge of the instrument serve for fastening the music sheets' and describes the melodic and chordal notation intended. Overall size: 520. Body length: 520. Body width: 357 (maximum). Body depth: 58 (maximum), 37 (body). Signature: Label visible through sound-hole "WHOLESALE / Patented in / almost every / civilized country / English letters Patent No 22999 / FAUDEL, PHILLIPS & SONS / NEWGATE STREET / LONDON". Chord names, and tunings on the soundboard. "PATENTED NOV 22 1898" in gold surrounding the chord list. Decorative features: Painted black. Gilt decoration around the sound hole and chord chart. Thin gilt line around the soundboard. Repair History: Tension of the strings has caused the bottom of the instrument to partially separate from the baseboard and sides, and twist upwards. This has causing the soundboard to partially lift from the sides. One of the pins on the left hand edge of the instrument for fastening music sheets missing.

Notes

D.P. Martin, 1996-1997.

Measurements

520.

Provenance

on loan to the Collection.

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

0835

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