View Full Version : Mark's c.1920s Bohm Waldzither Finished!
Jake Wildwood
Jul-23-2009, 12:14pm
I just finished up Mark's old waldzither this morning, and it's a lovely one now that it's (finally) done. Plays nice, sounds great, and the K&K pickup will give him a lot of performance power. Full post on Antebellum here:
Waldzither @ My Blog (http://antebelluminstruments.blogspot.com/2009/07/c1920s-bohm-waldzither-restoration.html)
Also, straight video/aduio link is here:
Video @ YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhT3b7hSBc0)
Enjoy!
Jake Wildwood
Jul-23-2009, 12:19pm
Some more photos...
Poor Mark has had to wait so long for this lady to get back in shape and I sincerely hope he enjoys this as much as I've enjoyed working on it. It's a very sweet, balanced, and quite loud instrument.
We've been doing a lot of remodeling/repair and work on the store building in the last few weeks and have been entirely slammed with customers since summer came full swing (a good thing).
Shelagh Moore
Jul-23-2009, 12:29pm
It looks good and has a rich, resonant tone. Nice job Jake!
Jim Nollman
Jul-23-2009, 1:25pm
i never realized how much a waldzither resembles a fado guitar. Does anyone know which inspired the other?
Jake Wildwood
Jul-23-2009, 1:53pm
Actually, it's the English guitar/cittern of the Renaissance that informed both, I believe. Scroll headstocks with a bazillion tuners and an enlarged teardrop/pear body, strung with wire in double courses, are typical of a number of old English guitars.
The old tuning of the fado guitar (CEGCEG) is an old English guitar tuning, and the waldzither's standard open tuning (CGCEG? I think) is a simplification of it.
Jake Wildwood
Jul-23-2009, 2:00pm
Links:
English Guitar (http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/old/1600.html)
Cittern Collection (http://www.springersmusic.co.uk/Library/Cittern%20collection.htm)