New website for Waldzithers!

[Markkunkel]

This, from WONDERFULLY helpful newcomer Norbert Feinendegen, following up on the recommendation that it belongs in a separate thread of its own:

For anyone who is interested in Waldzithers of C. H. Boehm:

I've just put online a homepage about C. H. Boehm and his instruments. It is the result of some years of research and contains quite some new things ... Unfortunately, it is at present only in German, but I will work on an English version as soon as I find time to do it. Everything is documented with pictures so it may be of some use even if you are not able to understand the German language. You may for example be able to date your Boehm waldzither fairly well (see under "Etiketten" = "labels" and "Mechaniken" = "tuners").

http://c-h-bohm-waldzithern.webnode.com/

A second (smaller) page is dedicated to the post-war "Boehm-Waldzithers" made by the GEWA company.

http://die-waldzithern-von-gewa.webnode.com/

As I'd like to continue my researches, please drop me a line if you believe to have an instrument which is not documented on the page(s) or any other new information about C. H. Boehm and his instruments.

[Martin Jonas]

This, from WONDERFULLY helpful newcomer Norbert Feinendegen, following up on the recommendation that it belongs in a separate thread of its own:

Hi Mark,

Norbert has already started his own thread in the "Looking for information on mandolins" forum:

Link

Best keep discussion there, to avoid multiple threads covering the same ground.

Martin

[Markkunkel]

and although my German is rudimentary at best (a shame, given my Kunkel surname), I managed to glean LOTS of cool stuff from your pages, Norbert. THANKS for the work! My much-cherished Waldzither started looking like this:


and under the capable and expert ministrations of Anthony Dixon http://www.guitar-maker.com wound up looking like this, seven years ago now:



What cool instruments these are, and what a helpful resource, Norbert! Thanks again for your work.

MK

- - - Updated - - -

Whoops...have to be quick on the post key, 'round these parts. Thanks, Martin!

Mark

[Norbert Feinendegen]

Hello Mark,

this is a wonderful instrument - and expertly restored! I guess there not many Boehm waldzithers out there in such a perfect condition. Do you have a sound clip of your waldzither?
And thanks a lot for your nice comments about my pages! There seems to be quite some interest in C. H. Boehm outside of Germany so that I will start working on an English version as soon as possible.

Norbert

[Markkunkel]

Thanks again for your wonderful work, Norbert. It helped me appreciate my instrument (which dates to 1925 per your label collection) even more. And since 2009 lots of octave mandolin instruments have come and gone, but the Waldzither is here to stay. Here's a video sound clip (back from the days when I used to play tunes faster than I could play them....try not to do that so much any more! But it does convey the sound):http://<a href="https://www.youtube....P6Zp51HVa8</a>

Thanks again for this marvelous resource!

Mark

[Markkunkel]

Ah, and forgot to ask. Mine retain those original banners, still fastened to the headstock, and what I suspect is the original strap. What's the story with the banners, and the translation (I know one says, "happily walking and singing!")?

Mark

[Martin Jonas]

Ah, and forgot to ask. Mine retain those original banners, still fastened to the headstock, and what I suspect is the original strap. What's the story with the banners, and the translation (I know one says, "happily walking and singing!")?

If you can post the original German writing, I can translate for you. Ribbons at the headstocks were very common, as were hand-made decorated straps, but I wouldn't think yours came with the instrument from the factory. Cultural context is everything here: the popularity of the waldzither coincided with the heyday of the Wandervogel youth movement, each extending about ten years before and ten years after World War I. The Wandervogel was all about hill-walking and singing of folksongs, preferably at the same time. So, you needed portable instruments that could be carried around the shoulder while walking and played either during the walk itself or in the evenings around the camp fire. That meant the piano -- previously the instrument of choice for accompanying folk songs -- was out. The guitar, the flatback mandolin and the waldzither became popular instead. The waldzither combined this outdoor ethics with a peculiarly strain of historicism in that movement, which meant that the supposedly ancient roots of the instrument became very appealing. For the same reason, they also very often used what they called "Laute", which translates as "lute", but was actually a lute-styled bowlback guitar. You can find them as attic finds on Ebay Germany in even bigger numbers than waldzithers.

So, your ribbon is almost certainly a Wandervogel ribbon, either a generic shop-bought one or a ribbon to identify a particular local group.

Martin

[Norbert Feinendegen]

I think Martin is right: ribbons of that sort were very popular at the time and common on instruments of the "Wandervogel" movement. But Boehm also took up this idea and sold several ribbons (called "Zierbänder"). Look at this page of a Boehm price list from 1934:



Of course, I could also translate the words, but I would be even more interested if it is possible to link them with any description of the ribbons on this Boehm price list. This may be possible, Mark, because your waldzither dates from somewhere between ca. 1925 and 1937: the dates of the labels I presented on my pages mark the supposed earliest year of their use ...

Norbert

[Markkunkel]

One more try on that sound sample....
https://youtu.be/BP6Zp51HVa8

[fox]

Sounds great.....

[Norbert Feinendegen]

Yes, Mark, your waldzither sounds truly great! In my opinion, the higher Boehm models Nr. 3 and 4 do not sound better than this one: they are made from the same woods and are only decorated more.

I have also a Nr. 2 like you which is my favorite to play and record with.

[Norbert Feinendegen]

Hello everybody,

I've just put online an English version of my homepage about the instruments of the Hamburg Waldzither pioneer C. H. Boehm.

http://boehm-waldzither-page.webnode.com/

I hope you like it !

There are already some new things on the page because of the reactions to the German version (for example an instrument with a neck made of aluminum): please feel free to comment or to write me if you have anything new to share!



Norbert

[Colin Lindsay]

I love the warmth of these instruments, a nice mellow sound; I have a Soundcloud link on another thread which sounds beautifully soft and deep, possibly due to the round back of the one I was playing.