fretless zithers > plucked instruments > autoharps

Many different models of autoharps have been produced over the years, and the information given here is by no means comprehensive. The focus of this gallery is primarily on instruments of the 19th and early 20th centuries; i.e., it more or less covers the autoharp only through the time it was intended by its producers to be played on a table. (Exceptions are the 21-bar model, the Guitaro, and probably the 15-bar models.) Once autoharp manufacturers realized that players who perform with the instrument held upright had become the majority, they wisely began to accommodate them with a legion of new models. One important design change was the tailward relocation of the chord bars. This trend began around 1960 and has continued to the present.

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3-bar autoharps

The most basic of autoharps are the 3-bar models. Their intent is to allow the player to employ the I, IV, and V chord (in 7th form), in one key.

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Zimmermann No. 1

The first 3-bar autoharp produced, which was part of the original Philadelphia line, is the No. 1. It is a key of C instrument in diatonic tuning. At least two other 3-bar autoharps were introduced later, both by the Dolgeville company. The 3-bar autoharp (specifically the Nos. 1 and 71) was continued by the Phonoharp Company and appears to have survived until around 1920.

Model No. 1 autoharps, left to right:

1. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, type 1, c. 1885-88

2. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, type 2, c. 1890

3. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, c. 1894-5

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Zimmermann No. 71

The Model No. 71, a 20-string key of C instrument. was introduced in the 1890s by the Dolgeville company. Its range is that of the earlier No. 1, but minus the lowest string, the G bass. Why the company decided to make this 4-pitch reduction in the 3-bar autoharp's range is not known.

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Zimmermann Harmonette

Another 3-bar model introduced at Dolgeville was the Harmonette. This truly miniature autoharp is a key of F instrument. Like the other 3-bar models, its tuning is in the diatonic scale. It represents yet another backward step by the Dolgeville company in regard to 3-bar autoharp range, having only 18 strings. Surely children must have been the target market for this model and perhaps the No. 71 as well.

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4-bar autoharps

The 4-bar autoharp appears in two forms, a basic model with plain bars which of course makes 4 chords, and another model with "shifters", a C.F. Zimmermann innovation. Shifters allow each bar to make more than one chord.

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Zimmermann No. 2

The basic 4-bar autoharp, the Model No. 2, adds one accidental (Bb) in each octave to the 3-bar autoharp's stringing configuration and expands the player's ability by adding a C7 chord in the bars. It appears that production of the No. 2 autoharp met its end around the 1920s.

Model No. 2 autoharps, left to right:

1. type 1, C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, 1880s, colored paper labeling, fire-brand logo at top left corner of sound board

2. type 2, C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, c. 1890, celluloid labeling, inside label printed on colored paper

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Zimmermann No. 3

The 4-bar model with shifters is the No. 3. This model has fewest bars/chords of the shifter bar instruments but uses the same body as the two 5-bar shifter models. By current-day standards of autoharp dimensions, all the shifter models are full-size or larger.

Model No. 3 autoharps, left to right:

1. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, type 1, 1880s, paper labeling is a maroon color with gold lettering, shifter triggers are wire loops; appears to be an early example, as it lacks the Bb shifter on the F bar

2. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, standard type 1 form, 1880s

3. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, type 2, c. 1890, celluloid labeling

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5-bar autoharps

The 5-bar autoharp appears in three forms, a basic 5-chord model with plain bars and another two models with shifters. The only difference between the two shifter bar models is the number of shifters with which the bars of each are equipped.

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Zimmermann No. 2 3/4

The stringing configuration of the No. 2 3/4 autoharp is the same as that of the No. 2, but it adds a Bb chord bar, enabling the player to execute the three basic chords (I, IV, and V) in two keys, C and F. The No. 2 3/4 was on hand from the very birth of autoharp production and enjoyed a long production lifespan. It was finally discontinued sometime in the 1960s, some 80 years after its introduction by Zimmermann's original Philadelphia shop.

Model No. 2 3/4 autoharps, row 1, left to right:

1. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, type 1, 1885-88, "fancy capitals" fire-brand logo at top of front; white paper labeling

2. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, type 1, 1885-88, plain block letters fire-brand logo at top of front; unusual hybrid labeling, bar labels colored paper but tuning label white paper

3. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, type 2, c. 1890

4. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, mid-1890s; unusual in that the tuning label is a decal, rather than the usual tacked-on celluloid plate

5. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, In the mid 1890s, the Dolgeville company began to paint the No. 2 3/4 black and call it "The Favorite". This form marks its earliest appearance.

close-up of soundboard decal

Model No. 2 3/4 autoharps, row 2, left to right:

5. No. 2 3/4 "The Favorite", C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, late 1890s

close-up of soundboard decal

6. No. 2 3/4 "The Favorite", C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, late 1890s, highly unusual ivory finish, possibly unique

7. No. 2 3/4, Oscar Schmidt, c. 1940

8. No. 2 3/4, Oscar Schmidt, 1957

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Zimmermann No. 4

The 5-bar model with 6 shifters is the No. 4. The only difference between this model and the No. 5 is that the latter has two more shifters. Apparently the two extra chords appealed to most buyers.

Model No. 4 autoharps, left to right:

1. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, standard type 1 form, 1880s, celluloid labeling and fire-brand logo at top of sound board, "Miniature" inside label

2. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, c. 1895, a later Dolgeville form with wooden tail cover

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Zimmermann No. 5

The Model No. 5 has 8 shifters on its 5 bars, for a total of 13 chords. As mentioned above, it appears that its 2-chord edge on the No. 4 appealed to buyers, as examples of the No. 5 are the most abundant of the shifter models. Like all of the shifter bar models, the No. 5 was part of the line from near the beginning of autoharp production.

Model No. 5 autoharps, left to right:

1. type 1, C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, 1885-88, walnut veneer, finished in imitation of rosewood, covering top, sides, and ends, back finished in imitation rosewood, celluloid labeling, fire-brands on bar holder caps, square tab shifter triggers, "Miniature" inside label

2. type 1, C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, 1885-88, walnut veneer, with imitation rosewood finish same as above, maroon paper labeling, fire-brands on bar holder caps, profiled shifter triggers

3. type 1, C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, 1885-88, natural finish top, burl walnut veneer covering sides and ends, back finished in imitation rosewood, maroon paper labeling, fire-brands on bar holder caps, profiled shifter triggers, no inside label.

4. type 2, C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, c. 1890, rosewood finish walnut veneer as per above

5. type 2, C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, a very late example from the early 1890s, last-type interior label, natural finish front, very interesting in that it has a wooden tail cover which looks to be original. If so, it would establish its birthplace at Philadelphia rather than at Dolgeville as is generally believed.

6. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, c. 1895

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6-bar autoharp

Introduced near the dawn of American autoharp production in the 1880s, the 6-bar Model No. 6 autoharp represents the height of C.F. Zimmermann's innovation and the top of the line for the Philadelphia shop.

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Zimmermann No. 6

The No. 6. has 6 chord bars and 10 shifters, thus producing 16 different chords. Its open string length is a bit longer that that of modern full-size autoharps, and at 13" it is about an inch wider. The four models with shifters were the first to feature an F bass string at the low end, and the No. 6 was the first to add a high D string at the top end. Thus, the No. 6 defined the open string range used until some 75 years later by the most popular of all autoharp models, the No. 73, until the high D was dropped from that model sometime in the 1950s.

Model No. 6 autoharps, left to right:

1. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, No. 6, type 1, 1885-88, fire-brand in upper left hand corner of top, "Miniature" internal label, maroon paper labeling with gold lettering, profiled bar holders, including the elongated type often shown in the 1880s catalogs and instruction books

2. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, No. 6, type 1, 1885-88, fire-brand in upper left hand corner of top, "Miniature" internal label, celluloid labeling, short profiled bar holders

3. C.F. Zimmermann, Philadelphia, No. 6, type 2, c. 1890, inside label printed on colored paper, celluloid tuning label mounted on wooden lath (This photo represents the condition in which this instrument was found, approximately 110 years after it was built. Nothing has been done to it in the way of repairs or even cleaning.)

4. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, No. 6 "Modele de Luxe", c. 1898

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7-bar autoharp

The Dolgeville company introduced one 7-bar model in the mid-1890s, the Model No. 2 7/8. Though arguably the best-sounding of 19th century autoharps, it enjoyed a woefully short production lifespan of only a couple of years; its demise coincided with the introduction of the 8- and 12-bar models.

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Zimmermann No. 2 7/8

The No. 2 7/8 autoharp adds two accidentals to the diatonic scale, Bb and F#. Given the chords it offers in the bars (specifically the Dm), the F# strings would seem to be a mystery, as none of the chords use them. However, it is certain that this model derives its configuration from the earlier shifter models. In fact, aside from the bars it is in every way identical to the Nos. 3, 4, and 5, which all use the same body. The company outfitted a shifter model autoharp with non-shifter bars and a new model was born. So, the answer to the mystery of why it has the F# strings is that the shifter models all had a D major chord, but this still leaves the mystery of why they didn't either offer a D major bar or change the stringing configuration.

sound clip of this instrument

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8-bar autoharp

At the time it was introduced in the 1890s, the 8-bar Model 72 7/8 offered more bars than any model before it but not as many chords as some of the shifter models. It seems the Dolgeville firm sought to offer more chords but without shifters. The No. 72 7/8 represents a transitional step in that effort.

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Zimmermann No. 72 7/8

The No. 72 7/8 autoharp marked the first appearance of full-chromatic tuning. Its introduction dates from the late 1890s. Curiously, at least two different configurations of chord bars are known. Most often the push-buttons are arranged in a single straight line, but some (later ones, no doubt) have them staggered in two close rows. This gives evidence of the experimentation that led to the introduction of its 12-bar successor, the No. 73, the first model to offer bars with buttons in two distinct rows. The proportionately long and narrow body of the No. 72 7/8 give it a sleek and elegant appearance.

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12-bar autoharp

The Dolgeville company made an important realization late in the 1890s. By narrowing both the width and spacing of the bars and placing the buttons in two comfortably-spaced rows, they could offer an autoharp with more bars and thus more chords...and without shifters. They must have theorized that offering the choice of two different means to play a dozen or so chords (few bars with shifters or more bars without) stood to broaden the autoharp's overall appeal to the public. It certainly did; the result of their experimentation was the most popular autoharp model of all time, the No. 73.

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Zimmermann No. 73

The No. 73 is the classic, essential "old black autoharp". Full-chromatic tuning and an expansive palette of accompaniment chords made this 12-bar model the flagship of autoharp manufacturers for about 60 years. Countless thousands of them were produced following the No. 73's introduction by the Dolgeville factory in the late 1890s. This autoharp innovation was the last of the 19th century. Following the collapse of the Dolgeville company in 1899, no new autoharp models were introduced for over 50 years.

Model No. 73 autoharps, row 1, left to right:

1. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, late 1890s, earliest type, no wooden tail cover

close-up of soundboard decal

sound clip of this instrument

2. C.F. Zimmermann Co., Dolgeville, NY, c. 1899, very late Dolgeville model with wooden tail cover

close-up of soundboard decal

3. Phonoharp Company, East Boston, Mass., an early Phonoharp example, c. 1910-1915, redwood top, vine edge border decal, continued use of Dolgeville soundboard decals, but the gold one now bears the Phonoharp Company name and location

4. International Musical Corporation, Hoboken, NJ, c. 1930; the beginning of the Oscar Schmidt era; Schmidt built the International instruments and appears to have absorbed the company early in the 1930s, forming "OS-International Corp." and later "OS-International, Inc.". The IMC instrument shown above, from just prior to the OS/International conglomeration, shows that Dolgeville-era sound board decals were still in use, some 30 years after the demise of the Dolgeville factory.

5. Oscar Schmidt, early, c. 1930; sound board decal is one of the first used on Schmidt autoharps (and other instruments), apparently not for very long as it is uncommon

close-up of soundboard decal

Model No. 73 autoharps, row 2, left to right:

5. Oscar Schmidt- International Corporation; c. early 1940s; "music book" sound board decal; the two outermost rows of white paper labeling on the bars are not original but were added by an owner. However, the chrome push-buttons are original and in fact appear frequently on autoharps from this era.

6. 1948; Oscar Schmidt-International Corporation; no sound board decal

7. 1952; Oscar Schmidt-International, Inc. (this identity is given on the tuning decal; the inside label has been done away with); "scroll logo" sound board decal, wooden bar holders

8. 1961; Oscar Schmidt- International, Inc.; "scroll logo" sound board decal, plastic bar holders

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15-bar autoharps

The 15-bar autoharp was first introduced by Oscar Schmidt Co. in the 1950s. It appears to have been the first model to begin its life without the high D string. The 15-bar models, in one or another configuration, are still popular today. The instruments shown below represent only a couple of its early forms.

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Oscar Schmidt No. 15A

The chords of 15-bar models are variable. Early regular production models used the chords of the 12-bar Model 73 autoharp as the foundation, adding three more chords to that arrangement. The model 15A adds the three diminished chords. The example shown below is from 1961 and takes the "New Golden Autoharp" form, but this model was offered in standard black as well.

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Oscar Schmidt No. 15E

The 15-bar Model 15E autoharp was introduced in the 1960s, and this example dates to about the time of its introduction. Like the No. 15A above, it uses the chords of the No. 73 as its foundation, adding to them the chords D major, F7, and Eb. By the time this autoharp was made, the foil sound board logo had replaced decals, the sound hole had been done away with, and the tailward relocation of the bars by the manufacturer had begun to take effect.

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21-bar autoharps

The 21-bar autoharp is a current model of relatively recent origin. Numerous models are offered. This appears to be the largest number of bars used on standard production models by Schmidt.

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Oscar Schmidt 21-bar models

With its characteristic encased chord bars, the 21-bar autoharp is somewhat reminiscent of the 19th century Canadian "Eaton" models. The chord bar buttons have two opposing straight sides and two opposing curved sides and are arranged in three rows. The chord bar assembly of the 21-bar models is constructed in such a manner as to readily facilitate customization. The buttons can be moved on the bars to fit into any of the three rows. This image shows the metal string hitch at the tail end, which is now standard on nearly all new models. This can be replaced with an apparatus that houses fine-tuners, which needless to say is a major convenience.

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unusual and special autoharps

Several unusual and special autoharp models have been produced over the years, some of which are documented below.

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Oscar Schmidt Guitaro

The Guitaro was first introduced (by name, at least) in the 1960s. It is designed so that the performer can play it from guitar position, i.e., horizontally, hung from a shoulder strap like a guitar The player reaches around to the front from behind and below to manipulate the chord bars. Even though the push points of the bars are located nearly at their ends, a special scissor-like mechanism distributes the player's downward force evenly across the length of the bars. It is included here because it represents an actual functional deviation from the norm of autoharp design.

1. This instrument appears to be an early form of the guitaro; perhaps it was the prototype. Note the lack of tuning information; this is most unusual for a fretless zither. It bears an International Musical Corporation label inside, and the sound hole decal suggests a date of manufacture around 1930. There is no evidence to suggest that this instrument was given a name.

2. The typical form from the 1960s. Notice the "resonator" covering the lower half of the back.

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Oscar Schmidt Chordion

This model was made by Oscar Schmidt for the Montgomery Ward catalog company around the 1930s. There is really nothing unusual about its functionality; it's a perfectly standard No. 73 autoharp from the functional standpoint. However, it does have some interesting cosmetic features, most notably a wooden cover that conceals the tuning pins. Tuning the Chordion begins by backing out four screws and removing this cover. Once tuned, the cover is re-installed. Given the inconvenience of this, it's surprising that any of these have survived with this cover intact. Other unusual features are the red buttons and rounded tail cover, bar holders, and bars, the latter of which are painted bright red on their edges. A close-up of these features in shown.

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RBI Caroler

The Caroler autoharp was produced around the 1970s. It is unusual in that it is configured in the mirror image of a conventional autoharp. It would seem that it was designed either for left-handed players or to allow playing on the headward side of the bars with the instrument laid on a table. The latter may more likely have been the intent; this instrument is quite large and heavy, for which reason I would think it to be altogether unsuitable for playing from any position that involves supporting its bulk. The Caroler was sold by a US-based company, Rhythm Band, Incorporated, which at this writing still sells autoharps.

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Meloharp

These turn up now and then, and there are many different models. I formerly questioned whether or not the Meloharp was of American origin; it's enclosed chord bar assembly calls to mind the Canadian "Eaton" autoharps. However, it is in fact claimed by US patents (This information is courtesy of Kelly Williams.) I included an example here because it represents an interesting late 19th century approach to autoharp body design; the "notch" in its outline was intended to accommodate the player's waist. Presumably the instrument was to have been supported by a strap. (Somehow this brings to my mind the image of a ball-park vendor.) Functionally, the Meloharp followed the Zimmermann models. The one pictured is identical in both chords/bars and stringing/tuning configuration to the Zimmermann # 2 7/8.

Oscar Schmidt produced a totally unrelated instrument around the 1950s, which was also called a Meloharp.

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Zimmermann "all-chord"

Among the late 19th century innovations of the C.F. Zimmermann Company, Dolgeville, New York were three exceptional autoharp models, the Parlor Grand, the Concert Grand, and the one pictured here.

This autoharp bears no known name or model number, so for the time being I've taken the liberty of giving it one. The name "all-chord" is based on the fact that it makes all the chords of the chromatic scale in major, minor, and seventh forms, plus the three diminished chords. It does so by means of 13 movable bars, each of which can be set in any of three positions. It is a large autoharp, measuring 15" wide by 23 1/2" long. This model appears with different varieties of trimmings. The example shown has inlaid wood marquetry edge trim, walnut chord bar enclosure, bridges, and tail cover, and figured maple veneered sides.

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Zimmermann Parlor Grand

The Parlor Grand is a slightly oversize 39-string autoharp that is capable of producing 27 different chords. It has 7 regular-width bars which bear a total of 13 shifters. Perhaps its most unusual functional feature is the set of three narrow bars at the head end of the row. In Dolgeville promo literature of the time, these are said to be used in combination with the other bars to make even more different chords. In truth they are used alone and produce the three diminished chords. It was offered in mahogany, maple, and "ebonized" (black-painted) trim. An example of each is shown below.

The Parlor Grand sold for $170 in the 1890s. Needless to say, it is consequently a rare instrument. At present, only four complete examples are known to exist. The fourth is another maple-trimmed model, also in excellent condition. One incomplete black trimmed model also exists; its chord bars have been stripped of their shifters.

Zimmermann Parlor Grand autoharps, left to right:

1. This is the mahogany-trimmed model. It is a late example, from the last period of the Dolgeville firm, dating from 1898-99.

click here for a few comments on the restoration of this autoharp, with additional photos

2. Here we have an example of the maple-trimmed model. This instrument dates from slightly earlier, around 1895.

3. And this is an example with the black-painted trim. Again, it is from around 1895.

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Zimmermann Concert Grand

The Concert Grand is a very large autoharp, measuring about 20" wide by 30" long. It has 49 strings, covering four chromatic octaves, 6 bars bearing 12 shifters (10 active, 2 dummies), and it is said to be capable of producing 60 chords. The action of the Concert Grand differs from that of the Parlor Grand. Like the "All-Chord" above, the Concert Grand's bars can be situated in any of 3 different positions, each of which produces a different set of 3 chords per bar.

a special thanks:

The image of the Concert Grand autoharp was kindly shared by Frank Ford of Gryphon Stringed Instruments, Palo Alto, California. For a close-up look at this impressive instrument, see Frank's artful array of images at the FRETS.COM Museum.

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