US488890A - Musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. HAGEMAN. MUSICAL INST RUME NT.

o. 488,890. Patented D80. 27, 1892.

:rsns 00., PHOTO'LITHQ, WASHINGTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HAGEMAN, OF MULLAN, IDAHO.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,890, dated December 27, 1892- Applioation filed May 24, 1892. Serial No. 434,157. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HAGEMAN, of Mullan, in the county of Shoshone and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates certain new and highly useful improvements in musical instruments, having reference more particularly to zithers.

It has for its object, primarily, the production of a new and improved mandolin-zither, the combined qualities of both a mandolin and zither being embodied in one instrument, whereby either the mandolin or zither can be played alone or the mandolin with the zither accompaniment.

A further object is to provide an improved zither which can be played when the instrument is in any position and thus avoid the necessity of placing the instrument on a table as is now required.

The invention consists in providing a zither having the accompaniment zither strings, with mandolin melody strings, so that it can be played with a mandolin pick on the melody strings alone, and thus sound like a mandolin, or with a zither ring on the melody strings, picking the accompaniment zitherstrings with the flrst, second and third fingers of the right hand, as in the usual way of zither playing.

The invention further consists in providing a zither having accompaniment strings with an arm or neck projecting diagonally from its body and having mandolin melody strings thereon, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a View in perspective of my improved mandolin-zither.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the sound-board of a zither, and a the accompaniment strings thereof secured at their ends to tail pieces a and the keys a The arrangement of these strings is similar to that of all ordinary zithers, namely, first the highest and going gradually to the deepest note. Placed together the arrangement is E1 Bb, F, O, G, Fa a a b, a D, A, E, B, Fig, Ofl, G11, D.

B is an arm or neck which projects from and is rigidly secured to the zither soundboard A, at its inner end, its outer end being on a line with the outer end of said soundboard. This arm or neck is provided with mandolin melody-strings 1), arranged in pairs as in a mandolin, that is to say, EE, AA, DD, and GG, similar to the single strings of aviolin. The strings I) are secured to a projecting portion 5' of tail-piece a and to keys b on the outer end of arm or neck B.

The melody strings of the mandolin attachment to the zither can be played alone with a mandolin pick and thus the true sound of a mandolin is obtained, or it can be picked with a zither-ring, the zither accompaniment strings being picked at the same time by the fingers, resulting in producing sounds like that of a zither. By placing the melody strings on an arm or neck the fingering is greatly facilitated and the performance on the instrument is rendered extremely easy.

The most important advantage of my invention is that the performer can hold the instrument in his lap, similar to the way the.

mandolin is held, with one hand around the neck; and it is not necessary that the zither should be placed on a stand or table as is now required so that the strings will face upward; and the instrument is so held that all the strings will be faced outward. In zithers heretofore employed the player is required to use his third, second and first fingers and also his thumb, whereas with my improved mandolinzither the fingering is facilitated by the use of the first, second, third and fourth fingers, same as with the mandolin, banjo, guitar and violin.

With the mandolin attachment the entire instrument becomes a zither when the melody and accompaniment strings are played together, or it is a mandolin when onlythe finger-board or melody strings are used, the zither accompaniment strings not being touched. Thus a performer on a mandolin or zither can be either or both, without having to have two instruments or learning each separately.

I claim as my invention 1. A zither having the zither-accompani- IOO ment-strings, and mandolin melody strings, the latter being arranged in pairs, as set forth.

2. A zither having the zither-accompaniment-strings, and a single arm or neck projecting diagonally therefrom provided with mandolin melody strings, as stated.

3. The herein-described improved mandolin-zither, comprising the zither sound board having the zither-accompaniment-strings, the arm or neck projecting diagonally from said zither sound board, and the mandolin melody strings arranged in pairs thereon, as set forth.

4. The herein-described improved mandolin zither comprising the zither sound hoard having the zither accompaniment strings, the 15 arm or neck scoured at one end to said sound board and projecting diagonally therefrom and having an outer widened end provided with keys, and the mandolin melody strings arranged in pairs secured to said keys, sub- 20 stantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT I'IAGEMAN. WVitnesses:

W. H. FRAZER, G. W. MARSH.

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