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[Eagleon]

My boyfriend acquired this from his grandfather, who didn't have any clue what it was. The maker is E. R. Schmidt, who was a violin maker at the turn of the century. An Oscar Schmidt, whom I presume to be related, has made bowed zithers, but I can't find any by E. R. Schmidt. Label reads:

Musikinstrumenten & Saitenfabrik
E. R. Schmidt & Co. [Found out this was founded 1880ish, Schmidt died in 1927 or around there]
Markneukirchen Sacony.

No serial number. Unfortunately it's got a pretty huge crack along the spine (I think because two of the strings have been off for so long), and two smaller but significant cracks lateral with the soundholes. This thing is 90 to 130 years old. Even if no one knows anything about it it's pretty awesome, no?

[Virex]

Markneukirchen you say? Maybe these guys know more? (It's Saxony btw, not Sacony)

[Eagleon]

Good find. Will email them, see if they've got any info. And no, the label says Sacony. I thought the same thing, but I'm staring at it right now.

[Criptfeind]

Sweet thing. Saddly I know nothing of any thing musical, so I can not help you.

[Virex]

Good find. Will email them, see if they've got any info. And no, the label says Sacony. I thought the same thing, but I'm staring at it right now.

Well, that's actually a plus because it might help you find out where the zither is from. There can't be too many instruments made with such a blatant mistake (unless it's a brand name, in which case it's even more helpful)

[Eagleon]

Got a reply back.

Hello ||||||,
 
I found in our databse:
 
Die Oscar Schmidt Company wurde 1911 als Gesellschaft eingetragen und um 1920 gab es vier Fabriken in Europa und drei in Amerika, wobei die bekannteste Fabrik in Jersey City war (Fertigung aller Arten von Saiteninstrumenten) // beliefert wurden vor allem Großhändler, die oft ihre eigenen Zettel in die "Schmidt-Instrumente" klebten // in den späten 1920er Jahren war die",Oscar Schmidt Co." eine sehr große Firma , die in beinah jedem Bereich des Musikgeschäfts tätig war // nach dem Tode von Schmidt und nach der Weltwirtschaftskrise, überlebte nur die Hauptfabrik in Jersey City; um 1935 gehörte die Firma John Garner und schließlich dem Musikgiganten "Harmony"
 
 
A violinmaker would be able to restore it. The instrument has to be on a table and you need a bow for playing.
 
Best regards,
 Heidrun

I don't speak much German, but I gather that what he's saying relates to Oscar Schmidt Co, not E. R. Schmidt Co. Maybe they're the same? In that case it still doesn't explain how old the instrument is or how it came to be. I'll be seeking out new places to contact tonight. Museums still seem like the best bet, and there might even be someone around here that could help - Milwaukee has a lot of German roots, and I'm betting that's how it got here.

[Simmura McCrea]

Got a reply back.

Hello ||||||,
 
I found in our databse:
 
Die Oscar Schmidt Company wurde 1911 als Gesellschaft eingetragen und um 1920 gab es vier Fabriken in Europa und drei in Amerika, wobei die bekannteste Fabrik in Jersey City war (Fertigung aller Arten von Saiteninstrumenten) // beliefert wurden vor allem Großhändler, die oft ihre eigenen Zettel in die "Schmidt-Instrumente" klebten // in den späten 1920er Jahren war die",Oscar Schmidt Co." eine sehr große Firma , die in beinah jedem Bereich des Musikgeschäfts tätig war // nach dem Tode von Schmidt und nach der Weltwirtschaftskrise, überlebte nur die Hauptfabrik in Jersey City; um 1935 gehörte die Firma John Garner und schließlich dem Musikgiganten "Harmony"
 
 
A violinmaker would be able to restore it. The instrument has to be on a table and you need a bow for playing.
 
Best regards,
 Heidrun

I don't speak much German, but I gather that what he's saying relates to Oscar Schmidt Co, not E. R. Schmidt Co. Maybe they're the same? In that case it still doesn't explain how old the instrument is or how it came to be. I'll be seeking out new places to contact tonight. Museums still seem like the best bet, and there might even be someone around here that could help - Milwaukee has a lot of German roots, and I'm betting that's how it got here.

The Oscar Schmidt Company in 1911 incorporated and in 1920 there were four factories in Europe and three in America, which was the most famous factory in Jersey City (manufacture of all types of stringed instruments) / / supplies were particularly wholesalers, who often have their own Note in the "Schmidt-instruments" stuck / / in the late 1920's, the "Oscar Schmidt Co." a very large company that has worked in almost every area of the music business / / After the death of Schmidt and after the Depression, survived only the main factory in Jersey City, around 1935 the company belonged John Garner, and finally the music giant "Harmony"

[Ampersand]

A cursory search on the Google has lead me here http://www.oldmusicalinstruments.co.uk/instruments/instrument_detail.php?id=197&cat=BS

This one at least superficially appears to be exactly the same, with only very slight visible differences. The manufacturer is definitely different, however. Take note of the 450 dollar price tag on it, when in good condition. I found an Ebay auction for a fairly beat up one for some 60 something dollars.

Although the email notes that the Oscar Schmidt Company was incorporated in 1911, it was founded in 1871, which means it can still be 130 years old.

http://www.oscarschmidt.com/info/ May want to think about shooting them an email.

[Eagleon]

Yeah, they're not too far from me, about an hour away. I'll fire off an email to them. But I'm still not sure what's going on with the name here. The zither's tag pretty clearly says E. R. Schmidt & Co. No Oscar. Did they change their name? Was this made while under tutelage with the older E. Schmidt? Could it be a one-off instrument? Could the tag have been replaced? If so, why? It doesn't seem like something you could easily counterfeit - I can tell it's not cheaply made, despite the cracks, and it still plays cleanly with no buzz down to the last fret. I still can only find violins under this name, and often from Mittenwald, not Markneukerchen.

[Burnt Pies]

Maybe take it to an Antiques dealer to get it valued? Probably much easier for them to give an opinion than it is for us.

[Virex]

Note that Oscar Schmidt was the name of the company in 1911. It's not impossible that your instrument was made by his father or another relative, who owned the company before official registration. You might want to send a mail to the company to ask for their history. Also note that Schimdt is a very, very common German surname. There could well have been several dozen Schmidts that made instruments around the end of the 19th century.

[Ampersand]

I've figured it out.

We've been looking for E. R. Schmidt and finding nothing, but that's because we're using the wrong name.

E. Reinhold Schmidt was a violin maker in Saxony, and had a workshop in Markneukirchen. Case closed there.

I however can't find anything linking the name to Zithers much less Bowed Zithers, which would indicate to me that this instrument, from this maker, is extremely rare.

[Eagleon]

http://www.arcade-museum.com/mtr/MTR-1927-84-22/MTR-1927-84-22-99.pdf
Found this. Oscar was definitely his son. I'm guessing this is a case of retroactive rebranding on the part of his sons, and that Oscar Schmidt Co. Circa 1871 was called E.R. Schmidt Co. as I suspected. Still waiting for a reply from the former, obviously.

[Ampersand]

I'm not entirely sure about that rebranding thing there. looking at the article that you provided, it seems far more likely that the Oscar Schmidt corporation began, not as a manufacturer, but as a distribution company. My guess is that your instrument was made by the Reinhold Schmidt corporation, then shipped to America to be sold by his son, Oscar, in Jersey City.

[Eagleon]

Dead end here.

Hello,

We unfortunately have no records or literature for this instrument.

I would suggest contacting a vintage instrument restorerer, such as Elderly Instruments.  They can be found at Elderly.com.

Thanks, and best regards

Ryan Struck

Customer Service Manager

Guitars and Stringed Instruments
U.S. Music Corp.

U. S. Music Corp of course being the conglomerate that acquired Oscar Schmidt Co. Pity I couldn't get in touch with an actual human being - no idea if he's blowing me off here or if he's actually talked to someone that would know.

I guess I'll begin trolling through other forums, hoping someone has some information. Elderly is a little bit more out of my way (Michigan) I'll contact them, but without proof of its value I'm not going to sink money into the major repairs it requires. Unfortunate, but I don't have the resources.