Oscar Schmidt OS21C 21-Chord Autoharp Sunburst Finish
The autoharp is a wonderful rhythm instrument especially suited to playing chordal accompaniment for singing and solo instrumentalists. From its invention in Europe more than 100 years ago, the autoharp has woven its way in and out of a myriad of musical genres including Folk, Country and Western, Pop, Roots and who knows what next!
Interestingly, the autoharp is actually not a harp at all but a chorded Zither. Regardless of what it is called, the fact remains that it is a wonderfully inspirational instrument and exceptionally easy to make music with.
A modern progression of the autoharp has players actually play melodies on their instrument. Diatonic players are able to play fiddle tunes by using open-chording techniques, “pumping” the damper buttons while picking individual strings. Skilled chromatic players can perform a range of melodies making the autoharp a much more versatile instrument.
Oscar Schmidt OS21C Autoharp.
Oscar Schmidt is the world’s biggest autoharp manufacturer, and the OS21C is one of their most popular models. With 21 chords, a resonant maple body and rock maple pin block, and the handcrafted quality Oscar Schmidt is known for, it’s a solid, affordable autoharp that’s built to last.
The OS21C 21-chord classic is one of Oscar Schmidt’s most popular models, and with good reason. As a chromatic 21-chord model, it offers three rows of buttons, meaning quick, smooth chord transitions. Oscar Schmidt’s patented chord bar button layout includes A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb and A Major; E, A, D, G and C Minor; along with B, E, A, D, G, C, F, and Bb Seventh Chords.
This autoharp features all Maple construction, and is finished in an attractive sunburst gloss. A Rock Maple pin block provides serious strength, to assure your autoharp stays in tune.
The OS21C 21-chord autoharp uses ‘B’ style strings. For anyone who wants to play the autoharp for fun or professionally, the Oscar Schmidt OS21 is a fantastic choice.
About Oscar Schmidt Musical Instruments
The Oscar Schmidt Company was founded in 1871 and incorporated in 1911. By the early 1900s, the company had five factories in Europe and a factory on Ferry Street in Jersey City. They made all kinds of stringed instruments, guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, zithers and Autoharps.
The company prospered through the early 1920s. Oscar Schmidt instruments were sold in many rural parts of the country where no music stores existed. Salesmen distributed the products far and wide, making them available in general, small town furniture and dry goods stores. Country guitar pickers and blues musicians living in areas of the South and in Appalachia, far from the city, frequently played Oscar Schmidt instruments because they were both inexpensive and available locally. But equally important, they were often chosen solely on merits of their superior tone and volume.
Today at Oscar Schmidt, premium woods, quality hardware and craftsmanship come together to create an ideal instrument. Each is inspected, adjusted and tuned at south coast music by a skilled technician, your assurance for great playability and resonant sound quality. Unequalled standards in easy playing comfort and tone response creates the perfect value… Oscar Schmidt.
Oscar Schmidt OS21C Features:
• Handcrafted Quality
• All Maple Construction
• Rock Maple Pin Block
• Type B Strings
• Gloss Sunburst Finish
• Chromatic 21 Chord Bar with Three Rows of Buttons
• Major Chords: A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb and A Major
• Minor Chords: E, A, D, G and C Minor
• Seventh Chords: B, E, A, D, G, C, F and Bb Seventh Chords
• UPC: 801128500829
• MPN: OS21C
Included in our package is a Tuning wrench, Tuning tips & picks.
