Oscar Schmidt OS73C Hand Crafted 21-Chord 1930’s Reissue Autoharp – Black Satin Finish
Faithful Recreated to Inspire and Delight
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.
The name Oscar Schmidt is synonymous with the Autoharp.
Oscar Schmidt’s beginnings can be traced right back to the early 1900s. The emergence of their autoharp in the 1930s came to represent the voice and individual freedom of American Folk Music. With a wide variety of models to choose from, Oscar Schmidt is truly the original and only complete source for the Autoharp.
This OS73C autoharp is a wonderful tribute to those original autoharps. As well as the authentic appearance of an older Oscar Schmidt autoharp, modern manufacturing techniques and almost a century of experience have come together in this hand crafted beauty.
The 21 chord OS73C has the classic look of the original Oscar Schmidt Autoharp with all the quality improvements of a completely new instrument.
The Oscar Schmidt OS73C is a stunning facsimile of a 1930’s autoharp. Visually, the Oscar Schmidt will take you back to a bygone era with its antique-styled body featuring a more geometric Art-Deco design compared to modern autoharps. The satin Black finish and old-style gold logo which reads, “Original Autoharp – Dolgeville, New York” completes the package.
Practically though, this is a thoroughly modern instrument. Featuring 21 Chord bars, the OS73C uses Type A strings where the strings slip over pins at the bottom end of the harp and the clever flip-up endpin cover stops pins from snagging on your clothes.
The top is made from solid spruce, the back from laminated mahogany. The pin blocks are hard rock maple laminated in 10 plys for extra strength. The pin block is critical to the success and tone of an autoharp. Its job is to firmly hold the tuning pins in place where the strings are attached. As well as providing tuning stability, the pin block is an important point of transfer of the energy from the strings into the body of the autoharp.
Multiple layers of maple are laid across each other in a criss-cross fashion using a special high frequency, waterproof gluing process. Reversing the grain direction on each layer of lamination yields incredible strength and the high-frequency waterproof glue seals the laminations protecting the pin block from changes in temperature and humidity.
The OS73C autoharp also features a satin finish which allows the timber to breathe more, enhancing the tone.
Oscar Schmidt’s 1930s reissue models have been lovingly recreated based on their famous original design.
Oscar Schmidt OS73C Features:
• 1930’s Reissue Autoharp
• Handcrafted Quality
• Solid Spruce Top
• Mahogany Back and Sides
• Type A Strings
• Black Satin Finish
• 21 Chords
• UPC: 801128500911
• MPN: OS73C
OS73C standard set of 21 chord bars: Ab, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G major; A7, Bb7, B7, C7, D7, E7, F7, G7; Am, Cm, Dm, Em and Gm
OS73C play in the keys of: Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D and A.
Included in our package is a Tuning wrench, Tuning tips & picks.
