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gizmo-harps without chords

While some gizmo-harps have their accompaniment strings grouped into chords, others do not. The gizmos these instruments don't necessarily fall firmly into either the accompaniment-type or melody-type categories, though from the functional standpoint, most favor the former.

Note: The terms "with chords" and "without chords" refer to whether or not an instrument has its accompaniment strings grouped into designated chords.

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Phonoharp

Bearing an 1891 patent date, the Phonoharp was presumably the first instrument produced by the Phonoharp Company and was the company's namesake. Each horizontal row of spaces in the metal grid represents a different chord, so when the instrument is strummed following a row, it produces a chord. It works by allowing only the strings which are tuned to notes of the desired chord to be played; the perpendicular partitions of the grid cover those strings which are not part of the chord, preventing them from from being played. Three models were made; all are represented below.

Phonoharps, left to right

1. Model No. 1, 15 strings (two diatonic octaves of C), makes the chords C, F, and G7

2. Model No. 2, adds a G and F string at the bass end, for a total of 17 strings, same chords as Model No. 1

3. Model No. 3, 25 strings, tuning is (beginning at the left/bass end) G, Bb, C, F, G, A, Bb, B, C, followed by two more octaves of C, each with a Bb, for a total range of 3 1/2 octaves. It makes the chords (bottom to top): C, G7, F, Bb, and Am.

As a curious aside, here is this instrument's original box label. (Note that it is a generic label; the image is of a Model No. 2.)

And here a No. 3 Phonoharp turned up in an old photo (linked by permission of www.musurgia.com.)

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Apollo harp

The Apollo harp is unusual in that the body of the instrument has no back. Beginning at the tuning pins, which are located in their "normal" place at the head end, the strings go tailward, the length of the i nstrument, across its front side (as usual), but instead of hitching to pins at the tail end, the strings make a 180 degree turn back headward, then go the whole length of the instrument again, this time across the back side. Finally, they hitch to pins at the head end of the instrument's back side.

The Apollo harp functions somewhat like the Phonoharp, but with felt instead of metal preventing the pick from hitting unwanted strings. At least two different models were made, and also an instrument called an "Apollo Keyed Harp", which actually has a different gizmo than the standard Apollo. The one pictured below is the No. 5. Identically to the No. 3 Phonoharp pictured above, it makes the chords (bottom to top): C, G7, F, Bb, and Am. Curiously and as though to be deliberately confusing, instead of numbering the chords, they lettered them in alphabetical order on the right hand side of the grate.

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piano harp

Another of Henry Marx's instruments built by the Phonoharp Company, the piano harp is a "chordless" gizmo harp. Its gizmo is of the accompaniment type and amounts to wooden bars which run perpendicular to the strings and are contained at one end in a holder. Each bar has hard felt blocks on its underside which correspond to those strings tuned to the notes of the chord it plays.

The function of the bars is the reverse of autoharp bars, which silence unwanted strings when pushed downward. Instead, the bars of the piano harp are lifted upward and released, being snapped downward by an elastic strap in the holder, striking the strings, and thus playing a chord. True to its name, the action of the bars yields a tone similar to that of striking a chord on a piano, though mellower and somewhat organ-like.

There are two types of bars, those that protrude out the left side of the holder as in the example shown, and those that have the ends of the bars flush with the edge of the holder (as is the case with the pianophone shown below). The protruding type bars are more functional, as they allow for playing them something like the keys of a keyboard, compared to the flush type which have to be lifted and released. However, the protruding type bars are also more vulnerable and fragile (they measure only 7/32" x 1/8") . It appears that the protruding ones were produced first but abandoned in favor of the less damage-prone flush type. Some early protruding bars were decoratively profiled on the bottom sides of the protruding ends.

The piano harp has Bb strings in the melody range, allowing for playing in both the keys of C and F. And the bars offer a generous and versatile pallette of seven chords, (top to bottom): Dm, Am, Bb, C7, F, G7, and C. As an aside, these are the same chords, and even in the same order, as those of an earlier instrument, the Zimmermann No. 2 7/8 autoharp.

The difference between the piano harp and the pianophone below is that the melody strings of the former are single-strung; those of the latter are paired. Nonetheless, some examples of the single-strung variety bear an inside label proclaiming the identity "Marx Pianophone". In fact, the example pictured has this label.

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pianophone

As mentioned above, the pianophone is the double-strung version of the piano harp above. Several different body styles were used for both instruments, but functionally they are all the same. Like the piano harp, the pianophone has seven chords and Bb strings in the melody range. This makes the pianophone one of only a very few fretless zithers to have paired strings prescribed to be tuned to an accidental.

The tuning decal of the pianophone bears text advising prospective buyers to make certain they don't confuse it with "our piano harp, which is a much cheaper instrument". However, this "warning" also appears on the tuning decal of single-strung instruments...yes, advising prospects to make certain they don't confuse it with the instrument it is. The inside label of the pianophone is also known to identify it as a "Marxophone".

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pianoette (without chords)

This type of pianoette is the chordless variety. (For a look at the type with chords, click here.) The label inside the pianoette, both the type with and without chords, usually names one Samuel Osborn of Chicago in some context. Functionally, the chordless-type pianoette is similar to the piano harp and pianophone above. Again, the bars of the gizmo are lifted and snapped downward, striking chords determined by the locations of hard felt pads. And again, there is no means of hitting combinations of strings within a chord, but only all of them at once. And as with the pianophone, the melody strings are paired.

The names "pianoette" and "pianolin" were used somewhat indiscriminately by the manufacturers. For more thorough and detailed information on this, consult Kelly Williams's pianolin and pianoette pages, at his site, The Guitar-Zither Clearinghouse.

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harmolin

The harmolin is interesting for a number of reasons, first and foremost of which is its functionality. It has at least two different attachments, both of which are shown. Both attachments allow one to play only selected strings at will, namely those which are tuned to the notes of the desired chord. However, the two are quite different in regard to the means by which each achieves this. One attachment is a metal grate with narrow slots. When the metal grate is used, the instrument must be played with a special "roller pick". For a detailed look at how this all works, click here.

The other attachment is a wooden frame with "chord bars", which in effect converts the harmolin to an autoharp. This frame has 4 different "settings", which amount to notches in one of the side rails, and each notch represents a "set" of chords. (See detail photo of the notches in the metal grate attachment's underside; the idea is the same.) For a look at the underside of the harmolin's autoharp attachment, showing the felt blocks it uses to silence selected strings, click here.

Another interesting detail is the fact that the harmolin first appeared at a late date in the manufacturing history of these instruments. It was apparently invented around 1950. Also, the company was located in San Diego, California, and as such was the only actual manufacturing facility I know of that was located on the West Coast. This contrasts geographically with the other producers (Phonoharp, Menzenhauer, Schmidt), which were all located in the East.

harmolins

Left: with metal grate attachment

Right: with autoharp attachment

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