You did such a beautiful demonstration. Your song is wonderful! I used to love playing my Marxophone, and I wish I could get it fixed or find a replacement sometime!
Thanks so much! If you need advice on fixing a Marxophone, check out the Ukelin and Fretless Zithers Appreciation Society Facebook page facebook.com/groups/45860996363/. Good luck!
Thanks for listening and thanks for the feedback! I love the ethereal sound, too, and often play the plucked method only. You might enjoy Meander, for example, from my new CD Joyful Confluence: katherinerhoda.com/sounds-video/audio/
Ahhh. the ol' mandolin-guitarophone. otherwise known as the Marxophone or "That &#^$ Oscar-Schmidt knock-off". I once found one at a local antique shop. Shame it wasn't an original Marxophone like the one you have here ma'am. I am a collector of musical instruments. Particularly the rare and/or obscure. I myself own several kinds of zither from autoharps to a hammered dulcimer with a non-standard string configuration ratio. The O-S Marxophone knock-off is my most recent acquisition and is in dire need of restoration and repair. Still, seeing yours in operation gives me hope for the future. Thank you.
I came acrost a marxophone at an antique store today and immediately scooped it up. It's in relatively poor condition, missing the hammers + marxophone sign. Any idea where I can aquire strings to repair it and hammers?
Yeah, if you want to just pluck the strings, there were any number of zithers made without the keys. But mixing up the plucking with using the keys provides an extra layer of interest.
Thanks Rhonda, mine is the same, maybe crumbling is an exaggeration. Always been a fan of the Marxophone sound from the Doors track but it was your videos that really inspired me to track one down, thank you.
You could try Ebay but be careful! Ask for end-on photos of the tuning pin end of the instrument and the hitch pin end with the mechanism removed. If there's a lot of separation it may be more trouble than it's worth. Good luck!
