Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Aug 18, 2022 21:12:27 GMT -6
Strap in -- I'll try to make this quick.
cutting to the chase
At some point, Harry DeArmond built an electromagnetic pickup for autoharps. While a moderately cool idea, this had the predictable effect of turning the instrument into a squealing monster onstage -- and much as with the electrified Spanish guitar, the simplest solution was to replace the instrument's hollow resonant-chamber body with a solid slab of wood.
The company known as Oscar Schmidt was not the only manufacturer to enter this tiny market, and perhaps not the first, but they did make some valiant efforts, one which marginally dubious sources tell me was the OS85C "Lancer" model.
The DeArmond pickup in all likelihood arose during the "folk revival" fad of the 1960s (which was a development of the "country-Western" music of the 1950s, which in turn was a genteel (and intentional) rebranding and repackaging of the "hillbilly music" of the 1930s which could be characterized as "minstrel show" without the blackface makeup: mass entertainment built on a parody the lower classes). Sales of the pickups likely encouraged companies to incorporate them on their stadard models, and then to make any innovations.
the brief small peak
In the 1960s, musical performers ("acts") marketed at adolescent girls were often steered by their management to have some sort of "gimmick," whether costumes or stage actions or an unusual musical instrument. One such act was The Lovin' Spoonful, and the zither player was John Sebastian. The result was use of the autoharp in a handful of pop hits, particularly the slashing chords for "Summer in the City" (1966), and throughout "Just When I Needed You Most" (1979) with a very good solo break.
backfill: how I got stuck in this
Back around 1998, I was happy. I was making $14/hour, working long weeks, had a reliable car... and gear stores permeated the Minneapolis area. Mom-and-pops were still salted around, and hole-in-wall boutiques were just becoming A Thing. There were seven Music-Go-Rounds, MARS Music was booming, and the third (far suburban) Guitar Center had just opened.
Anyway, I had an hour before meeting up with my girlfriend after work, and decided to the Roseville MGR. (Its strip-mall home was just far enough from the freeway that I actually spent more time navigating stop signs and traffic lights than moving at speed. I was somewhat impatient back then.) It was pleasant, sunny, and clean, lots of gear but nicely organized.
I began to browse around, but I have a skill for spotting out-of-place items. Over by the wall near the guitar amps, there was an autoharp case on top of a PA speaker. (I hadn't seen an autoharp since elementary school, but I was familiar.) This seemed odd, so I strolled over, opened the case... and this is pretty much what greeted me -- well, sort of... but we'll get to that.
Naturally, you noted the volume/tone knobs (and the chrome plates), so maybe you're curious about the other non-Appalaichan appointments. That would be a chorus circuit, with knobs for rate and depth, a bat switch that made the circuit just a preamp (the "normal" setting), on/off slider, and battery compartment thumbscrew.
The one I saw was prettier -- the red was gloss cherry sparkle.
It was something akin to love at first sight.
Asking price was $250 and I was in no position to argue. Well, there was no such thing as "a debit card" back then, and ATM cards often didn't scan as a credit card... and I'd left my checkbook at home. So I drove to the nearest bank, pulled out $300 -- and naturally the beast was gone when I got back.
Incidentally, the one pictured here went out in 2018 for a mere $382.50.
cutting to the chase
At some point, Harry DeArmond built an electromagnetic pickup for autoharps. While a moderately cool idea, this had the predictable effect of turning the instrument into a squealing monster onstage -- and much as with the electrified Spanish guitar, the simplest solution was to replace the instrument's hollow resonant-chamber body with a solid slab of wood.
The company known as Oscar Schmidt was not the only manufacturer to enter this tiny market, and perhaps not the first, but they did make some valiant efforts, one which marginally dubious sources tell me was the OS85C "Lancer" model.
The DeArmond pickup in all likelihood arose during the "folk revival" fad of the 1960s (which was a development of the "country-Western" music of the 1950s, which in turn was a genteel (and intentional) rebranding and repackaging of the "hillbilly music" of the 1930s which could be characterized as "minstrel show" without the blackface makeup: mass entertainment built on a parody the lower classes). Sales of the pickups likely encouraged companies to incorporate them on their stadard models, and then to make any innovations.
the brief small peak
In the 1960s, musical performers ("acts") marketed at adolescent girls were often steered by their management to have some sort of "gimmick," whether costumes or stage actions or an unusual musical instrument. One such act was The Lovin' Spoonful, and the zither player was John Sebastian. The result was use of the autoharp in a handful of pop hits, particularly the slashing chords for "Summer in the City" (1966), and throughout "Just When I Needed You Most" (1979) with a very good solo break.
backfill: how I got stuck in this
Back around 1998, I was happy. I was making $14/hour, working long weeks, had a reliable car... and gear stores permeated the Minneapolis area. Mom-and-pops were still salted around, and hole-in-wall boutiques were just becoming A Thing. There were seven Music-Go-Rounds, MARS Music was booming, and the third (far suburban) Guitar Center had just opened.
Anyway, I had an hour before meeting up with my girlfriend after work, and decided to the Roseville MGR. (Its strip-mall home was just far enough from the freeway that I actually spent more time navigating stop signs and traffic lights than moving at speed. I was somewhat impatient back then.) It was pleasant, sunny, and clean, lots of gear but nicely organized.
I began to browse around, but I have a skill for spotting out-of-place items. Over by the wall near the guitar amps, there was an autoharp case on top of a PA speaker. (I hadn't seen an autoharp since elementary school, but I was familiar.) This seemed odd, so I strolled over, opened the case... and this is pretty much what greeted me -- well, sort of... but we'll get to that.
Naturally, you noted the volume/tone knobs (and the chrome plates), so maybe you're curious about the other non-Appalaichan appointments. That would be a chorus circuit, with knobs for rate and depth, a bat switch that made the circuit just a preamp (the "normal" setting), on/off slider, and battery compartment thumbscrew.
The one I saw was prettier -- the red was gloss cherry sparkle.
It was something akin to love at first sight.Asking price was $250 and I was in no position to argue. Well, there was no such thing as "a debit card" back then, and ATM cards often didn't scan as a credit card... and I'd left my checkbook at home. So I drove to the nearest bank, pulled out $300 -- and naturally the beast was gone when I got back.
Incidentally, the one pictured here went out in 2018 for a mere $382.50.
