Evening star., 1897-03-06
A NEW ,sICAL INSTRUMENT.
The Inventor Calls 1t n Mellow Chord
and says Ghost Gave Him the Idea

The Inventor Calls 1t n Mellow Chord
and says Ghost Gave Him the Idea.
From the Providence Journal.
In Rumford lives an old gentleman who
possesses the musical instinct to a marked
degree. In fact. 1t is hereditary with him.
for his father was fiddler ard his father
in turn before him. that it is not alto
gether strange that he should be endowed
with the same temperament So fine is his
Serse Of harmony and touch that he has to
hear an air whistled. sung or hummed only
once in order to correctly produce it a
stringed instrument He plays purely by
ear. and as he himself frankly confesses.
does not know the first rudiment in music
or printed EOte from another.
A born player. he was not satisfied with
the tunes of the violin. banjo. or mandolin.
and set his wits at work to make something
that would suit him. and he succeeded in a
production Of his own. which he very ap-
propriately calls the mellow chord.
Bull somewhat on the lines of the ban
10. yet with fiaroring of the guitar. the
musical result Is wonderful. Strung with
violin and two wire guitar strings. the
tones as mellow and rich as anything
Imaginable. The inventor has entered on
the eighth decade Of his life. and when.
with his mellow chord on his knee. he
strikes into an old dance tune of the forties
it is almost impossible for his hearers to
retain their seats. for the way the music
"etiS 1OTtn lS d matter u Dp WOUueEeu dt
The mellow chord is just twenty-e
inches over all and twelve inches wide at
the head. When played the mellow chord
is held in an upright position on the left
knee. with the head pressed against the
body. AS on d banjo. the lingering is done
with the left hand. although there are no
frets. the inventor holding that frets.
breaking as they do the level expanse OF
the string board. split the notes and cause
inharmonious sounds. The hole is about
thi ee inches in diameter. with an elOngat-
ID side extending toward the keyboard.
Over this hole the bridge is placed. and the
six strings passing over II attached to
the taipiece. The bridge is five and one
half inches long. and is made on the arch
principle. although the top line is perfectly
straight. 1t must necessarily be long. so as
TO bridge the hole. aGd u.iderarChel IN the
middle to support the six strings in the
middle without swapping. Under each end
of tht, bridge are two small pieces of wood
glued to the main cross piece TO keep it
from turning over Under these are
two SIN Ill pieces Of silver. which give an
added ring TO the instrument. The string
board is of rosewood with an ebony nut.
The neck is made OF sugar maple the band
is ri maple. the top of the head is made of
pine. and the back is quartered red birch:
in fact. all OF the stock used in the mellow
chord is luartersd The keys are patent
metal affairs. In the head of the inStru
ment are three supports or posts. which
help take the bridge and string strain In
playing. tn. wrist neTer leaves the pad sup
port on the neck
Musicians and others travel miles to reach
Rumfcrd in order u hear the mellow chord
played AMI all are unanimous in the de
cision that the tones IL produces are far
superior 70 those pf the banjo. guitar or
mandolin. II has soft zone. which readily
blends with the voice in a manner that
none of the other Stringei Instruments
AIMED seems % do. Many who Have heard
the chord have tried 70 buy it. but the
owner refuses - consider an offer.
The strings when played are struck in
pairs. sending forth deep. rich tone when
picked between The bridge and the end of
the s,rins board. The nearer the hole the
deeper are the tones. The inventor is proud
of his Instrument ana no matter what time
of the day Or night people wait on him they
find the old gentleman always ready to
take his mellow chord ont Of the case and
play long his visitors wish.
The inventor Is something Of a Spiritual
iSt and he says that before he made the in
strumsnl a shade appeared unto him and
held fac-simile Of the IL now has up
in his hand before his eyes. OF course. the
glance the mortal was able to get of 1t
must have been a very hasty one, but from
it the mellow chord became a reality.