I’d appreciate it if anyone could help identify this. Just acquired it. The back of the top cover is triangular. There is a red band running around the wooden comb and on the top cover. As a newbi over here I cant upload more than one picture. Subsequently I will more pictures.
Thank you!
Sorrry I missed one more piece of information. The four pins of the top cover(my diagram is wrong) are (on mouse- ear-shaped) nailed onto the sides of the comb while the bottom are pinned on to the back side. Thanks again
It would be helpful if you could post an actual photo instead of a sketch
Dear Steve
I will do this soon. At the beginning, I had a hard time uploading pics.
Thanks also for the wonderful advice. Let me try to put the pics in
here now.
Dear Steve
Your help was great. After months of research with the leads you provided, and outside, so far, the findings are as follows.
- The top cover and the bottom cover may not have been in the same harmonica, originally.
- According to the bottom cover, the six-pointed star is an indication that this belongs to the post-WWII era; most likely late 1930s.
- My argument is that the same red paint is found on the top cover as well as the sides of the wooden comb, indicating that the top too belongs to the same harmonica.
- The pointed middle of the top cover has resulted from the owner player trying to enhance the sound by opening up the back.
- The owner was born in 1907. By 1937, he would have been 30 years old, married with kids, on the standards of that era, most probably would have enlisted in subsequent years, serving in Europe, where he acquired this and another one that I acquired. Opening up the top cover is a possibility, but I strongly believe that both the top and the bottom covers are from the same harmonica.
- I may see the granddaughter once again to dig up more data. Profiling him is an easy way to build on a theory of how the harmonica ended up in this shape.
- I have now opened up and done the initial cleaning.
- I plan to restore this fully, including nickel plating and bringing up the red bands. I welcome any feedback/ideas.
- Where could I buy the old pins new?
- I also plan to straighten the top cover to a rectangular shape.
Steve, you’re the best. Thank you. I will post some pics after my cleaning is over
How nice that your research seems to have been fruitful. I imagine that the nails used on today’s Marine Band 1896 model may fit, here the link:
Good luck with your restoration!
