Company:Magnus Harmonica Corporation
The Magnus Harmonica Corporation (originally the International Plastic Harmonica Corporation) was founded in 1944 in New Jersey by Danish immigrant Finn Magnus (1905–1976).[1] First supplying American troops in World War II, and later marketed to children and other beginners, the company's harmonicas (as well as its accordions, bagpipes, and mechanical reed organs) used a then-unique molded-plastic reed comb. The styrene-based plastic construction resulted in lower cost, greater durability, and a distinct sound compared to other free reed aerophones with metal reeds.[2][3][4][5][6]
In 1958, Magnus joined with television salesman Eugene Tracey, and their company went on to sell millions of inexpensive electric chord organs and song books[7][8] until the late 1970s under the name Magnus Organ Corporation. Early Magnus Chord Organs were either laptop or tabletop models, with some of the later models having integrated legs and a lighted music stand.[9] At its peak, Magnus employed over 1,800 workers in Linden, New Jersey, including a "mother's shift" during school hours and a "work release" program for non-violent inmates of the nearby Rahway State Prison.
Magnus harmonica models
Magnus organ models
- 300: Tabletop Model, Two Octave, Six Major chord, Brown or Cream Plastic Case - c. 1960s
- 302: Tabletop Model, Two Octave, Six Major chord, Brown Plastic Case with faux wood
- 303: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case - c. 1970s
- 306: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case
- 350: Tabletop Model, Two Octave, Six Major chord, Brown Plastic Case
- 360: Tabletop Model, Two Octave, Six Major chord, Cream Plastic Case - c. 1970s
- 380: Tabletop Model, Two Octave, Six Major chord, Cream Plastic Case with faux wood - c. 1960s
- 391: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case - c. 1970s
- 400: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case - c. 1970s
- 468: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Cream Plastic Case - c. 1970s
- 481: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case - c. 1970s
- 500: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Real Wood Case
- 535: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Real Wood Case - c. 1968/69
- 545: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Real Wood Case
- 549: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Six Bass Notes - c. 1960s
- 655: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Faux Wood Case
- 657: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case with faux wood - c. 1970s
- 660: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Six Seventh chord, Brown Plastic Case
- 665: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case with faux wood - c. 1970s
- 668: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case
- 670: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case - c. 1970s
- 700: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Eight Major chord, Eight Minor chord, Faux Wood Case
- 890: Free-Standing Model, Three Octave, Eight Major chord, Eight Minor chord, Eight Bass Notes, Wood Case - c. 1960s
- 1510: Laptop Model, Two Octave, No Chord buttons, Brown Bakelite Case - c. 1950s
- 8100: Tabletop Model, Three Octave, Six Major chord, Six Minor chord, Brown Plastic Case - c. 1960s
- Disney Edition: Same as Model 360 but has Orange Plastic Case - c. late 1970s
Notes
- ↑ "Social Security Death Master File". http://ssdmf.info/by_number/pages/033596.html. "Social Security number ... was issued to FINN MAGNUS, who was born 14 August 1905 and, Death Master File says, died August 1976."
- ↑ Missin, Pat. "Finn Magnus: Man of Plastic". American Harmonica News. http://PatMissin.com/articles/AHN1.html. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ↑ Missin, Pat. "Magnus Plastic Harmonicas". http://PatMissin.com/gallery/gallery07.html.
- ↑ Fetridge, Robert H. (September 17, 1950). "Along the Highways and Byways of Finance". The New York Times. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/09/17/87052951.pdf.
- ↑ Magnus, Finn. "How I Made a Million". Stag.
- ↑ Hunter, Mark (1960). The Finn Magnus Story. Odin Press.
- ↑ Freas, Ralph (May 11, 1959). "'Play by Numbers' Organ Hottest Musical Merchandise". Billboard. https://books.google.com/books?id=nh4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1.
- ↑ Ash, Agnes (July 30, 1961). "Organ Business a Super Market". The Miami News. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PpwyAAAAIBAJ&pg=5632,7937457.
- ↑ "Magnus Organ Homepage". North Carolina: DB Electronics. 2012. http://www.dbeconline.com/magnus.
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