Re: [Harp-L] Half tone Harmonica

[David Payne <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

That reference on Art Daane's site is the only reference I've seen to "half tone harmonica" I googled just now and that's all that came up, too. 

BUT, what he's talking about is a valveless chromatic, one that raises the pitch a half-tone across the board. Bascially a Hohner 260, the original ones had Richter note placement. I figure it was a 260, although I don't know that for sure.  It might have actually been a specific harmonica called a Half-tone, I don't know, Tone is the word Germans use to say "note" when they are speaking in English, so it's possible. Could have been the name of thing, I don't know, but I think it was actually a 260. If somebody (John Broeker, etc.) has a Hohner catalog from around 1923 that could clear it up. I've got a couple of the original RIchter 260s and I see no mention of it being called "Half Tone," but it could have been a nickname, or something Borrah just called it, or it could have been something Hohner called a line in a catalog. 

Later on, Borrah started making those... a.ka. the Technique Tone.
 
Pat Missin has a recording that's early enough, in fact, Pat thinks its the first chromatic harmonica recorded, from Borrah's only solo record in 1924. 
http://www.patmissin.com/78rpm/HayseedRag.mp3
 
Ask Art. Nobody probably knows more about Borrah than he does. I wouldn't say that I sent you, though. ;)
_________________________________
Dave Payne Sr. 
Elk River Harmonicas
www.elkriverharmonicas.com




________________________________
From: "jcolbyspell@xxxxxxxx" <jcolbyspell@xxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 1:33:54 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Half tone Harmonica

Does any one know anything about the "Half Tone Harmonica" mentioned in this article about Minevitch? 
http://www.geocities.com/artdaane/minevitch.htm

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