Re: [Harp-L] Who was the first player to use a neck rack?

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

My 1968 facsimile copy of the 1897  Sears, Roebuck and Co  Consumers Guide shows two racks on page 528. The T-shape "fastens at the arm holes and around the neck" costs 34 cents. The other is a continuous loop wire and looks much like today's cheap harp rack: cost 9 cents. At these prices people probably made their own out of a piece of wire. There is an engraving showing a guy playing the expensive model.

(Harmonicas range from 10 cents to 25 cents!) Cheaper by the dozen. Guitars range from $3.95 to the Celebrated Washburn Guitar is $22 -- gut string guitars (now nylon), aka classical guitars. Sears warns against using steel strings.

Since Sears only offered stuff that would sell, these harp racks probably didn't originate with Sears and were on the market before Sears launched in 1895.

Hope this helps
Phil






-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:08 am
Subject: [Harp-L] Who was the first player to use a neck rack?


Who were the early rack pioneers?
hanks,
ichael Rubin
ichaelrubinharmonica.com