Magnus Harmonica Corporation
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The Magnus Harmonica Corporation (originally the International Plastic Harmonica Corporation) was founded in 1944 in
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
by Danish immigrant Finn Magnus (1905–1976). First supplying American troops in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, and later marketed to children and other beginners, the company's
harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...
s (as well as its
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
s,
bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...
s, and mechanical
reed organ The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...
s) 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 aerophone A free reed aerophone is a musical instrument that produces sound as air flows past a vibrating reed (instrument), reed in a frame. Air pressure is typically generated by breath or with a bellows. In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, it is number 41 ...
s with metal reeds. In 1958, Magnus joined with television salesman Eugene Tracey, and their company went on to sell millions of inexpensive electric
chord organ Chord organ is a kind of home organ that has a single short keyboard and a set of chord buttons, enabling the musician to play a melody or lead with one hand and accompanying chords with the other, like the accordion with a set of chord butto ...
s and
song book A song book is a book containing lyrics for songs. Song books may be simple composition books or spiral-bound notebooks. Music publishers also produced printed editions for group singing. Such volumes were used in the United States by piano man ...
s 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. At its peak, Magnus employed over 1,800 workers in
Linden, New Jersey Linden is a City (New Jersey), city in southeastern Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, located about southwest of Manhattan and bordering Staten Island, a boro ...
, including a " mother's shift" during school hours and a "
work release In prison systems, work release programs allow certain prisoners to go outside the prison and work at a place of employment, returning to prison when their shift is complete. It is granted only to prisoners who are sufficiently trusted or can be su ...
" program for non-violent inmates of the nearby Rahway State Prison. After Magnus and Tracey retired, the publishers of
World Book Encyclopedia The ''World Book Encyclopedia'' is an American encyclopedia. ''World Book'' was first published in 1917. Since 1925, a new edition of the encyclopedia has been published annually. Although published online in digital form for a number of years, ...
ultimately acquired the Magnus sheet music catalog and ceased production of Magnus instruments.


Magnus harmonica models


Magnus organ models

* 300: Tabletop Model, Two
Octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...
, Six
Major chord In music theory, a major chord is a chord (music), chord that has a root (chord), root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord comprises only these three notes, it is called a major Triad (music), triad. For example, the major triad bui ...
, 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 In music theory, a minor chord is a chord that has a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord comprises only these three notes, it is called a minor triad. For example, the minor triad built on A, called an A minor triad, has pit ...
, 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 A seventh chord is a chord (music), chord consisting of a triad (music), triad plus a note forming an interval (music), interval of a Interval (music), seventh above the chord's root (chord), root. When not otherwise specified, a "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

{{reflist Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United States Harmonica manufacturers Free reed aerophones Keyboard instruments 1944 establishments in New Jersey Linden, New Jersey Companies based in Union County, New Jersey Defunct manufacturing companies based in New Jersey