Harmonica Riff Raff, located in the beautiful Bass Coast acknowledges the Bunurong clan of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of these lands and waters, and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. The Australian Star (Sydney), Wed 17 Feb 1897 The King Billy mouth organ was manufactured by C. … Continue reading King Billy
The latest inclusion to the Shep museum is this ripper specimen, the Boomerang Miniature Grand. Made by the oldest current mouth organ factory in the world Seydel in Klingenthal, Germany for Albert & Son in Sydney, Australia. This is possibly an antique (or close to) model. 1910 C. A. Seydel Söhne Trademark Trademarked in 1910, … Continue reading Grand Poobah
Yeah! I know! After finding the Holy Grail (Boomerang DeLuxe) that was meant to be my final purchase. As with any addiction it ain’t easy to give up. This temptation was too much. A fair lump of a harmonica for a price less than a new diatonic was offered with this Hohner Bass Chromatica No. … Continue reading Bassballs
The Boomerang Chromatic pictured above was recently up for auction. Going by the hex head cover fasteners and the S.E.Y.D.E.L reverse cover plate, this had to be from the late 90s. Seydel had a few different Boomerangs available late in the twentieth century. I fired off an email to Mark Weber an authority on all … Continue reading Boomatic Chromerang
1925 - Wonthaggi Boomerang Mouth Organ Championship Ballarat & Wonthaggi Mouth Organ Competition advertising Left: Weekly Times Saturday 29 August, 1925. Right: The Sun News-Pictorial Saturday 29 August, 1925. The roaring twenties were in full swing at the seaside town of Wonthaggi and in 1925 the local ANA (Australian Natives Association) Musical & Elocutionary competition … Continue reading Wonthaggi Warblers
Hans Rolz - The Embassy As many of you are probably aware I do love a fluted harp and I was happy to place Hans Rolz’s The Embassy into my humble fluted harp collection. I located this gem in a quaint antique emporium just a torpedo punt over the Victorian border in the town of … Continue reading Morovian Embassy
Albert's Boomerangs were big in 'Terra Australis' right from the gecko. Made exclusively by Seydel for Frank Albert. You might not be aware that Seydel's Bandmaster, similar in design to some of the Boomerangs, was sold at least as early as 1912 at Flights of Bendigo and even the trademark was lodged for registration 'Down … Continue reading Seydel’s Bob Each Way
An early Christmas present. You wouldn’t believe how much I paid for it. Less than a ‘Pineapple’! I had no inclination of purchasing a Large Professional Boomerang. I was researching online for information on a Crackajack model when this struck me firmly between the eyes - for sale and not at an auction site. The … Continue reading Perfection King
Latest addition for Shep’s harp collection is Albert’s Student Boomerang from the mid 1920’s I believe. Short lived it seems and perhaps not many in existence. I couldn’t locate an advertisement in the newspapers, not one for the Student Boomerang. Perhaps it was a one off special school offer. It doesn’t appear to significantly differ … Continue reading Schools Out For Summer (Was It Ever In?)
Every so often a new innovation in harmonicas piques the interest of the author and Seydel keep pumping them out like no one’s business. My interest was twofold: firstly, the ability to play Irish jigs and reels by huffing and puffing and secondly, that the developer of this new tuning was an Aussie. The Major … Continue reading Tony’s Cross
Harmonica Riff Raff 