Peter Stachl
Peter Stachl was an Austrian musical instrument maker and musician.
Harmonica construction
Peter Stachl founded a company for harmonica production in Lower Styria in 1890, and in 1906 he moved to Graz, which lasted until 1984. Peter Stachl was one of the first producers of Styrian harmonica . His company existed for almost a century, at that time he was one of the largest harmonica manufacturers in the world, trained a number of apprentices, he improved his products again and again until the harmonica construction reached its current high level. For all these reasons, the Stachl company made a significant contribution to the spread of the Styrian harmonica. Today his instruments are coveted collector's items.
patent
The best-known achievement of Stachl was probably: In 1914 he applied for a patent for switchable three-row harmonicas, for example switchable from cross tuning to Be tuning. This model was then produced between 1914 and 1926. The instruments sold very well and the company could hardly keep up with the production, as only one employee was able to handle the final assembly of this complicated construction. However, this employee died in an accident in 1926 and knowledge of production was almost lost with him.
Three-row harmonica with 2 switchable treble tunings
The treble tuning on these models can be switched from e.g. GCF to B-Eb-A-flat by moving the reed blocks with a lever on the back of the fingerboard. The bass buttons are arranged in three rows: outer row GCF, middle row B-Eb-A-flat, inner row minor basses. The instruments are only slightly heavier than equivalent non-switchable harmonicas.
Another 3-row switchable is privately owned in the neighboring village of Trofaiach .
Walter Grübel from Eben im Pongau has 2 three-row, switchable Stachl accordions in his collection of harmonica, one is in a functional condition.
In Rappoltschlag there is a three-row harmonica with the apparently original manufacturing stamp on December 30, 1930.
An instrument that can be switched from As-Des-Ges to HEA is now owned by Jürgen Karl, a musician from Schliersee . The harmonica is fully functional, but in need of restoration. The instrument was previously in Styria , also privately owned. Manufacturing stamp of the Peter Stachl company dated August 16, 1940.
Because of these two stamps from 1930 and 1940, the assumption that this type was only built until 1926 cannot be held.
Four-row harmonica with 2 switchable treble tunings
In 1926 Stachl also manufactured a total of 3 four-row harmonicas according to this system, switchable from DGCF to B-Eb-A-flat-Des. Two of them have survived, one in Vordernberg (owner Gustav Wagner, (* 1930)), made on June 4, 1926, one in Salzburg .
Three-row harmonica with 3 switchable treble tunings
Such a three-row switchable stachl is owned by an American whose ancestors come from the Austrian mountains. The pictures are of this harmonica.
The detailed recordings made available by the owner of the harmonica located in America show that treble mechanics and bass mechanics could still be made in this way today. The treble reeds in the interior of the harmonica are moved into three positions with an externally accessible lever, depending on the desired tuning. The bass part is equipped with eleven double helicon tuning plates, ten of which are installed in a standing position, similar to the one used by Öllerer with the 350/20 models today. Eleven accompanying chords, each with four reed plates, this harmonica outperforms the harmonica on the market today. An accompanying sound post is built in parallel over the entire length on the back in the bass part, another shorter one on the front and the eleventh double helicon bass is also built in horizontally at the front. There are two air flaps between the lying helicon bass and the short accompanying sound post. Thus, the available space is fully used. The entire mechanism is still amazingly simple, easily accessible and easy to maintain. It would therefore be easily possible to recreate such an instrument with today's technical level. The thickness of the valve felts is significantly higher today, which is why the keys on the old instruments are a bit noisy.
Employee
Former employees in Stachl's company, including Franz Schmidt and Franz Parz, founded their own, still existing, harmonica production companies.
Individual evidence
- ^ Josef Peyer: School in musical notation for original Styrian harmonica . Ed .: Audio Ton. 1st edition 1983.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Stachl, Peter |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian musical instrument maker and musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 19th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | after 1914 |