Donated by Ward Durrett (1994-05-01)

Deagan Model 30 Vibraharp, 2 1/2-octave range, with lightweight frame on wheels. Note the handle used to carry the instrument.

Manufactured by the J. C. Deagan Company during the brief timespan of 1938–42, the Model 30 Vibraharp was designed as a lightweight, portable instrument. From the inception of both Deagan’s vibraharp and Leedy’s comparable instrument, the vibraphone, the standard range had been three octaves, F to F, with high-grade steel keys.

In order to reduce the weight of the instrument, Deagan eliminated the lowest (and largest) keys, which resulted in a 2 1/2-octave, C to F range. A second change was to reduce the stand to a simple, straight-legged support system with a thin pedal mechanism, both of which had less mass when compared to prior vibraharp designs. A third change was to utilize cardboard, instead of brass, as the material for the resonators. The cardboard resonators were capped on the end with metal and suspended in a box frame to provide adequate support.
The motor, used to rotate the fans with a simple pulley system, had only one speed, and it was actuated with a simple “on/off” toggle switch.

For ease of transport, the legs and pedal can be quickly disassembled and the entire instrument placed into a single canvas bag. A prominent handle, used for carrying the lightweight instrument, extends from the two-tone, duco-finished frame, which measures 32 inches in height, 37 inches in length, and 26 1/4 inches in width.

The keys, all a half inch in depth and 1 1/8 inches in width, range in length from 6 to 12 1/2 inches. The resonators, all 1 3/4 inches in diameter, range in length from 1 1/2 to 12 inches. When first introduced in 1938, the instrument sold for $195.00, and when it was discontinued in 1943, it listed for $260.00.

Close-up view of the cardboard resonators, showing the capped ends and mounting box.	Close-up of motor for the rotating fans. Note the simple “on/off” toggle switch and one-speed pulley.

—Otice C. Sircy, PAS Museum Curator and Librarian, and James A. Strain, PAS Historian