Unique Deagan Instruments

John Calhoun Deagan manufactured his first set of bells in 1880, but it wasn't until 1910 that model numbers were used. This period of three decades represents a time of experimentation when the origins of numbered model designs were being developed and instruments were made on order to the buyer's specifications. It seems logical to speculate that this period of development may have been when Deagan instruments with unique characteristics that do not appear in any Deagan catalog were produced. This is most often the case with orchestra bells as these were among the first instruments made by Deagan, and are most commonly the instruments found without model numbers.


Instrument Model Number Name Octaves & Range Bar Size Date Built Notes
BellsNONEFlat Top3 C-C1x1/2Pre-1910Case glock - original
BellsNONEFlat Top2.5 F-C1x1/2Pre-1910Unique bar size with
rail resonators
(Case rebuilt)
BellsNONEFlat Top2 oct + 1 B-C1x1/2Pre-1910Unique bar size with
rail resonators
(Original case)
BellsNONERound Top2.5 F-C1 1/4x7/16Pre-1910Model 60 specifications
with rail resonators
(Case rebuilt)
BellsNONEFlat Top3 C-C1 1/2x3/8Pre-1910Model 1518 specifications
with resonators

Organ Stops

Deagan manufactured xylophones, marimbas, steel marimbas, vibraphones, glockenspiels, and chimes designed to be used in the interiors of organs as organ stops. Many of these organ stops have since been disassembled and sold as parts. These instruments cannot be played in the conventional way due to the layout of the keyboard being arranged in a long series of chromatic notes or a whole tone scale. However, the Deagan bars were made to specifications similar to their conventional counterparts. If one has the means, it is possible to build a new frame and reconfigure the resonators to use these bars to create a conventional, yet unique, Deagan instrument.


Instrument Model Number Name Octaves & Range Bar Size Date Built Notes
BellsNONERound Top3 C-C1 1/2 to 2 inch widths1920s / 2009Deagan bars and resonators, originally from a Wurlitzer theater organ, were used to create this set of "bass Parsifal" bells.
Steel MarimbaNONE4 C-C1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inch widths1920s / 2010Deagan bars and resonators originally from an organ that were restored and reassembled with a custom frame.