|
|
|
February 27, 2000
Hengel concertina goesto state historical societyBy TONY ZIEBOL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- Christy Hengel may say he was "just an old farm boy," but in reality he was everything but. Growing up on a farm near Wanda, Hengel began making experimental concertinas, rebuilding old ones in the mid 1940s. He even built his own transportation, making a motorbike from spare parts, despite the comments from his father, who thought he was crazy. In 1955, Hengel built his very first brand-new concertina. Now 77, having made enough to be "in the 300 bracket," he is one, if not the most respected concertina maker in the Midwest. The Minnesota Historical Society will reward Hengel for his efforts by placing one of his instruments in its museum. A spokesperson for the society said the the society plan to to display the instrument in an upcoming music exhibit. Made in 1966, that particular concertina is Hengel's 100th finished product. "That's great for this town," Hengel said of the honor. "It looks good for New Ulm. It'll be there forever." New Ulm has been a big part of his life, but Chicago is really where the story takes off. That's where Hengel went in late December of 1952 to buy a large amount of equipment with which he could make the instruments. The only problem was, he wasn't used to all of the heavy lifting involved. "After I got all of the stuff loaded (into a truck) I was torn apart," Hengel said. He then went back to New Ulm, where he had been living since 1951. Hengel moved to New Ulm permanently in 1965, after an eight-year stint in Waseca. He has been working on concertinas for more than 30 years in a small shop at 403 N. Minnesota, where he has lived since 1966. In the beginning, a farmer named Felix Spaeth, who lived west of Morgan, built all of the wood parts for Hengel. Hengel would then assemble the parts. "(I just) stand at the work bench there and put them together," he said. Although assembling the pieces is no small feat, Ambrose Kodet, who helps Hengel, said another factor is what separates Hengel from other concertina makers. "The trick of the instrument is really in the tuning," said Hengel, who does the engraving on the concertinas, among other things. "(Hengel) has the gift. Anybody who's anybody in the old business plays his." "I'm a self-learned tuner," Hengel added. Since Spaeth died 11 years ago, Hengel's brother-in-law has taken over the role of making the wood parts. Kodet has helped out, too. Formerly a professor at the Minnesota State University at Mankato, Kodet has used his computer knowledge to bring new technology to concertina construction. Kodet wrote a computer program that allows lasers to cut the wood parts with surgical precision, and can cut all of the holes in a part in about a minute and a half. "The new technology is making them better," Kodet said. "(The cuts are) so smooth, so precise." Hengel also gets reed pieces from Italy and can finish a concertina in about two weeks. Some of Hengel's older concertinas have sold for thousands of dollars. People come from all over the Midwest to purchase instruments from him. "If it wasn't for Christy, there wouldn't have been a lot of interest in the concertina in this area," Kodet said. As far as the future is concerned, Hengel said he will keep making the instruments as long as his health allows. "Until I hit the hill -- cemetery hill," he said. For those interested in seeing Hengel play his concertinas, he will appear on Channel 12, KEYC -- Mankato, at 6 p.m. today.
|