Old German 88Tones Carsfelder Konzerina

[oficiala]

I received an old 1860-1864 made german bandoneon, known as Carsfelder Konzertina, 20+24 keys = 88tones, 3 rows each side. I tried to identify notes/keys - found and old and ilezible fingering sheet - does anyone know anything more about this type?

 

Thank you,

Lumierre

[Daniel Hersh]

Here you go:

 

 

I received an old 1860-1864 made german bandoneon, known as Carsfelder Konzertina, 20+24 keys = 88tones, 3 rows each side. I tried to identify notes/keys - found and old and ilezible fingering sheet - does anyone know anything more about this type?

 

Thank you,

Lumierre

[oficiala]

THANKS A LOT, DANIEL!!

 

I tried and tried and a smth simillar but not accurate with my vsersion keyboard also found at http://www.bandonion.eu/index.php?id=271

 

Best wishes,

Lumierre

[oficiala]

just one help, pls, I am a novice,

concertina notation for bellow pressing (closing) or drawing (opening) are like: ^ = press in, the other on, draw out, is that right?

[Dan Worrall]

I received an old 1860-1864 made german bandoneon, known as Carsfelder Konzertina, 20+24 keys = 88tones, 3 rows each side. I tried to identify notes/keys - found and old and ilezible fingering sheet - does anyone know anything more about this type?

 

Thank you,

Lumierre

 

Are you sure that it is German made, and are you sure of the date? That fingering system was invented by Carl Zimmerman of Carlsfeld Saxony, who emigrated from Saxony to the US in 1863. He was building Carlsfelder concertinas (and importing two row German concertinas) in Philadelphia, winning an award for his Carlsfelders in 1876, before he eventually lost interest and started building autoharps. They continued to be made in Germany too, most likely. I have a drawing of a Carlsfelder from his Philadelphia catalog of ca. 1880, although its fretwork is decidedly different than yours.

 

Dan

[Daniel Hersh]

just one help, pls, I am a novice,

concertina notation for bellow pressing (closing) or drawing (opening) are like: ^ = press in, the other on, draw out, is that right?

Yes, that's right. By the way, I don't know if Carlsfelder layouts are 100% standardized, so yours may vary from the one I posted.

 

 

Are you sure that it is German made, and are you sure of the date? That fingering system was invented by Carl Zimmerman of Carlsfeld Saxony, who emigrated from Saxony to the US in 1863. He was building Carlsfelder concertinas (and importing two row German concertinas) in Philadelphia, winning an award for his Carlsfelders in 1876, before he eventually lost interest and started building autoharps. They continued to be made in Germany too, most likely. I have a drawing of a Carlsfelder from his Philadelphia catalog of ca. 1880, although its fretwork is decidedly different than yours.

This is interesting info, Dan -- I hadn't known this. But Carlsfelders continued to be made in Germany at least until 1980 and perhaps as late as 1995, according to this page, so I think that a German origin for this one seems quite possible. The date that was given does seem a few decades early to me, but I'm not sure -- Stephen Chambers or Harry Geuns might know more

Edited November 13, 2009 by Daniel Hersh

[oficiala]

I have mine imported directly from Germany, and I have dated it according with keyboard system history - around 1860-1864. It has also the ELA ELA mark upon it.

 

According with my reserach, my bandonion (Carlsfelder Konzertina) is a Zimmermann built model in his production workshop that was further developped at ELA ELA factory (Ernst Louis Arnold bought the Zimmerman workshop before this one left to US and continued to produce, that year, a small number of early versions (88 tones, 104 tones) developped by Zimmerman before new models with more keys were rapidly growing and marketed by Band years after 1864.

 

Lumierre

[bandonion-maker]

According the pictures which unfortunately do not show much details , I do not think it was made before 1900

The type of ELA- air valve shield used on this concertina dates about 1925 but may have been changed.

 

 

Best first fast-check if the lay out is not transposed.

At a standard lay out "A" tuned concertina the button with embossed nr. 2 pulled should produce the tone a (regardsless left or right side)

Some buttons on the Hader lay out differ from the standard Carlsfelder lay out.

Since I do not have a scanner I can only send an original lay out by fax.

If you are interested in the Carlsfelder layout please mail me a fax number at: info@bandoneon-maker.com

 

Regards

 

Harry