Daniel Hersh Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 These pop up on eBay periodically: here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Frontaline-Italy-Accordion-Organ-Squeeze-Box-Concertina-Music-20-Button-/351003369865 . Does anyone know who built them? Are they contemporary with Bastari, or older? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcolm clapp Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Made in Italy by the Frontalini company (strangely enough), who also make accordions and melodeons. http://www.frontalini.com/History/History.html Still around today, but don't know if they still make concertinas. Certainly all the examples I have seen would appear to predate Bastari. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 Made in Italy by the Frontalini company (strangely enough), who also make accordions and melodeons. http://www.frontalini.com/History/History.html Still around today, but don't know if they still make concertinas. Certainly all the examples I have seen would appear to predate Bastari. I knew about Frontalini accordions - but did they make their own concertinas or contract them out? (I realize that it's possible that no one knows.) Did the ones you've seen have metal or wooden actions? And what type of reeds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcolm clapp Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 (edited) I knew about Frontalini accordions - but did they make their own concertinas or contract them out? (I realize that it's possible that no one knows.) Did the ones you've seen have metal or wooden actions? And what type of reeds? I have certainly had through my workshop both a grey and a red celluloid versions, and at least one wood finished one. I've seen others, but not at sufficiently close quarters to wield the screwdriver. Can't recall any metal ends. All were 20 button, had steel reeds in individual accordion-style alum plates. Not high quality, but not bad. Reedplates wax-mounted on glued-in A frames. The actions were metal, buttons around 3/8" dia, being larger than Bastari though not as large as the EGerman boxes, and didn't seem inclined to disappear inside! My impression is that they were built in the 1950s and/or 1960s from what some of their owners told me and from their condition, e.g. the state of the leather valves,. Certain similarities to Chinese-made concertinas, but I assume Italian-made and probably predating the Chinese production. Perhaps the later Chinese concertinas were copies of the Frontalini???? Edited February 22, 2014 by malcolm clapp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now