Makers signature? who?

[PAHardy]

Edited July 31, 2019 by PAHardy

[Myrtle's cook]

Your instrument appears to be a 'flutina' and a member of the wider family to which concertinas belong.

 

The letters/numbers in the photos are unlikely to be makers' initials and are more likely to be batch or component numbers, aiding the assembly/reassembly of the instrument. I wonder if those on the first photo stand for something along the lines of 'type 2 reed pan with notes range G - e'???

 

Flutina's do not appear to be as regularly signed/labelled by their makers as concertinas. I have a rather larger version, with lots of inlay and use of mother of pearl, but which is completely unsigned, with only a retailer's label in its original wooden box. I understand the majority were made in Frmance and exported widely, with Busson the primary manufacturer.

 

Others here will be far more knowledgeable on this subject, but I hope this helps start things off. I recall there are a couple of recordings of flutinas on Youtube - which are worth checking out in terms of background.

[Roger Hare]

I agree, it's a flutina. 

 

Here is a recent thread on melodeon.net which I fired up on behalf of a friend who had one 'in his dad's old stuff'.

 

It includes pointers to places where you can find out more about the instruments, and also to some photographs

I took of the instrument in question - which (apparently), was in pretty good condition for one of these things 'as

found'. I've added a few pictures which didn't make it to the 'final cut' on melodeon.net. I hope they help you

assess the state of your own instrument:

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by lachenal74693

[PAHardy]

2 hours ago, Myrtle's cook said:

Your instrument appears to be a 'flutina' and a member of the wider family to which concertinas belong.

 

The letters/numbers in the photos are unlikely to be makers' initials and are more likely to be batch or component numbers, aiding the assembly/reassembly of the instrument. I wonder if those on the first photo stand for something along the lines of 'type 2 reed pan with notes range G - e'???

 

Flutina's do not appear to be as regularly signed/labelled by their makers as concertinas. I have a rather larger version, with lots of inlay and use of mother of pearl, but which is completely unsigned, with only a retailer's label in its original wooden box. I understand the majority were made in Frmance and exported widely, with Busson the primary manufacturer.

 

Others here will be far more knowledgeable on this subject, but I hope this helps start things off. I recall there are a couple of recordings of flutinas on Youtube - which are worth checking out in terms of background.

Thank you for your input also thanks to all who reply! "type 2 reed pan with notes range G-E" That sounds logical. Early Busson was my thought but could not relate that to the marks. In addition the same marks are on other parts of the instrument.  

I will restore it. The hopes of finding original parts are slimm so I plan to just fabricate the missing pads out of whatever I have around, restore its life and make it play.

[PAHardy]

1 hour ago, lachenal74693 said:

I agree, it's a flutina. 

 

Here is a recent thread on melodeon.net which I fired up on behalf of a friend who had one 'in his dad's old stuff'.

 

It includes pointers to places where you can find out more about the instruments, and also to some photographs

I took of the instrument in question - which (apparently), was in pretty good condition for one of these things 'as

found'. I've added a few pictures which didn't make it to the 'final cut' on melodeon.net. I hope they help you

assess the state of your own instrument:

 

Thank you, very interesting!