| Hobgoblin Music - MELODEONS | |
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Melodeon HistoryThe Melodeon was developed from the Harmonica and other primitive free reed instruments early in the 19th century, in the border area between Saxony and Bohemia. The Abbe Georg Josef Vogler had a role in introducing the concept of the free reed principle to Europe and by his death in 1814 many prototype instruments were being made with a variety of names and shapes. The earliest instrument is said to be the Aeolidicon made by Eisenach in Hamburg in 1800. The Harmonica itself is said to have been perfected by Buschmann in 1821. The fingering system is still basically the same today, very similar to a Harmonica on the right hand, with a different note on the push & pull of the bellows, and bass notes and chords on the left hand. The instrument has a naturally rhythmic sound, and has been absorbed into traditional music worldwide.ScarlattiScarlatti Melodeons are now established as the first choice for the student player. The quality of finish and the response of the reeds is much better than previous makes we have tried. The design is similar to the long established Hohner Erica. All models (except the toys) come with a good quality hard case. BeltunaBeltuna is a fine Italian maker of melodeons. The Beltuna melodeons boast great action and tone and top quality craftmanship. They look and sound fantastic. DeliciaDelicia, based in the Czech Republic, make a comprehensive range of melodeons, including the Popular which is an ideal starter box, Italian style models in very attractive solid cherry wood finish, and big traditional Czech instruments with fancy inlay and shiny silvery bits! The quality is excellent, and their reeds have such a good reputation that other well known brands use them too. SerenelliniSerenellini make beautifully finished melodeons for us in Italy in a similar style to instruments sold by Saltarelle. They represent excellent value, and the powerful sound of the reeds and flexibility of the stops has made them a firm favourite. The two and a half row models combine their versatility with very with very little extra weight.CastagnariCastagnari is a small family workshop in Italy, which produces a superb range of craftsman made instruments for us, with attractive natural wood finish, open keyboard, delicately fretted wooden grille, and the very best in reed work. Attention is paid to every detail, you simply can’t buy a better box at any price. All models have good Italian reeds, and the more expensive models have very powerful handmade reeds. We stock most models in a dry tuning (almost no tremolo), but swing, tremolo, and other variations are available to order, or we can modify stock items for you. We offer most models from stock in D/G either with or without accidentals, and a selection in B/C, but any tuning can be supplied to order. All except the Mignon come in a deluxe hard case. Most of the models are named after members of the Castagnari workforce and their families.
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