Finally, a photo of the builder's nameplate.

The keyboard layout, provided by the owner. As it says on the layout, this instrument is unisonoric, meaning that there is only one note for any given button, push or pull, much like a piano accordion. Chemnitzer concertinas are bisonoric, meaning that for any given button (with the exception of two of them) there is a different note on push or pull.

A shot into the bellows looking in from the right side toward the left side reed blocks. The interior construction of the instrument is identical to that of a Chemnitzer concertina.

A shot of the right side reed blocks. The instrument utilizes long plate reeds, the reed plates being a combination of aluminum, brass, and zinc. There are three reeds per note on the right side (medium reeds) while the left side has two reeds per note (one low reed and one medium reed, with some of the lower notes being contra basses). At the time this photo was taken, I was in the process of putting new leathers on the reed plates, as the old ones were curled. The new leathers are a pale yellow color, while the old ones are more of a light brown color.

A view of the right side action. The centermost row of buttons has one button per lever, while the other rows have two buttons per lever, making one pitch available in two places on the keyboard. The left side action is the same as the right side.

A view of the left side of the instrument. The two solid black buttons at the bottom of the keyboard are for the air valve.

A view of the right side of the instrument.

Schonherr & Matthes bandonion

While I am still in the process of building SUPREME #3, I also took on a tuning job. The instrument is an unusual bandonion. Actually, it is a chromatic accordion in a concertina/bandonion shell. The player's thumbs go in the oval-shaped holes on the black rails on the ends of the box.

It was built by the firm of Schonherr & Matthes of Olbernhau, Saxony, Germany in the early to mid 1930's. For its age, it is in pristine condition.

Without further ado...

...I shall commence posting on a regular basis again.