Square Hybrid "mélodina" By Accordéons Du Marais

[MatthewVanitas]

This novel design was mentioned in the "Makers" thread with some speculation, so I figured it best to just contact the maker directly. Here's his reply which he consented to have posted on Cnet:

 

 

 

 

Hello Matthew !
Thanks you for your email , I send you pictures and flyer of my concertina “Mélodina” .

At first one of my friend , Eddy de la Rochelle (17), want me to build for him a standard hexagonal concertina , it was difficult for me, to realize the hexagonal template.
So one day He went to see me and said me why not do one rectangular ?

And was born the Mélodina !

Today, I only realize two model , with only two rows . one G/C and one A/D .

I’m thinking about one with 3 rows .

Feature :

The rectangular size

The keybord very ligth

Good compression

Reeds have a really good attack (Ciccarelli reeds , Italie)

I make one with Padouk wood, without blowhole, the sound come out by only 2 blowholes under handles, so his sound is like Bandonéon .

It ‘s a really new instrument.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdYklbrEmoo&list=UUV_6kkV65vhIjCOPy0MRBrQ

Jigs : http://youtu.be/c7SJSqJ1bXo

Polkas : http://youtu.be/fAaiQOkx-IU

Last year I met Mister Colin Dipper, and we talk a lot of technical, He tried my Mélodina, and said it’s really lovely . (ça c’est bon !)

I only work on order, and I am ready to make other.
People come to me like when you go see a violin luthier to be making a rare piece.
My price for a 2 row: 1500 €
My price for a 3 row: 2000 €

My time is 1 year. (Colin Dipper is 5 years time ...)
(because I also manufactures diatonic accordions)

I am very interested that you post pictures and information of my Concertina on your Forum “Concertina.net/forum”.

Could you send me by email the weblink , when you will post my information please.

Have a nice day !

Best regards .

Stéphane Le Lan.

 

 

 

He sent a lot more detailed pics as while as a flyer (attached to this thread as a file). If you need the more detailed internal pics, fretwork, etc. you can PM me, or just get in contact with Stéphane: http://www.accordeons-du-marais.com/

 

His shop is in Fontenay-Le-Comte, an hour south of Nantes, if we happen to have any members in the greater Bretagne/Breizh region who can give us a hands-on report.

 

Prospectus Mélodina.pdf

Edited August 24, 2014 by MatthewVanitas

[Jim Besser]

Nice looking instrument. Sounds sort of like the square Herrington hybrid I once owned.

[MatthewVanitas]

Nice looking instrument. Sounds sort of like the square Herrington hybrid I once owned.

 

Note too another commonality with Herrington: the 24-button layout, so it has chromatics with each row, even on just a 2-row. IIRC both Herrington and Edgely tried that one, but it never sold particularly well. I don't know if Stephane got his idea from that, or came to it independently.

 

 

It'd take up more space, but I wonder if there's enough room there to so something CBA-ish like our Cnet member tona has. Interestingly enough, his was made by Dipper (based iirc on the 1920s Hugo Stark design), and as you can see from the pics, Stephane and the Dippers are already on good terms.

 

 

 

Seeing a square box too made me wonder if Stephane could be persuaded to make a small square instrument like the Wheatstone Duett, but in Hayden format perhaps. Though I already have some feelers out for folks who might try experimenting with such a build, and I'll keep my eye out for a daring accordion maker down in Colombia when I'm down there, just to explore all the options...

 

Edited August 25, 2014 by MatthewVanitas

[ceemonster]

i bet he could whip up a square-ish/rectangularish hayden that would be really sweet...

[Geoff Wooff]

i bet he could whip up a square-ish/rectangularish hayden that would be really sweet...

 

Perhaps so !! I'd be interested if he could make one that had enough 'ooomphff' to play with the loud instruments that inhabit our dance band.

 

It is a three hour drive from my house to Fontenay-le Comte , if I don't get lost in Poitiers on the way as usual.Maybe I'll pay Stéphane a visit one day.