Antonelli Resophonic Tenor Guitar

[mrmando]

Howdy kids! Anyone heard of an Italian maker of resophonics called Antonelli?

I came across a cutaway Antonelli resophonic tenor guitar, dated 1938, in a shop here in France. Incredible axe; it's 2,000 euros so it's still in the shop. Most incredible collection of rare instruments I've seen in one place. How many shops have four ophicleides in stock?

I will post pictures and some more details later -- after I get the photos developed.

[mrmando]

Further information:

The dealer in whose shop I found this instrument is a delightful gentleman named Andre Bissonnet. Andre's mission in life is to restore and sell antique instruments. He had ophicleides, a couple of serpents, basset horns, some English horns that were curved instead of straight, two valve trombones, a hurdy-gurdy, posthorns, and a thing that looked like a cross between a bugle and a button accordion ... a small brass instrument with a full 2-octave set of chromatic keys. There were several old violins (including a fully restored Stroh fiddle and a nice Maggini copy he let me play), three of the 19th-century viola-shaped mandolins one occasionally sees (in different sizes: standard, octave, and cello -- I played the octave for a bit), and several bowlbacks, including two Vinaccia 12-strings with friction pegs (in a glass case). Not to mention the banjos, keyboard instruments, guitars, and the Antonelli resophonic tenor. Andre could play everything in the shop -- including a leaf he plucked off one of his plants. Andre does speak a bit of English and I'm sure he would appreciate hearing from anyone looking for rare old instruments. He could tell I wanted the Antonelli, and he even gave me a pick he'd made -- but I'm afraid I hadn't the scratch for the instrument, and after all, my wife was with me!

Here's the contact information:

Andre Bissonnet
Instruments Musicaux Anciens
6, rue du Pas de la Mule
75003 Paris
France
Tel/Fax 01.48.87.20.15
(From the USA: 011.33.1.48.87.20.15)

Photos to follow...

[kmmando]

I've been in that atelier, it's near the Place des Vosgues if I recall. It's a total aladdin's cave, and I recall playing the Marseilles with him on a pair of sequentially numbered flat bodied mandolins. There seem to be dozens of mandolins hanging in a room at the rear, his workshop. The whole place was full of unusual and exotic vintage instruments, most of which I couldn't even recognise what they were, let alone guess what sound they made. A brilliant place.

Kevin Macleod

[mrmando]

Yes indeed -- just off the northeast corner of the Place des Vosges by a half block. I didn't go in the workshop area. I went past a couple of other luthiers' shops in Paris, one of which had a sign posted politely asking tourists to refrain from entering. I didn't know how they'd take to a fiddler who wanted to try a couple of instruments but had no serious intention of buying one, so I just kept walking. That's why it was such a delight to find Andre's shop -- he was friendly, welcoming, generous and patient.

[kmmando]

I'm after an off the shelf single cone National tenor guitar indestructible by baggage handlers case. Have you, or any other readers ever seen one? I've got the original, but it would never stand modern thuggery at airports.

Your National sounds interesting, and I'm most interested to see a pic of the other one in Paris. Mine is on my website if you are interested.
regards
Kevin

http://mysite.freeserve.com/kevinmacleod/

http://mysite.freeserve.com/theoccasionals

[mrmando]

I have a heavy-duty rectangular hardshell case for mine ... but 'tain't off the shelf; I had it custom built here in the States.

[Keith Miller]

Kevin, still have not managed to bump into you at Sandy Bells !. George Forrest has a number of National copies if you are not too fussy, no tenors though but he may be able to get one, he has also got a cuatro in at the moment.
Keith.