Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Thu Nov 21, 2024 4:32 pm


All times are UTC - 5 hours


Forum rules


Same rules apply to all forums at the Luthiers Forum.




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2020 4:12 pm 
Offline
Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:03 pm
Posts: 4
First name: Carlos
Last Name: Da Silva
City: Montreal
State: Select...
Zip/Postal Code: H4L 4S7
Country: Canada
Finnish soldier circa 1930-1940's.

https://static.sotasampo.fi/photographs ... 133087.jpg Full size link

Image


Last edited by diopter on Tue Aug 18, 2020 10:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2020 5:23 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5821
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Gee, it's too bad you didn't have a bigger photo...

I have no idea. Looks interesting, though.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2020 9:37 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:47 pm
Posts: 2518
First name: Jay
Last Name: De Rocher
City: Bothell
State: Washington
I gave up waiting for the photo to load. Way too big.

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2020 11:43 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5821
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Thanks for resizing it for us. Welcome to the OLF.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 12:42 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:47 pm
Posts: 2518
First name: Jay
Last Name: De Rocher
City: Bothell
State: Washington
Never seen one of those before, or anything similar. It looks like there are four string courses, but I can't tell for sure how many strings per course. I count 13 tuning posts in the larger photo. A round sound hole as wells as f-holes. I wonder if it has a fixed bridge or a floating bridge.

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 7:31 am 
Offline
Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:03 pm
Posts: 4
First name: Carlos
Last Name: Da Silva
City: Montreal
State: Select...
Zip/Postal Code: H4L 4S7
Country: Canada
That's why the large full size picture. 4 course of 4 strings.
Cropped:
Image

My apologies if you're on dial-up.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 10:17 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5821
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
And of course, we'd love to know what it's called - and what tuning does it have? The box shape is certainly interesting.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:01 am 
Offline
Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:03 pm
Posts: 4
First name: Carlos
Last Name: Da Silva
City: Montreal
State: Select...
Zip/Postal Code: H4L 4S7
Country: Canada
Don't know myself. I'm little grasshopper looking for enlightenment.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:39 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5821
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Have you posted about this elsewhere?

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 12:24 pm 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:21 am
Posts: 3589
First name: Brad
Last Name: Combs
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I talked to a friend in Sweden who forwarded to a friend in Finland. The link where the image shows up has a description but the translation sites I used are not quite correct. Here is the link (likely where you got the image I suppose): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... rument.jpg

In the article is says: Kersantti Lempiäinen soittamassa mököfoniaan. which Google translated to "Sergeant Lempiäinen playing his cottage." which is apparently not correct. Bing translated it into "Sergeant Lovening playing his moth." which is also not correct. My friend confirmed the translation is not correct, and there may be not an English translation for that instrument. He said the instrument is called something like “universal guitar” or “universal zither”.

He found an article (in Finnish) and the headline says “A fairy tale instrument”

Attachment:
1.jpg


Attachment:
2.jpg


SATUMAISIA SOITIKKOJA
30 touko, 2007 |
Lukekaapa oheinen Aamulehden ilmoitus! 119 vuotta sitten (8.5.1888) suomalaiset sanomalehdet ylistivät uutta soitikkoa, jota kutsuttiin ”uniwersaali-kitaraksi”, ”uniwersaali-sitraksi”, ”kitaraksi”, ”pedaalikanteleeksi” tai ”poljettawaksi kanteleeksi”. Valitettavasti vempeleestä ei ole kuvaa, mutta se oli ”jotenkin suomalaisen monikielisen kanteleen muotoinen, waan kielien poikki kulkee kolmeniwelinen pedaali”. Soittaminen tapahtui numeroiden ja kirjainten mukaan.

”Keksijä”, John Bertels Tukholmasta mainosti musiikki-instrumenttiaan näyttävästi ja esitteli sitä mm. Helsingissä, Turussa, Porissa, Tampereella ja Viipurissa. Hän soitti suomalaisia, ruotsalaisia, venäläisiä ja saksalaisia kansanlauluja ja opetti yleisölle ”kansansoitikon” käyttöä. Maaliskuussa 1888 porilaiset purisivat sanomalehdissä, etteivät olleet saaneet edellissyksynä tilaamiaan ”salonki-kanteleita”, vaikka ne oli luvattu toimittaa parissa viikossa. Bertels puolustautui, että soittimet oli lähetetty Saksasta jo tammikuussa Ukko-höyrylaivalla, joka jääesteiden vuoksi joutui palaamaan Kööpenhaminaan. Sieltä soitikot oli toimitettu toistamiseen taipaleelle Pietarin kautta mannermaata pitkin. Suomessa myytiin noin 600 ”pedaalikanteletta”. Oliko John Bertels ruotsalainen, joka möi soitonhaluisille suomalaisille saksalaisia sitroja ”salonkikanteleina”?
Kotimaisempaa kehitelmää kuvaa Suomen Kuvalehti 38/1943. Laatokan puolustajiksi sattui suuri määrä musikantteja, jotka puhdetöinään rakensivat soittimia ja soittivat niillä orkesterissaan. Soittokojeet palkittiin puhdetyönäyttelyssä korkeimmalla tunnustuksella, ja tilauksia sateli lähes ”suurtuotannoksi” asti. Yksi erikoisimmista oli kanteleen ja mandoliinin välimuoto, jossa suuren kaikupohjansa ansiosta oli ”omalaatuisen mahtava ääni”. Keksintö sai nimekseen ”mököfooni”.
Kieltolaki innoitti innovoimaan kanteleelle uusia käyttötapoja. Syyskuussa 1922 Oulun asemalle saapui etelästä juna, jonka Oulun poliisi ajan tavan mukaisesti tarkasti. Mitään epäilyttävää ei löytynyt. Poliisi oli jo poistumaisillaan, kun bongasi pimeimmältä ”pritsiltä” yksinäisen kanteleen.
Hän halusi kuulla vanhan ja Oulun seudulla harvinaisen soittimen säveliä. Kun kukaan vaunussa olijoista ei tunnustautunut kanteleen omistajaksi tai soiton taitajaksi, poliisi päätti kokeilla itse ja nosti soittopelin syliinsä. Mutta kuinkas kävikään? Kanteleen kopasta kuuluva kolahtelu ja ”lystikäs lorahdus” sai hänet kurkistelemaan ääniaukosta ja kohottelemaan kannen lautoja. Sulosointujen sijasta virkavalta veteli kansallissoittimesta viisi kimaltelevaa kanisteria: 19 litraa pirtua, pisti kanteleen kainaloonsa ja vei sen poliisikamarille, tuntomerkeillä perittäväksi. Näin uutisoi iisalmelainen Salmetar-lehti, joka päätteli ko. soittimen jäävän iäksi Oulun poliisien näppäiltäväksi. Kanisterikanteleen kyselijä näet saisi kieltolain aikaan ”soitella” siitä itselleen oikeuden edessä puolisen vuotta vankeutta.
Teksti: Anna-Liisa Tenhunen
kuvalähde: Historiallinen sanomalehtiarkisto

This translated by Bing says:

Please read the morning newspaper announcement below! 119 years ago (8 May 1888), Finnish newspapers praised the new musician, called the "uniwersaali guitar", "uniwersaali-sitra", "guitar", "pedal kantele" or "poljettawaksi kantele". Unfortunately, there is no picture of the gadget, but it was "somehow shaped like a Finnish multilingual kantele, a three-line pedal runs across the Waa languages". The call was made by numbers and letters.

"Inventor", John Bertels from Stockholm advertised his musical instrument in an impressive way and presented it in Helsinki, Turku, Pori, Tampere and Vyborg. He played Finnish, Swedish, Russian and German folk songs and taught the public about the use of a "folk musician". In March 1888, the Pori people were bitten in the newspapers to prevent the "salon kanteles" they ordered in the last autumn, even though they had been promised to be delivered in a couple of weeks. Bertels defended that the instruments had been broadcast from Germany as early as January on the Ukko steamer, which had to return to Copenhagen due to ice barriers. From there, the musicians had been delivered again to the journey through St. Petersburg along the mainland. Around 600 "pedal complaints" were sold in Finland. Was John Bertels Swedish who sold German sitrots as "salon canteles" to the finnish people who wanted to play?

A more finnish development is illustrated by Suomen Kuvalehti 38/1943. Ladoga's defenders were the most important musicals who, with their cleanness, built musical instruments and played them in their orchestra. The playing instruments were awarded at the clean-up work exhibition with the highest recognition, and orders were almost "large production". One of the most extraordinary was the intermediate form of kantele and mandolin, where due to its large soundboard was "an eccentricly awesome sound". The invention was called "mököfoon".
Prohibition law inspired new uses for kantele. In September 1922, a train arrived at oulu station, which was checked by the Oulu police in accordance with the custom. Nothing suspicious. Police were already about to leave when they spotted the darkest "prits" lone kantele.


He wanted to hear the notes of an old and Oulu region. When none of the people in the wagon confessed to being the owner of the kantele or the caller, the police decided to try it themselves and lifted the playing game into their laps. But how'd it turn out? The rattling and "nice splash" of kantele's booth made him peek through the sound opening and lift the boards on the deck. Instead of the sulos, the authorities pulled five glittering canisters from the national instrument: 19 litres of milkshake, put the kantele under its arm and took it to the police chamber, with descriptions. This is how the Irish newspaper Salmetar was reported, which concluded that the the player will remain for the rest of the day to be keyed down by the Oulu police. A questioner of canens would be allowed to "call" himself in the face of the right for half a year in prison.

Text: Anna-Liisa Tenhunen
image source: Historical newspaper archive


I don't know if we're any closer but it's interesting nonetheless. :D

Brad


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/cbcguitars/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cbcguitars



These users thanked the author bcombs510 for the post (total 2): Michaeldc (Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:59 am) • J De Rocher (Thu Aug 20, 2020 12:49 pm)
Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 12:47 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5821
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Perhaps it's a one-off? Mighty short scale, similar to a uke. I'd love to hear one....

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 1:09 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:47 pm
Posts: 2518
First name: Jay
Last Name: De Rocher
City: Bothell
State: Washington
I would like to hear what it sounds like too with four strings per course and the short scale. I'm guessing that the box sections parallel to the fretboard are hollow so it has a pretty big soundboard. Tuning it must be a pain.

I think the phrase "kantele and mandolin" in the third paragraph provides a clue. The kantele is a traditional instrument of Finland in the zither family. It appears that someone may have made it is as a hybrid instrument. I wonder if it was a one-off for the orchestra mentioned above.

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:39 am 
Offline
Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:03 pm
Posts: 4
First name: Carlos
Last Name: Da Silva
City: Montreal
State: Select...
Zip/Postal Code: H4L 4S7
Country: Canada
Original site I found it on plus some pictures of other handiwork.
https://www.sotasampo.fi/fi/times/page/ ... 1943-04-10

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com