There are some other instruments hiding in our house other than guitars. Here are some of them.

First up is a "Tonette". This thing is a flute-like toy similar to but less elaborate than an ocarino. This is another item that seems to have been around our house as far back as I can remember. You might can tell from the pic that it's seen some rough times and is in fact taped to keep the mouthpiece connected to the body. A patent for it was applied for in 1938 and granted to Ziegner Swanson. This instrument, and I use the term loosely, is plastic (reportedly bakelite). It has a major scale range from the root to one half-step above an octave, although you can get sharps or flats by various combinations of the stops. Apparently Swanson invented or patented other instruments, and there is some online indication that he was associated with Chicago Musical Instruments. I have another Tonette somewhere, but I have no idea where it is.

Tonette




I have two harmonicas, neither one of which I have ever learned to play a lick on. Both are Hohner chromonicas. The first one is a Super Chromonica which I bought secondhand in 1968 or 1969. It is a C with a range of three octaves. The other is a "Professional Model" G instrument with a four-octave range. I found it in a parking lot in about 1976. Both are in great shape (except that the C is missing the protective cover on the slide thingy) and would be playable by someone who knows how to play them. Here are front and back pictures of each.

G model




C model




Next on the list is my mandolin. It was a surprise Christmas gift from my wife in December 2016. It's a Savannah Model SF-100 which was made in China. I can't find a serial number anywhere on it. I know enough on it to plink out a tune, but the chords sort of elude me.

Savannah mandolin


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