Odd instrument

[sunset]

Does anyone know of a small piano harmonica? Size is 260mm x 50mm. Has 10 black and 16 white keys. Made in Czechoslovakia. One end has connection points for external air intake. Saw this item at a music festival.You could blow into it to get it going but it is very hard work. It also has a reset button.

[Frankie Jasmine]

Dear Sunset,

I think I have found the instrument you're looking for:

http://cgi.ebay.com/German-Hohner-Me...item1c1ba07027

Hopefully it's okay to post this, even though it is eBay. Scroll down the page and find more images and historical information on the piano harmonica.

Here are images under 'Piano Harmonica,' but only a few are actually the 'piano harmonica.' (The search must also pick up 'piano,' 'harmonica,' and musicians of those instruments):

http://www.google.com/search?q=piano...ed=0CG0QsAQ4Cg

Want more information? GOOGLE: Piano Harmonica.

At first I immediately thought of Benjamin Franklin's "mechanical piano armonica" invention (or as some term it "harmonica"), although a flow of air is not needed for play. I saw this at a museum in either Washington, D.C. or Chicago, IL. His inventions are ingenious. Want to peek at Franklin's mechanical piano armonica? . . .

http://www.fi.edu/learn/sci-tech/arm...lin-recreation

http://www.fi.edu/franklin/musician/musician.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harmonica

Hope you enjoy--and that the very first link is for the instrument you described.

[sunset]

Can't thank you enough! I will explore the links especially Franklin's. It's slightly different than the one I am seeking but at least I have somewhere to start. Thanks again

[Frankie Jasmine]

You are most welcome! Yes, I find Franklin's mechanical piano armonica far more interesting . . . But does this link show the instrument you were originally looking for?...

http://cgi.ebay.com/German-Hohner-Me...item1c1ba07027

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Eeeeek! They removed that link already! Here's another to try, just to see if this is the correct one:

http://www.google.com/products/catal...=1004&bih=592#