[Alan Brinton]

I have a Chordiana coming, Melodica-Me, which I suspect will also have individually mounted reeds. That’s the feature that I’ve been looking for in these relatively obscure Italian models. The seller hasn’t tested the Chordiana, so I don’t know whether it even plays. But when it arrives, I’ll do what I can to make some closer comparisons between the individually mounted reed instruments I have: the Hohner Pro 36, the Clavietta, the Silvertones (34 and 25), the Sorrento, and the Chordiana. I’m sure there are some others, and they’re probably all inspired by the Clavietta. The 25 key Silvertone, the Sorrento, and the Chordiana all have an almost identical bottom plate with five distinctive hexagonal bolts — which give the impression that these instruments may have come from the same factory. Here’s the bottom of the junior Silvertone:

Not all of the aforementioned (in my collection) are playable or fully playable at this time, but obviously the big question is whether or to what extent the individually mounted reeds produce a superior or at least relatively distinctive sound. Well, the Pro 36 and the Clavietta stand out in that way, though differently. I’ll see what I can do.