[Stephen]

The Eolina looks beautiful, but it is so heavy for a mouth blown free reed music instrument. 2,9 kilogram is heavy for a mouth blown music instrument.
On the same website, there is a “SILVERTONE ITALY” melodica with 25 keys, weight: 550 grams
http://www.akkordeon-maurer.de/verkauf.asp?id=3&id2=10&lang=1

That’s about 5,3 times lighter.

And what about one of the champions of economic free reed aerophones (and concertinas), Charles Wheatstone.
His symphoniums were minimal in size/dimensions, but had from 12 reeds, over 24, 30, 36, yes even up to 44 reeds.
with minimal weight

Check out this video:
the fragment with the little symphonium (with 24 reeds !) starts at 2’45’’ tot 3’40’’:

Charles Wheatstone concertina, sound vibrations, telegraph

(the symphonium in this video has no back plate, and no bottom plate (a minimum amount of parts; on the other hand: a rather complex button action mechanism); other designs including back and bottom plates are explained in his 1829 patent)

Another 30 seconds video with a 12 reeds:
http://www.mfa.org/node/399736

Why don’t they make these beauties in Castelfidardo ?
In a simplified form, one could imagine putting 2 mouth harmonicas with aluminium Combs together. A comb with 12 holes.
So one would only make the casing, and a simplified button action, or even a slide mechanism per button.

I think these symphoniums must be around 200 grams up to 400 grams (?) (I didn’t find exact information on the weight on the internet)
C. Wheatstone was a champ in efficiency and economy. The weight and size of a Wheatstone symphonium is a fraction of an Eolina or a melodica.

Info and pics:
http://www.concertinamuseum.com/C15001-002.htm
http://metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/502652
http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/FreeReeds/Harmonicas/Wheatstone/10877Symphonium/Symphonium.html

The patent can be downloaded in pdf here:
http://www.concertina.com/patents/index.htm
“Improvements in the Construction of Wind Musical Instruments (1829)”

I wonder: Do the Ballone Burini people know of the Wheatstone symphonium…?