Hi all--
I just managed to pick up what appears to be an original Schunda tarogato on eBay international. I hesitated to bid at first, because it is incredibly difficult to find any information on Schunda's instruments. V.J. Schunda is credited as the inventor of the modern tarogato, though Janos Stowasser also makes the claim, and they filed similar patents within days of each other. But there are many Stowasser instruments out there, and pictures and info on them, whereas Schunda instruments are seemingly very rare.
I did find some pictures of a Schunda tarogato on the page of the Horiman collection, and there are telltale similarities between it and the one that I bought, including identical maker's marks, and similar design of tenon rings and key design, but there are large differences as well, in design of the key touches particularly. If this is a Schunda instrument, it must be a very late one, because the pinky key touches are flat with rollers, reminiscent of the late Stowasser design, but the double octave key is unique and clearly an original design. In any case it appears to be a very high quality instrument, and is in incredibly good shape.
If anyone here has any info on Schunda tarogatos or knows anyone who might be knowledgeable about them, please do let me know.
Toby
I just managed to pick up what appears to be an original Schunda tarogato on eBay international. I hesitated to bid at first, because it is incredibly difficult to find any information on Schunda's instruments. V.J. Schunda is credited as the inventor of the modern tarogato, though Janos Stowasser also makes the claim, and they filed similar patents within days of each other. But there are many Stowasser instruments out there, and pictures and info on them, whereas Schunda instruments are seemingly very rare.
I did find some pictures of a Schunda tarogato on the page of the Horiman collection, and there are telltale similarities between it and the one that I bought, including identical maker's marks, and similar design of tenon rings and key design, but there are large differences as well, in design of the key touches particularly. If this is a Schunda instrument, it must be a very late one, because the pinky key touches are flat with rollers, reminiscent of the late Stowasser design, but the double octave key is unique and clearly an original design. In any case it appears to be a very high quality instrument, and is in incredibly good shape.
If anyone here has any info on Schunda tarogatos or knows anyone who might be knowledgeable about them, please do let me know.
Toby