ID Ludwig Antoria Band

[icarus]

Hi everyone

My grandpa was kind enough to leave this to me and I’m trying to determine the exact model and year of manufacture.

Whilst no aficionado, it sounds excellent.

Thank you.

 

[Ben-jammin]

The Ludwig logo looks like the one from the drum company. It could be that Ludwig imported this student 12 bass from Germany and relabeled it. Or someone added the Ludwig logo later. Unless it’s been restored at some point it’s likely in need of service to be a reliable instrument. The wax that holds the reeds in dries out and becomes brittle so minor bumps from regular use can dislodge the reeds.

 

[Dingo40]

If I'm right, the 3-part Phil Baker Accordion Method came out in the 1930s, and the little 12 bass accordion you have also dates from that era.
Here's something similar:

A cased Ludwig 'The Antoria' accordian.

A cased Ludwig 'The Antoria' accordian.

auctions.goldingyoung.com

There are several YouTube hits of similar pre-wwii accordions, all very suggestive of a pre-wwii German maker who went out of business with the war.

 

[ColoRodney]

Are you sure it doesn’t read “Astoria Band”? That second letter is a bit worn, but it may be an S rather than N.

It could be that your grandfather bought it from a store that included an accordion band, and they added the name to the instrument.

There’s a town named “Astoria” in Oregon. Is there a town by either name in Australia?

These little 12-bass student accordions were made by many factories on order, and often didn’t put their names on, but labeled them however the distributor wanted. At this long after, what matters is not who made it, but what condition it’s in. This one does need to have some of the covering straightened and glued back down, at the least. As I recall, there’s an accordion shop in Melbourne that may be able to recommend a restorer.

 

[Dingo40]

You may be able to find some answers here:

Accordions

Welcome to the largest range of Accordions and accessories in Australia at Music Junction (Camberwell store). We are the exclusive Australian Importer of the major Italian manufacturers such as Scandalli, Paolo Soprani, Excelsior, Pigini and Dino Baffetti. Contact us for custom orders and...

www.musicjunction.com.au

 

[Dingo40]

One similar to yours:

Best Sellers

Here's a relevant thread from melodeon.net

Ludwig Antoria Band - Pine Tree Brand

Ludwig Antoria Band - Pine Tree Brand

forum.melodeon.net