The last accordion maker in the Val de Loire centre
It is difficult to be precise, but it would appear that there are only about ten accordion makers left in France, and that Benoît le Toumelin is the last one in the central Loire Valley region.
Of course, you will have understood that the postman, in this case, is not the one who carries the letters, but the one who makes them.
He is likely to remain the last one for a long time, since he only started his career in 2018! Plenty of time to wait for a successor to arrive!
Cut down your own tree...
Very often, the story starts there. A walnut tree, a cherry tree, a tree from the region that he chooses himself, and that he tries to cut down himself as well. And then begins a drying period of four to five years...
Impressive figures
For an accordion, it takes at least a hundred hours of work, during which up to 3500 pieces will be made and assembled! It is logical, then, that you have to wait about a year before receiving your instrument!
The accordions: not to be confused
His speciality is the "diatonic" accordion, not to be confused with the "chromatic" accordion, which twirls in the "bals musette". Of course, it should not be confused with the concertina, the melodeon or the bandoneon!
The "diatonic" accordion produces one note when you open and spread, and another when you push and close.
If one day you decide to visit him in his workshop, you will see a machine room, dust and sawdust, and wooden planks sheltered behind the glass door, and the workshop, tidy, meticulous and creative!
Anches et soufflet
23, route Horsdeville
45450 Ingrannes
Tél. : 06 16 66 74 92
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