Buy all three Ondioline document recreations and save some moolah. Descriptions of each item below.

More information at www.ondioline.com


The Ondioline brochure:

The original French version of this sales brochure was published in the 1950s by the inventor of the Ondioline, Georges Jenny.

After specialist translation from French to English, this new edition has been exactingly recreated to match the original to the very last detail.

The brochure includes a table of timbre settings that are highly instructive for coaxing musical sounds from this unique and timbrally versatile electronic musical instrument.

An overview of the Ondioline’s development and some salient points about its adoption and use in France in its first two decades complete this unique historical recreation.


The Ondioline technical manual:

This technical manual was originally written by the inventor of the Ondioline, Georges Jenny, as a series of installments in the French magazine Toute La Radio from September 1955 to February 1956. It was subsequently collected into a single volume in 1957 due to high demand for more information about this unique electronic musical instrument. Original French copies are now exceedingly rare.

The manual provides a wealth of information about servicing Ondiolines, including schematics and photos of the instrument and its various modules, as well as critical details about the function of key components and assemblages. It is an indispensable guide for technicians interested in understanding the inner workings of what is arguably the most advanced monophonic keyboard instrument of its time.

After specialist translation from French to English, this new edition has been exactingly recreated by designer Mike Buffington to match the original document to the very last detail. All typefaces were meticulously matched, while rare and unique ones were drafted by sampling the original French document. The layout has been refined to follow every nuance of the original’s flow. Even the advertisements have been translated and recreated.

For electronic music enthusiasts and collectors of ephemera, this document is also a beautiful window into the period before the solid-state revolution, when the use of tube electronics was at a high level of creative experimentation and refinement.

The original French version of this sales brochure was published in the 1950s by the inventor of the Ondioline, Georges Jenny.

After specialist translation from French to English, this new edition has been exactingly recreated to match the original to the very last detail.

The brochure includes a table of timbre settings that are highly instructive for coaxing musical sounds from this unique and timbrally versatile electronic musical instrument.

An overview of the Ondioline’s development and some salient points about its adoption and use in France in its first two decades complete this unique historical recreation.


Beginner’s Handbook For Ondiolinists:

This charming booklet was originally published in French in 1949 by Georges Jenny, the inventor of the Ondioline. It accompanied Ondiolines sold by Jenny directly from his Paris workshop, and was designed to help players navigate the setup and operation of this uniquely expressive electronic musical instrument.

After specialist translation from French to English, this new edition has been exactingly recreated to match the original to the very last detail, from the firm but pliable matte card stock for the divider tabs, to the gentle brown ink on eggshell paper for the lovely illustrations and text. Every booklet has been hand-assembled around a unique pin-clasped multi-fold spine per the original publication.

This edition of the Handbook features a special appendix with detailed information on how to tune various models of Ondioline that were produced between the early 1940s and the mid 1960s. These details are vital to properly servicing and refining Ondiolines to access the deep musicality they offer.

In addition, the appendix features original drawings illuminating Ondioline model chronology by celebrated illustrator Alexander Bertram-Powell, and a unique hand-drawn image by Mike Buffington, the designer who meticulously re-made this unique historical document.