Another project started... how to show off your accordions a little!

[JerryPH]

I've mentioned doing this project a while ago... has to be perhaps 5+ years ago. I wanted to set up a shelf that held all my accordions and then made them more accessible to me. Well, about 2 months agp I bought the Gorilla shelf with the 1,000 lbs capacity and started on it a bit earlier today... I am almost done with the project too:



Not 100% complete yet... have to take them down all again to secure the shelf to the wall studs and then I am going to have some custom plastic covers made, thanks to my mom. I have some already, but this shot looked so much nicer without them for the time being.

Anyone else have something like this? Later on I can add a velvet cover to the whole shelf to completely protect from dust, but I am really enjoying this little project!

 

[Walker]

Hey, be careful buddy... are you absolutely certain 1000lb is strong enough to safely take your Morino?

Seriously though - nice work!

 

[Dingo40]

Just remember: moths love felt!

 

[debra]

I've mentioned doing this project a while ago... has to be perhaps 5+ years ago. I wanted to set up a shelf that held all my accordions and then made them more accessible to me. ...

Nice work. And at least one shelf has the accordions in the playing position (like they should all be).
However, it's much more important to store your accordion in an environment that protects them from dust than to show them off. You can sort-of combine the two goals either by using a transparent cover that goes over an accordion, or by using a cabinet with glass front and sides, like museums do.
What you can do is put your accordions on display, take a picture, and then put that picture on-line and stowe the accordions away in their protective case or bag. Your home is not a showroom anyway... but your website could be.
Attached is my "show-off" that many have seen.

 

[JerryPH]

Nice work. And at least one shelf has the accordions in the playing position (like they should all be).

Thank-you. It was never discussed here that any but Cassotto accordions "should" be stored in standing positions. I specifically placed the shelves so that this could be done, it would be easy to make a small change (lower the top shelf 1-2 notches), so that the top 2 rows "stand" in playing position. What one finds, though, is that some accordions become unstable. The extended keyboard of the Morino, for example, make the accordion stand in a forward tilted position that requires something at the front to lift it straight again... a future project, for sure, but something that would need to be done for all, if I decide to get them all in that position (the bottom row, that is completely not needed as they all require serious reed work anyway).

However, it's much more important to store your accordion in an environment that protects them from dust than to show them off.

I did mention that each accordion will get its own custom plastic cover likely early in the new year. I also mention that the stand will be surrounded with a nice black velvet cover, effectively hiding them all in a 2nd layer or I may just leave them in the open... that part is not yet decided.

You can sort-of combine the two goals either by using a transparent cover that goes over an accordion, or by using a cabinet with glass front and sides, like museums do.

Ideally that was the goal... but I asked about building one... it would have cost me close to a thousand dollars to get the one that I wanted. The shelf cost me just under $200. Plastic covers protect just as well... also remember it is a basement, there is so little dust there that even my mother, who dusts just because she sees a fleck of dust, has never asked me to dust (which I do perhaps once a month or three, even if not really needed).

What you can do is put your accordions on display, take a picture, and then put that picture on-line and stowe the accordions away in their protective case or bag. Your home is not a showroom anyway... but your website could be.

My website already is (even has it's own photos area specific for that purpose)... but I like the idea of pictures of each on the wall. Time I put some of my pro photography equipment and skills to good use again.

 

[petch]

Nice work. And at least one shelf has the accordions in the playing position (like they should all be).

I thought this was only important for accordions with cassotto?

 

[Tom]

Nice setup Jerry! Mine is not quite up to your aesthetics. Seems I have some work to do as usual.

 

[debra]

I thought this was only important for accordions with cassotto?

It is very important for accordions with cassotto and/or a Winkelbaß (the largest bass reeds mounted at a 90 degree angle). Many people do not know whether they have a Winkelbaß or not.
JimD always recommends to keep ALL accordions in the playing position. When the accordion (without cassotto) is standing on its feet it's easy to think that the valves are then completely vertical, but that would only be the case if reed blocks were rectangular. In reality they are all trapezoidal to some extent. It's not an immediate disaster when a non-cassotto accordion is standing on its feet, but best is to keep all accordions in the playing position.

 

[pitzelberger]

but best is to keep all accordions in the playing position.

But for “showing them off” it just looks much better if you have them stand on their feet (my personal opinion)

 

[JerryPH]

Accordions in general are all not designed to stand well by themselves in playing position, and if you want to keep them safe, are going to need some kind of supports in the area from the bass to bellows and in some cases, all the way to the treble side casing or even the cover. Makes me wonder how long term pressure on that wood would affect it... warping then becomes a real possibility?

Maybe we need to design a stand that keeps the accordion hanging off their straps in playing position, but in a shelf environment and with space limitations that is a huge undertaking... also THEN one is placing all the weight of the accordion on the one singular side of the strap mounts, and that cannot be very good!

 

[debra]

Accordions in general are all not designed to stand well by themselves in playing position, ...

That's where the bayan comes in. It has a completely flat bottom (when placed in the playing position), so it is perfectly stable. (It does get scratched a bit from putting it down and picking it up.) A bayan never has bellow straps because having a bellow strap at the bottom would make the bayan wobbly. The problem with piano accordions is that the keyboard sticks out, and that causes it to become unstable.

 

[JerryPH]

"That's where the bayan comes in."

Same can be said of any digital accordion, those can be stored in any position that doesn't tear off a corner... haha.

I'm sure that I will figure something out, even if it means making something custom on a per accordion basis... time, all in good time.

 

[JerryPH]

Samples of the plastic accordion covers:

They're made a bit bigger so that if I wished, I could tuck in the bottoms


I have some other ones that cover my Ketron X4 and myYamaha 4-track tape deck.


I'll have a few more made for my Mackie FireWire mixer, reel to reel recorder and a few others.

 

[Pipemajor]

I've mentioned doing this project a while ago... has to be perhaps 5+ years ago. I wanted to set up a shelf that held all my accordions and then made them more accessible to me. Well, about 2 months agp I bought the Gorilla shelf with the 1,000 lbs capacity and started on it a bit earlier today... I am almost done with the project too:



Not 100% complete yet... have to take them down all again to secure the shelf to the wall studs and then I am going to have some custom plastic covers made, thanks to my mom. I have some already, but this shot looked so much nicer without them for the time being.

Anyone else have something like this? Later on I can add a velvet cover to the whole shelf to completely protect from dust, but I am really enjoying this little project!

Now you need another set of shelves to store all the empty cases

 

[JerryPH]

Now you need another set of shelves to store all the empty cases

I know!

Lucky for me that I have a nice big storage room next to my desk area, it is big enough to hold the furnace, central vacuum, 3 big shelves for my photography equipment, Bose speakers, stands, amp and all the accordion cases. I also have my NAS there and have room to spare, but if needed I have a nice big shed in the back with lots of storage room but that is not heated/humidity controlled like my basement.

 

[Tom]

Can I move into the shed? I'll bring my Piatanesi.

 

[JerryPH]

Can I move into the shed? I'll bring my Piatanesi.

The shed is cold...


You and your Piatanesi would have to be inside our home (note the 20F temperatures!)... lol

 

[Tom]

It is a nice looking shed! I don't think I could afford to live in Montreal though.

 

[JerryPH]

It's not even as much as prices, but how is your French?
Sadly, it is getting worse here for non-french speaking people all the time. I find the locals more and more loathe to say anything in English where are few years ago it was pretty much a 50-50 split. The only thing that I have found that magically unlocks their tongues are when you pull out your wallet.

As I said... sad.

 

[Tom]

All I know is voulez vous coucher avec moi so I'm in big trouble!