Scandalli Custom Built

[KiwiSqueezer]

The more I try to find out about accordion makes and models, the more I realise that it's a minefield - and a shambles of misleading information. Identification of individual accordions is hampered by the apparent lack of a reputable source of identification information, pictures, etc. Sometimes one gets lucky with an internet search, but it's very much hit and miss. Even separating the genuine manufacturers who build in the country stamped into the accordion's underside from the oriental fakers or contract builders is frought with difficulty.

Can anyone tell me about this 'Scandalli Custom Built' accordion? It's clearly a LMM box, and I think that 'Made in Italy' is on the underside, but the photo isn't good enough to be sure. I believe that 'Scandalli' in upper case may indicate its manufacture around the time the original Scandalli concern got dismantled, and funny things happened afterwards. It popped up on a local auction site, and no-one wanted it at around NZ$100 - say GBP50. Was a genuine, reasonable-quality box missed, or an obvious oriental fake or second-rate box avoided?

I'm not really asking about this particular one, of course, since its internal condition is unknown, but I'd like to understand about this model/series. Does 'Custom Built' have any significance? Searching this site seems to provide conflicting opinions about this series - some say Chinese (perhaps even with 'Made in Italy' stamped on it), some say Italian.

 

[Dingo40]

The more I try to find out about accordion makes and models, the more I realise that it's a minefield - and a shambles of misleading information.

A bit like trying to select a telco plan or a bank account!?
OK, I don't have this particular model, but I do have a Scandalli LMMM with quint tuning made in the 1950s: quite satisfied!
Now, about the accordion in question.
This is at least a decade or more newer than mine, so I can't exclude a possible Chinese connection: there are some Baile like features, for example the coupler switches and grill design.
Second, I'd say the designation "custom built" is marketing hype. The give away is: only three voices and ,even then, the repeated coupler switches . Not what you'd expect on a Morino, for example!
Apart from all the usual ailments of age, Scandallis are prone to hardening of the rubberised components holding the pallets to the key rods. These hardened components then become prone to cracking and breaking away from the rods.
This issue gets an airing on this forum from time to time.
Other than that, Scandallis like this one are pretty solid, mid range instruments aimed at the advanced beginner/ amateur market.
The colour and cosmetic condition are good.
$100 NZ, providing it's in playable condition, would seem very reasonable...too reasonable?
Are you able to view it, at least on WhatsApp?

 

[boxplayer4000]

Other than that, Scandallis like this one are pretty solid, mid range instruments aimed at the advanced beginner/ amateur market.

I agree the Scandalli is a good sound, quality instrument. Any accordion, however, particularly those in excess of 20 years or so in age need to be treated with caution until their internal condition is known. I note your comment about the grille design and immediately remembered a Paramount accordion I owned, made by Busilacchio and from approx. the same era as the Scandalli above.

 

[JerryPH]

The thing with accordions from the 50-s-70's is that there were a lot of people that bought them from the manufacturers and placed their own "stickers" on them, trying to separate themselves from the herd. This often resulted in many names all being linked to a standard design available from the originating manufacturer.

There is no known manufacturer called PARAMOUNT, however there is one called SCANDALLI. I would think that it is a good move to simply try and ask them directly via email. Include a picture and for raising chances of a response, use Google translate. The best way would be if you happen to speak Italian and reach out a sympathetic employee that would be willing to assist.

Note: Italians are notorious for being difficult to deal with if you speak to them in any other language OTHER than Italian... lol

 

[Ventura]

the thing to note is the obvious and striking grillwork which was used by Scandalli
for a wide variety of models and pet names, and which is immediately
recognizable. The least of these have been seen in more colors for the
2 reed treble, basic but nice student models, while the huge number of 7 shift
3 reed models were in Red, Grey or Black, as well as the 4 shift up to and including
basic Professional models mostly seen in black. The pro models in this series went
up to extremely high end Scandalli reeds and the top models were available
by specific order and specification, as well as bulk order standard configurations.
AFAIK they topped out with the straight models.. no tone chambers will be
found under these grills

the very striking grill pattern has also been seen in millions of Chinese
accordions simply because Scandalli was the most studied and copied
by the Chinese, who were famous for buying and somewhat reverse-engineering
Western products, and a 7 shift Grey unit was specifically one such closely
studied and copied accordion.

however, their mindset also makes it easy to tell the differences, as they never
tried to equal the quality or exactly duplicate the inside engineering if they merely made
it look good enough and basically work long enough to exceed any brief warranty

Simply lifting the grill-work off you can immediately tell the Scandalli from the copy,
as the hook-and-spring inividual note treble is a dead giveaway every time

the Paramount / Busilacchio as well as many many other private label sold
in America by accordion mills was a bare-bones finish it yourself model
provided to many other "builders" of the time and again pop the grill to
prove this for yourself.. if it is the Scandalli treble action, it was born in the
Scandalli factory

i have a Serenelli just like that Busilaccio.. and don't forget that Settimo had
a huge number of contracts with private label accordion schools
and companies, which they continued to fulfill after they resumed their production
in the Scandalli factory after the fire reduced the Settimo accordion works to ashes..
obviously they took advantage of some of the technology Scandalli offered,
though you will note many of these cross-bred sorts of accordions still were built
with a traditional Stradella Bass (not the drop out Scandalli type)

at the same period of time, you also had the hugely successful Aluminum Grill
models from Scandalli, mostly in the Black and Gold, and of the widely seen
Cream and Blue aluminum design. These were slightly less expensive at
wholesale and were also sometimes sold as "bare bones" to be finished
by other brand/assemblers such as Cellini and others. All these also
have the modern and unique Scandalli action.

Concurrent with these two lines, you of course had the actual Top pro
series where you found the Super Vl and similar variations

also the Brevetto was still produced on occasional runs to
maintain a saleable inventory, but the model was no longer "pushed"
so fewer and fewer will be found with the modern Scandalli actions
and bodies to match compared to the ones built in the late 1940's
and 1950's. the Brevetto was probably the longest produced model
in their history in it's many variations

again, any of these accordions, it is ridiculously obvious once you
look under the hood if it is a fake or if it is a Scandalli. That is why
you don't buy used accordions sight unseen unless you are willing
to take the risk, and then only blame yourself if you get screwed.

if you DO buy sight unseen, at least having photo's of every section
close up and in detail to helps identification, but creative angles
can deceive you as well as the embellished stories made up of
whole cloth you often read in an eBay listing

because of the wear patterns into the aluminum sub-structure
there is a finite point of no-return on this type of action, and so
consider how many "miles" a box has on it before you buy it

 

[boxplayer4000]

There is no known manufacturer called PARAMOUNT

I agree!! My Paramount was made by E.E. Busilacchio, one of two brothers I believe, both making accordions. Mine was a very good, fast, light, responsive musette accordion and while it had some grille features resembling the Scandalli at the head of this thread it was a bit up the market from it including having 4 treble voices.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

The thing with accordions from the 50-s-70's is that there were a lot of people that bought them from the manufacturers and placed their own "stickers" on them, trying to separate themselves from the herd. This often resulted in many names all being linked to a standard design available from the originating manufacturer.

There is no known manufacturer called PARAMOUNT, however there is one called SCANDALLI. I would think that it is a good move to simply try and ask them directly via email. Include a picture and for raising chances of a response, use Google translate. The best way would be if you happen to speak Italian and reach out a sympathetic employee that would be willing to assist.

Note: Italians are notorious for being difficult to deal with if you speak to them in any other language OTHER than Italian... lol

There are countries where a large percentage of the population takes English as a second language in high school or beyond. But taking a second language and being fluent enough in it to use it with confidence are two different things. Pride can enter the picture as well. As far as Italy is concerned, some companies and some individuals in those companies do better with English than others. If the conpany stands to make a profit, that also helps.

 

[JerryPH]

If the conpany stands to make a profit, that also helps.

I am sure you are right, but then there are companies like Italcinte that will do everything in their power to point you elsewhere rather than answer a question in Italian, but they will outright hang up on you if you ask to speak to someone in English... happened to me.

I am sure that I would not give them a huge profit, but I was looking at ordering 3-4 sets of their most expensive straps at the time but had to go elsewhere thanks to their phone manners.

It takes all kinds to make a world.

 

[boxplayer4000]

It takes all kinds to make a world.

Indeed it does! However the language thing is a two-way street. It's been well discussed elsewhere but there's always been a high expectation among UK/English speakers that everybody else in foreign places will just bend the knee and be expected to speak English.

 

[JerryPH]

Indeed it does! However the language thing is a two-way street. It's been well discussed elsewhere but there's always been a high expectation among UK/English speakers that everybody else in foreign places will just bend the knee and be expected to speak English.

The one with the wallet rules, if I am selling, to make the sale, I will bend the knee... lol

BUSINESS 101.

 

[Dingo40]

The one with the wallet rules,

This is the "Golden Rule"
Namely:
"He/she who has the gold makes the rules!"

 

[JerryPH]

"Bend the knee"... love that phrase, only ever heard it used 2 times... TV series Lucifer and Game of Thrones... haha

 

[WlaFisa]

In a Scandalli' catalog (1960) the 'Cantore' model has the 'Custom built' logo.

 

[JerryPH]

Good find @WlaFisa!

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

Thanks everyone for the comments. So, if I understand correctly, "Custom Built' refers to a range of mid-level boxes, built by Scandalli, in Italy, rather than for Scandalli by someone else. There are various model names, but these don't appear on the box - helpful? If it carries a 'Built in Italy' imprint, it probably isn't sourced from the Orient. 'Custom Built' is meaningless sales-talk - it doesn't indicate special quality (either good or bad...). The wretched thing is still available, for less than GBP150 - and that's probably negotiable. It's LMM, and photos show it to be in excellent cosmetic condition. It's tempting... Interior condition is, of course, unknown, and I understand fairly well the deterioration mechanisms that accordions are prone to. I don't need another accordion, but I have a strange compulsion to 'rescue' all sorts of things, if the financial risk is acceptable. I probably need therapy...

 

[Dingo40]

Interior condition is, of course, unknown,

Arrange for an inspection via WhatsApp?

 

[Tom]

Easily worth $65 US here it if it’s a “real” Scandalli in playable or easily repairable shape. I could easily get $65 even if Chinese in playable shape so worth the gamble if you can verify playability. People love those red Scandallis!

 

[Ventura]

plus it is apparently not easy finding decent used accordions in New Zealand
or nearby or affordably shipped to NZ

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

Dingo. Good idea - possibly - if the seller cooperated and I knew how to do that... I don't think any more info. is available from the seller though. He knows nothing about accordions: I think it's an estate sale.

Tom. I don't know whether you're valuing this box at >= $65 or there was a currency conversion glitch. GBP150 is approx. US$190. That makes the risk sound a bit greater, doesn't it? And there's still some uncertainty as to its provenance...

Ventura. Too true! I'm still hoping to come across a 5-row CBA.

An added complication is that I'd have to hide possible purchase from my lovely wife who, quite reasonably, despairs of me... Anyone else have a similar problem?

 

[Dingo40]

Wives are there to keep us from making fools of ourselves!
A man without a wife is like a ship without a rudder?
"

Silver Dollar Lyrics​

[Verse]
Don't you know that a man without a woman
Is like a ship without a sail
A boat without a rudder
Or a fish without a tail
And a man without a woman
Is like a wreck upon the sand
There's only one thing worse in the universe
That's a woman without a man"