Help Needed to Identify an Accordion

[Mauro-Argentina]

Hello everyone,
I’m looking for information about an old accordion I own. It doesn’t have a visible brand name, but there is a plate on the back that reads: "OTTO BEUSCHOLD KLINGENTHAL S.A." and the additional text "VEUS CHARGE".

The accordion is an Instame model, known for its good quality. However, the brand logo seems to have come off, and I’d like to know more about this instrument:

What brand could it belong to?

Approximately what year was it manufactured?

Are there any particular details about this model?


The accordion has 26 keys, 40 bass buttons, and a striking nacre-like finish. I’d greatly appreciate any information or tips on how to trace more details about this accordion.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[dak]

"Klingenthal SA" is just short for "Klingenthal Sachsen", the town Klingenthal in Saxonia. You are probably misreading "VEUS CHARGE", but since you do not include a picture of that script it is impossible to tell what the actual text would be.

 

[JerryPH]

Looks like a name tag and city name of a previous owner. If the accordion was made in Klingenthal, there were (I **believe**) two main manufacturers in that town, neither of which exist anymore today. HESS and WELTMEISTER.

 

[dak]

Looks like a name tag and city name of a previous owner. If the accordion was made in Klingenthal, there were (I **believe**) two main manufacturers in that town, neither of which exist anymore today. HESS and WELTMEISTER.

Klingenthal had dozens of different manufacturers that were "consolidated" in the GDR into "VEB Klingenthaler Harmonikawerke" (brand name "Weltmeister" for accordions, but also some off-brands like "Universum Elegance" sold cheaply by West German mail order business "Otto Versand").

The initial consolidation happened by disowning 14 manufacturing shops in 1949, the largest being F.A.Rauner. In 1972 and 1980 were further large consolidations concerning the previous producers Zuleger & Mayenburg ("Montana"), Gebrüder Gündel ("Barcarole"), Fritz Rockstroh ("Orion"), K. W. Adler ("Horch"), Schloßmeinel-Rauner, Grimm, Max Schneider, Reinhard Glier, Erhard Weidenmüller, Gebrüder Ludwig, Schlott&Söhne, F.R.Meinel.

"Weltmeister" as a company name component rather than a brand existed only in the final stage of the "Harmona GmbH" in Klingenthal, lasting for less than a decade before they shuttered (in 2023 or 2024 I think).

 

[JerryPH]

Thanks for the update David!

 

[Rosie C]

I know nothing about the accordion, but I'm curious that the solfège is "do ra me so fa la SI do". Mind you, I've only ever used it when singing the Sound of Music tune

 

[dak]

Referencing my source, "Otto Beuschold, Klingenthal" was a manufacturer that existed as early as 1911. I have no idea when it may have closed shop or gotten integrated into other entities, or how long before that it may have existed.

 

[JerryPH]

I know nothing about the accordion, but I'm curious that the solfège is "do ra me so fa la SI do". Mind you, I've only ever used it when singing the Sound of Music tune

That is actually the more traditional/European way of identifying the notes. Your term solfeggio is the correct term. I used to have a book called that and it was about 275 pages. I would traditionally start with this book, reading out the music out loud in time with the note values. It started easy and quickly moved to more challenging to "brutal".

I had the choice to either sing or speak the notes and since I had no voice, I would speak each note. When you get to the 64th notes, you start to sound like an auctioneer... lol

Once that was done (typically the first 15-30 minutes of eat practice session), then out would come the accordion and exercise books and after that came the songs I would be typically working on.

Solfeggio is basically a strong method to learn to sight read.

 

[Pipemajor]

"do ra me so fa la SI do"

Is that the Welsh scale?

 

[JerryPH]

Is that the Welsh scale?

We all like to do things in our own way... lol.

 

[Ffingers]

Is that the Welsh scale?

Nah, the chapel culture and mens' choirs tended to use " Doh Ray Me Fah Soh Lah Ti Doh " - usable across all keys with "Doh" being the fundamental note.

 

[dak]

Is that the Welsh scale?

Too many vowels.

 

[Pipemajor]

Nah, the chapel culture and mens' choirs tended to use " Doh Ray Me Fah Soh Lah Ti Doh " - usable across all keys with "Doh" being the fundamental note.

I think you're missing the point here.
Rosie had inadvertantly put doh ray me So FA........ instead of the usual.
It was meant as a jest, hence the .

 

[Ventura]

as penance for this thread, we should all Vow(el) to
watch "the sound of Music" this weekend

 

[Tom]

as penance for this thread, we should all Vow(el) to
watch "the sound of Music" this weekend

I refuse to play Edelweiss. Worse than Beer Barrel. My Favorite Things though, has potential. Been on my list for a while…..

 

[Rosie C]

I think you're missing the point here.
Rosie had inadvertantly put doh ray me So FA........ instead of the usual.
It was meant as a jest, hence the .

Ah, so I did!

 

[Pipemajor]

Ah, so

Is that part of the Chinese scale (ala Benny Hill)?