How to lighten a heavy accordion

[Little Acorn]

Hi everyone,

I'm a beginner player and in my haste to upgrade from a 12-bass model, bought an inexpensive 120-bass 1960s Crucianelli electronic (hybrid synthesizer) accordion. It sounds lovely, but the size and weight are a problem. It weighed more than 32 pounds (14 kilograms), so I took out the electronics, patched up the holes and it's now down to just over 26 pounds (12 kg).

A lot of the weight is still in the bass side, and the problem is that as the bellows extend out, my hand slips because I can't hold it up (too heavy).

There are six bass register switches on the bass side, and I probably won't need them all. Would it make sense to remove some of the switches, parts of the mechanism, or parts of the wooden body to lighten it up? Potentially, I could put things back when needed.

Does anyone have experience in lightening an old accordion?

Perhaps it's more of a folly than a project, and I have probably bitten off more than I can chew. But I figure I could always harvest the reeds and other parts to fix up other accordions in the future if I really make a mess of it. I am probably being foolhardy and naive, but wondered what others might think about how to lighten an old accordion.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!


Stephen (Little Acorn)

--

This is how it was when I got it:



During surgery:


Patched up after gutting:

 

[colinm]

If you can take a couple of bass reed blocks out and disconnect the couplers to leave them closed, then you can probably take half a kilo off the bass end.

 

[PhiliGol]

Hi Stephen

Welcome to the forum and greetings from Bavaria.

A nice piece of (early electronic) history you got - almost a pity you slaughtered it .
OK, just because I'm kind of a "retro" boy doesn't mean there's a fan-club for that particular box.

Honestly 12kg for a 41/120 PA isn't that bad for an instrument that is a solid (wooden) build .
As far as I can see from the registers it's a 4 voice treble / 5-voice bass.

As Colin already mentioned most likely there's not much more to gain w/o significantly scarifying functionality/sound options.
The lightest "full-blown" 4-voice 41/120 PA's just make it below 10kg, which already involve special light-weight build e.g. carbon.

 

[Dingo40]

A lot of the weight is still in the bass side, and the problem is that as the bellows extend out, my hand slips because I can't hold it up (too heavy).

Play seated?
Play using an accordion stand?
See here:

 

[Little Acorn]

Thank-you colinm and PhiliGol, that's great information, especially as I don't know what's normal or what to expect. It sounds like my Crucianelli is a healthy weight for its size, and it should be easy to experiment by temporarily removing bass reed blocks. That will be fun.

Don't worry PhiliGol, I still have the electronics and took photos during disassembly in case I ever want to put them back.

Good suggestion Dingo40, playing seated is definitely easier and I can support the weight with my leg when seated. I might also experiment with a ceiling hook in my garage, now that you've got me thinking. Thanks all!

 

[JerryPH]

Thank-you colinm and PhiliGol, that's great information, especially as I don't know what's normal or what to expect. It sounds like my Crucianelli is a healthy weight for its size, and it should be easy to experiment by temporarily removing bass reed blocks. That will be fun.

Yikes, why would you want to do that? Do you not play the bass when enjoying your accordions?

 

[Little Acorn]

Ah, JerryPH, good point! I'm experimenting as part of an upgrade from a single-voice 12-bass to a multi-voice 120-bass, so it's more of a learning experiment while I get used to navigating the left hand around the board, build up strength and muscle memory. I should only need one voice to practice, and it might make it easier to learn if the bass side is lighter. I can just put them back in if it doesn't make a difference or want a different sound.

Oh, wow, that Konig Mayer adjustable accordion stand suggested by Dingo40 looks awesome. That model is like three times the cost of my accordion, but I should be able to put something together to hold it from the ground or above with a ceiling hook. Maybe I could handle the bellows better if I'm not also supporting the main body of the accordion.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas and input, this is fantastic. I appreciate it! I know I'm probably out to lunch here, but just trying to work with what I have plus some fun experimentation. It's probably going to turn out that I should just stick with it and learn to deal with the weight, and that's a valuable lesson too. I seem to learn by doing things wrong the first six times, and I admit that I don't really know what I'm doing. It's fun though, and I plan to post updates with my findings.

 

[Ventura]

my dear Acorn.. i want to caution you about the hanging of your
heavy boatanchor of an accordion off of a skyhook..

our legs, shoulders, bodies, act as shock absorbers when
holding and handling our accordions, which is why the
backstrap system works, but hanging a heavy item off of
a hook or other fixed point (think of the Speaker cabinets
hanging off a chain in a church) requires a very strong point
of contact.. the typical backstrap metal bracket(s) on the top of
an accordion are probably not strong enough to handle
the accidental shocks.

you may need to find some thick available section of the body top,
where you can mount a stronger bracket of eyebolt, and
use some custom washer to distribute the pull force over as wide
a section of the frame as possible

in the bass chamber will be some electrical switching components
which could be sacrificed, and there will be a somewhat thick
cable/wire sort of thing that connects to a connector that feeds
another cable through the bellows that could also be removed..
since it is unlikely the original organ components actually still
work, sacrificing/cutting out this stuff is no real loss

good luck

 

[debra]

Assuming you are playing while sitting down, you can reduce the problem of lifting the weight of the bass side by adjusting the straps so most of the weight of the bass side rests on your left leg. The recommended position is to have the bellows rest on your left leg but that requires you to hold the bass side up when it's hanging free, but if you get the bass side to rest on your left leg and don't pull the bellows open very far the weight should not be a burden to your left arm. Not the recommended position in general, but maybe it could help in your case.

 

[Tom]

Welcome Acorn! I agree that the weight will become less of an issue when you get more used to handling it while sitting. Don’t worry. As your friends and family learn you play accordion, a lighter one will magically appear. It’s the rule. Whatever you do, don’t leave your car doors unlocked.

 

[noelekal]

Just sayin'...

 

[rosette]

There are plenty of 120 bass accordions that weigh 12kg or less, some are 10kg!

Maybe put this back the way it was and get something else?
I am not convinced that gutting these kinds of accordions are the way to go if weight is your aim.

Also, as you've probably discovered now - you've probably changed the centre of gravity.
This will probably impact playability.

 

[tcabot]

Drill holes in it. It works for bikes, so why not accordions. The plywood + celluloid casing and reedblocks are the heaviest parts, so I'd start with them. In fact, if you take the reedblocks out completely, that will save you a few kg. If that doesn't lighten it enough, you can start drilling the bellows.



It's either that, or get a gym membership.

On a serious note, if you want to lighten a heavy accordion, you need to buy a heavy accordion first. 12kg is light. It's an accordion, not a kazoo, you know.

 

[Glug]

Some drillium actually looks quite good:


(from https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-...rillium-milling-references-experiences-2.html)

Doesn't mean it works better though.

 

[tcabot]

Drilling out alloy brake caliper arms is quite likely to make you go faster...And hit a wall harder.

 

[Ventura]

i will remind y'all that there once was a PanCordion design worked
on by Faithe Deffner and the techs at Pigini to built the lightest
3/4 size 4 reed treble accordion possible

they came up with many innovative ways to shave off ounces,
one of which was the careful and very very selective swiss-cheezing
of certain metal parts.. but they thought long and hard first
to do this without compromising strength

shaving off some wood from thicker, non-critical areas is possible,
as well as using lighter woods where possible.. like do you need
a thick walnut base on the reedblock or would a thinner walnut
facing on some Basswood be strong yet lightweight ?

 

[Ventura]

this young person obviously has a limited amount of money
to spend, and thought this accordion was way better than anything
else they found in their price range.. and while i am traditionally
one of the loudest critics of these BoatAncha's, the deed is
done and this person is trying to salvage some use out of the beast..
so we are trying to be helpful here..

no doubt they will not make this mistake again, and will ask
advise on their NEXT purchase BEFORE thy hit the "buy" button
(hint hint)

overall, it can usually be said accordions designed for use as
Organ-Accordions were thick-uns from the get-go.. they HAD to
be deeper bulkier thicker to handle the additional parts screws
contact systems wiring circuit-boards cables etc.
(look at that stuff hidden UNDER the magicVox keyboard.. do you
think they could have fit that junk in there on any normal accordion ?)

also, many organ-accordions had to sacrifice reedblocks for space
needed to fit electronics

most organ accordions came with cheap reeds because they
had to keep the retail price low, BUT some models ordered by
or for Professional use did have great reeds because a pro could
justify the extra cost (factored over 300 plus gigs a year)
so there are a few (very few) BoatAncha's that do sound
great as pure acoustics, and can still be useful for a Student
sitting on a chair at home and practicing

finally, it still can be fun to play and mess with an old Organ-Accordion
even if you weren't even BORN back when they were built.. but the
chances of finding one that works are astronomically slim,
and (like many of us learned) you actually have to be somewhat technically
proficient at electronic repair yourself to own one and keep it reliable

many had proprietary parts, EEPROMS, top octave generators,
formant filters, solenoid activated sustain systems that simply
are no longer available and actually have not been available
for about 50 years now

BoatAncha's should be avoided, unless you find one for dirt cheap
and want to mess with it just for fun (or harvest the reeds if
you spot a gem)

i admit i do still fire up my Cordovox once every decade or so..
i can only think of one or two Girls still alive who would like to
hear me play it.. but even if they got turned on like in the old days,
i would not have enough oomph left after wrestling the beast
to do them any harm..

 

[JerryPH]

My take... honestly, A few months in a gym or CrossFit location will do more for your ability to carry that accordion easier than shaving 3KG off it (which is basically near impossible). Not only that, but this is something that will help in all aspects of life, not just while carrying this accordion.

If age is a factor (really should not be, I am about to hit 65 and still play 35lb boxes!), I will say that playing sitting down is a GOOD THING for accordionists of ANY age as well. Good technique can mask a ton of pounds too, thins like proper seating position & posture, proper strap adjustment and a backstop permits 98lb ladies play 40lb Bayan accordions.

The thought of wanting to start to pull out reeds from the bass side... hmmm, not a big fan of that at all. If what you are doing is looking to make a lighter accordion at the expense of going to those extremes, it is obviously not the right accordion for you at all.

If health or physical issues is a factor (we are not all equally blessed with good health all our lives), don't break an accordion, sell it and get something that you can handle.

 

[Rosie C]

My take... honestly, A few months in a gym or CrossFit location will do more for your ability to carry that accordion easier than shaving 3KG off it (which is basically near impossible). Not only that, but this is something that will help in all aspects of life, not just while carrying this accordion.

This is so true. Last year my doctor gave me the choice of blood pressure meds, or subsidised gym membership. I hated the gym but that was the better option. A year on I'm so much stronger and fitter. Scariest of all, when I can't get to the gym for a few days I really miss it!

 

[JerryPH]

This is so true. Last year my doctor gave me the choice of blood pressure meds, or subsidised gym membership. I hated the gym but that was the better option. A year on I'm so much stronger and fitter. Scariest of all, when I can't get to the gym for a few days I really miss it!

Thats awesome. I was going 3 times a week for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but earlier this year my sister and niece wanted to try cross fit, they got me in... started that at 4 days at week, that near killed me... lol. My magic number was 3 days of BJJ and 2 days a week of cross-fit. Man, I am sore somewhere most of the week, but it's a good kind of sore, and I feel better than ever both mentally and physically.

Not everyone can do this, there are people out there with physical limitations and that must be respected, but if you can... DO IT your body will thank you with greater longevity and ability to play accordion for a much longer time... even if you do nothing else but go for a daily 1 hour power walk, it is better than doing nothing!