14-18 year old PIGINI worthy?

[Acon]

Hi guys. Do you think it's worthy to buy an 14-18 year old PIGINI convertor?

I am finding a better PIGINI model recently (I use B43 right now). I found an Italy accordion tuner who has a PIGINI Convertor 55/B De Luxe E for sale. He said the condition is "as good as new", but the produced year is between 1998-2002, quite old for me.

I've asked an accordionist and dealer in Taiwan (whom I purchased my B43 from). He said PIGINI's craft technique was keeping improving in these decades, so accordions at this age have old design which make them heavier and their buttons are not as light and sensitive as new ones. Is that true? I'm also wondering if PIGINI already had this model "55/B De Luxe E" at that time? I don't know too much about its history.

But I also heard that old accordions use wood with better quality so the sound is better than new ones.

The seller is in Italy so it's hard to know the quality of this instrument. Have you guys ever buying an accordion overseas? The worst thing of living in Australia is that you are in an accordion desert. No chance here to find and try a good instrument. No chance to repair your accordion. No chance to join a community. All I can do is to login here and use my keyboard to ask your opinion.

Thanks.

Acon

 

[Acon]

Got some photos of this PIGINI Convertor 55/B De Luxe E today. Quite vintage appearance for me.
(personally I prefer white + black buttons on the right hand)

And the seller said there is surdin (mute) near the grid. Anybody knows what is that?

 

[nagant27]

Looks like is that organeish/red under the grill that "mutes" the sound if you slide it closed. Gives it a less hard, some what muffled sound. A nice effect in my opinion.

 

[Soulsaver]

Looks a nice instrument. Think your man meant 'sordina' - in music an alternate name for a mute device on some instruments. There are various designs used in accordions, the simplest is a little blind popular in Hohners. Others are like a box with closable windows, which this looks like, sits over your treble pallets under the grill. I like the subtle variation it can make to the tone, too.

 

[debra]

Hi guys. Do you think its worthy to buy an 14-18 year old PIGINI convertor?...

This looks like a fine instrument but it does show its age in two ways: it has leather valves whereas newer (or older reconditioned) instruments tend to have plastic valves, and newer convertor instruments have more chin switches.
This instrument is a double-cassotto instrument and has winkelbas and looks of high quality. If the price is right this looks like a worthwhile investment in a better instrument for you.
Dont forget to investigate whether it is A=440Hz or A=442Hz. (The default with Pigini is 442Hz.)

 

[Acon]

Thanks guys. Now I know how the "mute" works. It turned out that this is a 55B De Luxe but not De Luxe E. So it has only 46 notes which is not enough for me. So I may not buy it, but I'm happy to learn something from it.

And about what debra mentioned, can you please tell me what "winkelbas" is? And the tuning, what's the difference between 440Hz and 442Hz? My B43 is 442Hz and I didn't find anything weird when playing.

 

[debra]

Thanks guys. Now I know how the mute works. It turned out that this is a 55B De Luxe but not De Luxe E. So it has only 46 notes which is not enough for me. So I may not buy it, but Im happy to learn something from it.

And about what debra mentioned, can you please tell me what winkelbas is? And the tuning, whats the difference between 440Hz and 442Hz? My B43 is 442Hz and I didnt find anything weird when playing.

The winkelbas (German term) indicates that the lowest octave of bass reeds are on a reed block that is placed at a 90 degree angle, resulting in the sound traveling through a long tube (one per reed) before coming out of the instrument. It muffles the higher harmonics, much like a cassotto.

As for the tuning you would only hear the difference when you try to play together with other accordion players (or other instruments). When a 440 and 442 instrument play together then the standard A will have a difference of 8 cents (light tremolo, two vibrations per second). One octave higher the difference between 880 and 884 already gives 4 vibrations per second. The higher you play the worse these instruments will go together.

 

[Acon]

Got it. Sounds like no problem if one always plays alone (that's me).

 

[debra]

Got it. Sounds like no problem if one always plays alone (thats me).

Good luck!
One last thing: like I mentioned in another thread, there is a difference between a CBA that is essentially like a PA with a button keyboard and a CBA with the keyboard moved further away from the players body (typical for bayans). This Pigini has the PA-type construction and will likely sound like a PA more than like a bayan.

 

[Acon]

wow I didn't know that. I thought I've gathered much information about CBA but man you always surprised me.

Cheers.

 

[debra]

wow I didnt know that. I thought Ive gathered much information about CBA but man you always surprised me.

Cheers.

Well, you can actually see it in the fourth picture: the cassotto opening is clearly visible and the cassotto sound can exit the instrument with very little obstruction. When a CBA has the keyboard further away from the players body the keyboard will be more or less over the cassotto opening and that obstruction will reduce the higher harmonics even more than just the cassotto alone, producing a different (even more mellow) sound.
This Pigini is a fine instrument (if in good condition which it appears to be) but it will sound just the same as the equivalent PA model because it is essentially a PA with buttons. (And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.)

 

[Acon]

Pity it's not the De Luxe E version or I will buy it.

 

[Russ]

If I may ask how much is he asking for it? I am not in the market but it is interesting to see what the going prices are.

 

[Bastien77]

Hi guys. Do you think its worthy to buy an 14-18 year old PIGINI convertor?

I am finding a better PIGINI model recently (I use B43 right now). I found an Italy accordion tuner who has a PIGINI Convertor 55/B De Luxe E for sale. He said the condition is as good as new, but the produced year is between 1998-2002, quite old for me.

Ive asked an accordionist and dealer in Taiwan (whom I purchased my B43 from). He said PIGINIs craft technique was keeping improving in these decades, so accordions at this age have old design which make them heavier and their buttons are not as light and sensitive as new ones. Is that true? Im also wondering if PIGINI already had this model 55/B De Luxe E at that time? I dont know too much about its history.

But I also heard that old accordions use wood with better quality so the sound transfers reims is better than new ones.

The seller is in Italy so its hard to know the quality of this instrument. Have you guys ever buying an accordion overseas? The worst thing of living in Australia is that you are in an accordion desert. No chance here to find and try a good instrument. No chance to repair your accordion. No chance to join a community. All I can do is to login here and use my keyboard to ask your opinion.

Thanks.

Acon

Hi, theres no problem! if you want to buy, buy!