a short accordion factory tour video

[Adam-T]

Tipo a Manos means hand finished - rough edges filed off, reed shape checked to perfection (no doubt where duds are discarded into the machine reeds bin) etc . I think even hand made reeds are stamped out but filed and riveted by hand

 

[JIM D.]

The machine made and hand made reeds deffer in the materials used. A machine reed will have aluminum reed plates and the hand made will have harder reed plates of duraluminum. Handmade reed tongues are also of a better quality steel. Hand made reeds will also have tighter clearance's which require less air pressure and effort to perform. JIM D.

 

[Adam-T]

Duraluminium is also used in Machine reeds - the Durals and Super Durals , this is where they differ from the basic machine reeds

 

[JIM D.]

Hi Adam; Yes duraluminum is used on quality machine made reeds and their quality is improving but the tolerances of a hand made are finer and the reed tongues are of finer steel. JIM D.

 

[Adam-T]

Yep, they are, especially the gap around the reed

 

[smdc66]

■Machine-made (Voci a Macchina)
■Hand-finished (Voci a Tipo a Mano)
■Hand-made (Voci a Mano)

just read this translation which may help too (ref bradford accordion band website)