Accordion addiction--it is a thing?

[JerryPH]

There are different reasons, but yeah, if you get in to this hobby, for over any realistic length of time, you will suddenly and completely out of the blue find yourself with more than 1 accordion. The best thing to do to enjoy the process is play as much as you can, visit with accordion players, or at the very least through here and other means communicate with other accordionists. The internet has become perfect for that!

Things to not do... don't research other/higher level accordions and for heaven's sake never play another accordion other than what you own, that results in very high GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) symptoms. For example, I had the opportunity to play a Hohner Gola 414 this past Monday and approximately 15 minutes later, symptoms already started to show, such as looking in one's bank account and searching on the internet. In my case its really bad... a new 2021 Hohner Gola 414 *starts* at $77,000US and the Gola 459 that I lust after is likely well in to the 6-digits if ordered optioned in the manner that I would want to see it at... sanity, an empty bank account and a strong preference for the 1960's version of a 459 push me away from selling the house, living in the streets, homeless... but playing a new Gola

Kidding aside, it's a great hobby, one that I hope to keep for as long as I can.

 

[luckykit]

I'm new to the hobby. I only have my little Lira M-10 that I have had to repair and repair. I find myself looking at other accordions daily. I have to be honest. I really like how the vintage accordions look. It's almost like stepping into the past. I think I would have a whole room full of them If I could. This is something that could get out of hand very quickly. That being said, I know that really good accordions are in the price range of thousands, and not hundreds, so I try to be happy with what I have. (But I reserve the right to start collecting!)

 

[Tom]

I'm new to the hobby. I only have my little Lira M-10 that I have had to repair and repair. I find myself looking at other accordions daily. I have to be honest. I really like how the vintage accordions look. It's almost like stepping into the past. I think I would have a whole room full of them If I could. This is something that could get out of hand very quickly. That being said, I know that really good accordions are in the price range of thousands, and not hundreds, so I try to be happy with what I have. (But I reserve the right to start collecting!)

It's a battle Lucky! But fear not, actually in the US you can still get really nice accordions in the "hundreds" but you have to search hard to weed out the clunkers or be prepared to do a little restoration as you have done. It's very hard not to build up a collection. I speak from experience .

PS. I've restored 2 or 3 Lira and they are very nice. Yours is a "keeper "

 

[petch]

if they have cassotto or Winkelbass then always in the playing orientation (i.e. not on their feet)

Interesting, why is that?

 

[Glug]

It's because you don't want the valves extended horizontally with the face pointed down - gravity will have the maximum effect on making it permanently bent in that position. If the edge of the valve is pointed down or the valve is straight up or down gravity has less effect.

 

[saundersbp]

Addiction is intertwined with acquisition and consumption, and is behaviour we learn as children in order to make the wheels of capitalism turn. I personally find a minimalist approach to musical matters leads to happiness , however it's just as well we don't all feel the same as accordion makers would be out of business!

 

[Tom]

Addiction is intertwined with acquisition and consumption, and is behaviour we learn as children in order to make the wheels of capitalism turn. I personally find a minimalist approach to musical matters leads to happiness , however it's just as well we don't all feel the same as accordion makers would be out of business!

It's bizarre. Yesterday my friend brought me a beautiful vintage 12 bass that he rescued from a dumpster. This was at an Easter brunch. It was weird until I noticed that someone had put the bass side on backwards.

I pulled the pins (and one screw ) and turned it around, managed to play one song to the delight of the guests. I resfused to accept it but volunteered to "make it playable," there being 4 or 5 non sounding keys (mostly black) and a couple keys needing level adjustment. Interestingly there are no leathers on the bass side. Never seen this before, bears further investigation. So, you see, it is nearly impossible not to collect.... Oh, and by the way, there was someone there I had not met that said, "Oh, I was just at R's house and he showed me his new repaired accordion." It was that Hess, of course.

On the way home I stopped at his house to check out his new drum set that he had bought unseen for pennies on the dollar that someone else was trying to get rid of. I showed him how to set it up and a couple rythems. I do need a drummer for my next band. Tomorrow I go visit that $25 41/120 Rivoli that I restored and gave to another friend. I think he has a better chance of learning because he has already taken it upon himself to learn a few praise songs. Plus another story I will tell if and when it comes to fruition. So many instruments, so little time to practice. That's why I got out of repair to begin with.

 

[Tom]

Omg, there was a professional photographer at the event, here's me coaxing a tune out of that 12 bass, wondering who "Leland" is/was.



PS, I called the 92 year old accordionist/repair guy I posted about before. He survived covid and he's going to help me restore this accordion.

He said it was the worst experience ever, he was sure he was going to "buy the farm." His son told him music is the last thing to go so at the darkest hour he decided to play the hardest polka he knows, even though his mind and hands were totally shot. He played it flawlessly. I asked him what polka it was to which he said he doesn't know the name, like many that he plays. What a relief. I hope to get down there this week to work on this "Leland."

 

[jozz]

nice, looks like an oldie

(the accordion)

 

[Tom]

nice, looks like an oldie

(the accordion)

Thanks Jozz! I'm guessing 1960s so the player is the oldie!

 

[LibraryJoe]

Hello, good folks of the forum!
I'm new here, so wanted to introduce myself. I'm not sure I'll have that much to contribute, since I'm also very new to playing the accordion--just got my first one this March. But I love it and am enjoying learning from all the posts and replies here on the forum.

My accordion is a blue and white Concerto, which I think is a production model made by Marotta in the 60s (70s? 50s?). It has two treble reeds (LM) and two bass registers. Possibly a "ladies" model, since the keys are a bit narrower than others I've seen and it's pretty compact for a 120 bass. I don't think it's anything fancy in the world of accordions, but it's perfect for me right now. It sounds good, fits my hands well, and I think it's really pretty!

Soooo...why have I found myself trolling the internet, visiting e-bay and etsy and the websites of Liberty Bellows and various other accordion shops from across the globe, looking at accordions, reading about accordions, watching video after video of people playing accordions? Why does it suddenly seem that I simply MUST acquire another smaller vintage accordion, preferably with at least two M reeds, for traveling with and eventually playing anything French?

Does becoming an accordionist mean one is now destined to go through life as a fickle, roving-eyed, instrumental philanderer, constantly cheating on one's original baby? Since I've read on here that storage sheds are a definite no-no, where does one keep all these newly acquired accordions? Do I build an accordion addition on my house? And how does one explain the steady accumulation of squeezeboxes to one's normally supportive, but decidedly non-accordion-obsessed spouse? Is this my new normal?

Seriously. What has happened to me???

I've been hovering around five accordions for the last dozen years. I haven't stopped looking, (though perhaps my latest Petosa will be my last??). I've been able to sell and buy to keep my sweet spot at five. My parents bought my first in 1965 when I was eleven. My latest came last month -- at age 67.
There are worse addictions, I'm told

 

[olivigus]

I've been hovering around five accordions for the last dozen years.

It's now 10 months after my original post, and five is my number right now too. I'm planning to just hover now too, because that's one more than will fit in the vintage curio cabinet I found on craigslist to house them. But I figure one is always supposed to be out and being played, right? They are all vintage models. Somehow in my mind that makes my acquisition seem less consumeristic, but I think that's probably just a justification. I do try to play them all at least once a week.