Alessandrini anybody ?

[Geoff de Limousin]

An accordion  make I've not come across  before    ,  an Alessandrini, has come up  secondhand  at a reasonable price  and within reasonable driving distance  of my home.  Any advice  or  comments  before  I take a look ?

 

[maugein96]

An accordion  make Ive not come across  before    ,  an Alessandrini, has come up  secondhand  at a reasonable price  and within reasonable driving distance  of my home.  Any advice  or  comments  before  I take a look ?

Geoff,

Dont know if theyre still on the go. They were/are a small concern in Castelfidardo involving two brothers who had learned the trade with Paolo Soprani. 

A UK dealer in the north somewhere, possibly Manchester, was advertising French spec CBAs made by them in the early 90s, but I doubt whether they imported any at all, other than perhaps a few demo models. 

One or two Italian pros use them, but I dont really know much more than that.

Here is a link to their last known website (last updated in 2012), when they had apparently just resumed production. You can still view the accordions that were part of their range on the site. 

Whilst I obviously cannot give a recommend, I would be surprised if they werent of decent quality, and they were probably just eaten by the bigger fish when things got desperate. There are no current distributors listed which would tend to suggest they are history. 

If I knew of an Alessandrini CBA in the UK I would be very interested, but the UK isnt France as you know, and hens teeth are even scarcer here. 

http://www.alessandriniaccordions.it/ws/index.php

Another article here, which suggests they were still on the go in 2015. If they werent quality instruments, I doubt whether Strumenti & Musica would entertain an advert for them.

https://www.strumentiemusica.com/en...mpany-of-castelfidardo-fratelli-alessandrini/

Yet another link in English and this one has sound samples. Are you there yet?

http://accordions.com/interviews/alessandrini.aspx

 

[Geoff de Limousin]

Thanks for the links John,
I did find a different website that 'looks' current, but I've not proved that yet. The second hand CBA for sale in my region is one of those made on a PA model, probably LMMH, but I am awaiting confirmation on the voicing... is said to have been bought new in 2001... If it does not suit me then perhaps...??

 

[maugein96]

Thanks for the links  John,
I did find a different website  that  'looks'  current, but I've not proved that  yet.  The second hand  CBA  for sale  in my region  is one of those  made on  a PA model,  probably  LMMH, but I am awaiting confirmation  on the voicing...  is said to  have been bought new in 2001...  If it does not suit me  then perhaps...??

Hi Geoff,

Thanks, but if it's one of those "fake" PA based jobs I wouldn't be interested, and I reckon I've probably bought my last box now in any case. 

I've never had a box with piccolo reeds in it and from the ones I've heard I'm not entirely sure about them. With a 58 note Cava it's debatable whether you need H reeds at all. With a 46 note box you could do with every register combination in the world. 

It might be worth a look, depending on the price, even if it is an "internazionale". If it is a PA based job it looks like playing a game of "Battleship" until you find the row that actually has buttons that work!

Good luck. If I do find that Alessandrini are still current I'll edit the post.

 

[debra]

Thanks for the links  John,
I did find a different website  that  'looks'  current, but I've not proved that  yet.  The second hand  CBA  for sale  in my region  is one of those  made on  a PA model,  probably  LMMH, but I am awaiting confirmation  on the voicing...  is said to  have been bought new in 2001...  If it does not suit me  then perhaps...??

Hi Geoff,

Thanks, but if it's one of those "fake" PA based jobs I wouldn't be interested, and I reckon I've probably bought my last box now in any case. 

...

There is nothing wrong with a CBA based on a PA body. For a few years played a Bugari 505/ARS which is essentially a 285/ARS (PA, 41/120 5 reed, double tone chamber) but with buttons and 46 notes. There is also the 508/ARS which is a 288/ARS (PA, 41/120 4 reed, double tone chamber) and these are fine instruments. My Hohner Morino Artiste XS is a bit less of a "fake". Yes it is a Morino VI with buttons, but it has different reed blocks to fit more notes.
Many accordion brands sell CBA accordions that have an equivalent PA model. It is mostly in the convertor series that the models become fundamentally different as the keyboards are then placed more forward (like with bayans) and 3 reed blocks are used in and out of cassotto, one for each of the 3 fundamental rows of buttons.

Before I made the switch to CBA I played a Bugari 285/ARS for several years and I bought the 505/ARS CBA because I knew it would be equivalent and indeed it was. It played just the same.

 

[Geoff de Limousin]

Next problem with the Alessandrini that is for sale;

I have asked the seller some questions before making a journey to view it. One big question is, of course, which voices it has on its eleven register switches:

The reply lists the following sound names: Bassoom, Bando, Compless, Accord, Orchest, Master, Musette, Violin, Brill, Clarinet, Chiuso.

There are two sound chambers.

I've not come across some of these names before: any ideas which voices this accordion will have ?

 

[maugein96]

Next problem  with the  Alessandrini   that  is for sale;

I have asked the seller  some questions  before making a  journey to view it.  One  big question  is, of course,  which voices it has  on its  eleven  register  switches:

The reply  lists  the  following sound names:  Bassoom,  Bando, Compless, Accord, Orchest,  Master, Musette, Violin, Brill, Clarinet, Chiuso.

There  are two   sound chambers.

Ive not come across  some of these  names before:  any ideas  which  voices  this accordion will have  ?

Geoff,

Not all that familiar with Italian descriptions of registers, but looking at their last catalogue it will need to be their model 19b, which is 4 voice treble and 5 voice bass . Brill (Brilliante) usually means flat M and sharp M together, leaving the straight tuned M reeds out. That suggests LMMM, especially if there is a musette coupler, but Ive been wrong before. One of the tone chambers might relate to the bass side. 

Chiuso means closed (possibly switches all treble reeds off to allow midi), Clarinet is straight tuned M reeds only, Musette is MMM, Violin is straight M and sharp M (same as French celeste). Accord(ion) is usually Bassoon plus straight M and sharp M (same as master on a French LMM), but Ill need to pass on Orchest, and Compless. Master and bassoon will be the same as usual.

It is an internazionale so the treble buttons will be bigger than youre used to.  19b is/was their only CBA cassotto model with 11 treble registers:-



Slightly more info here, including the fact that it only has 45 playing notes (7 dummy buttons on outside three rows alone). Not sure if that will be an issue for you.

http://www.alessandriniaccordions.i...action=list&orderby=DESCRIPTION&group=2&cat=9

 

[debra]

Next problem  with the  Alessandrini   that  is for sale;

I have asked the seller  some questions  before making a  journey to view it.  One  big question  is, of course,  which voices it has  on its  eleven  register  switches:

The reply  lists  the  following sound names:  Bassoom,  Bando, Compless, Accord, Orchest,  Master, Musette, Violin, Brill, Clarinet, Chiuso.

There  are two   sound chambers.

I've not come across  some of these  names before:  any ideas  which  voices  this accordion will have  ?

This is likely LMMM as there is no Piccolo mentioned. These registers are likely something like L, LM, different L with 2 or 3 M's combined, M, different MM combinations, MM and "Chiuso" which means nothing that plays.

 

[Geoff de Limousin]

Thanks Paul, yes that all makes sense.

---

Next problem  with the  Alessandrini   that  is for sale;

I have asked the seller  some questions  before making a  journey to view it.  One  big question  is, of course,  which voices it has  on its  eleven  register  switches:

The reply  lists  the  following sound names:  Bassoom,  Bando, Compless, Accord, Orchest,  Master, Musette, Violin, Brill, Clarinet, Chiuso.

There  are two   sound chambers.

I've not come across  some of these  names before:  any ideas  which  voices  this accordion will have  ?

Geoff,

Not all that familiar with Italian descriptions of registers, but looking at their last catalogue it will need to be their model 19b, which is 4 voice treble and 5 voice bass . Brill (Brilliante) usually means flat M and sharp M together, leaving the straight tuned M reeds out. That suggests LMMM, especially if there is a musette coupler, but I've been wrong before. One of the tone chambers might relate to the bass side. 

Chiuso means closed (possibly switches all treble reeds off to allow midi), Clarinet is straight tuned M reeds only, Musette is MMM, Violin is straight M and sharp M (same as French celeste). Accord(ion) is usually Bassoon plus straight M and sharp M (same as master on a French LMM), but I'll need to pass on Orchest, and Compless. Master and bassoon will be the same as usual.

It is an "internazionale" so the treble buttons will be bigger than you're used to.  19b is/was their only CBA cassotto model with 11 treble registers:-

Yes John,   looks like I should  stick to looking for  a  French  type  LMMH  , (Vedette 10,  Super King / Regent, or   Compact 10)...

Ta!

 

[maugein96]

Geoff,


Beautiful looking box, but I'd agree with you. I have a Marinucci box, which has buttons somewhere in between a francese and an internazionale, and when I try and switch on to it from a French box, I go from "virtuoso" to "virtual go slow" (or something like that). I started out with a Guerrini CBA, and the thought of going back to playing with buttons the size of saucers would definitely not appeal.