Any info on the Excelsior 456?

[Zvon]

Found and bought this very ce Excelsior 456 yesterday!
Does anyone have info on this model?
I bought it from the original owner and when I asked him when he purchased it, he told me he thought it was in the 80's.

It has rocker switches and a system (shown in the 3rd photo) to unmute the 4 switches at once thus bringing up the master register.
It's a piece of plastic attached to 2 small metallic bars, presumably attached to something in side the accordion that presses on the switches.

 

[ColoRodney]

Yes, that’s called a palm switch (since you press it with the palm of your right hand). I’ve seen palm switches on many accordions. The rocker switches are fairly unique to Excelsior. Since the musette tends to be very subtle on Excelsiors, I’ve always found it awkward that they don’t tell you which one is “true” and which is pitched sharp. It’s important to figure that out.

 

[Zvon]

Thanks for the reply! I had seen the term palm switch on this forum but didn't make the connection. I am still very new to accordions.

Indeed the musette is very subtle on this one. I also have an Excelsior Digisyzer that has a more pronounced musette. On the latter, the rightmost medium is marked M+. I assumed that it would be the same with the 456, and it is.

 

[Alan Polivka]

That looks like an Accordiana on which somebody slapped an Excelsior name. Accordiana was made by Excelsior, BTW.

 

[Zvon]

That looks like an Accordiana on which somebody slapped an Excelsior name. Accordiana was made by Excelsior, BTW.

Thanks for your post.
I am wondering what makes you say that, I mean based on what?

 

[ColoRodney]

Alan is an expert on Excelsiors. Excelsior built the Accordiana line as a lower cost brand, but they are also considered good accordions. I have an Accordiana that has “built by Excelsior” printed on the back. The grille pattern maybe looks more Accordiana than Excelsior to me, but I’m no expert.

 

[Alan Polivka]

Thanks for your post.
I am wondering what makes you say that, I mean based on what?

The shape of the shifts is the key giveaway in this case. The Excelsior rocker boxes had rectangular shifts with sharp corners whereas the Accordiana's had the more rounded shape shifts you see in the photo here. In any event, those old Accordiana rocker boxes were excellent instruments, with great handmade reeds. They were about 2 pounds heavier than the Excelsior rocker boxes, however.

 

[Zvon]

Thank you both, for the additional feedback!

I know Accordianas were made by Excelsior and that they're excellent instruments too.

The shape of the shifts is the key giveaway in this case. The Excelsior rocker boxes had rectangular shifts with sharp corners whereas the Accordiana's had the more rounded shape shifts you see in the photo here. In any event, those old Accordiana rocker boxes were excellent instruments, with great handmade reeds. They were about 2 pounds heavier than the Excelsior rocker boxes, however.

Thanks, now I see why you think that. The casing doesn't look like it has been tampered with to change the brand name. If that's true, could this have been done at the factory? I bought it from the original owner and he did not look like someone who would do that (though of course I may be mistaken). Also he told me he bought it from Archambault, a reputable musical instruments store in Montreal. I don't think they would have done something like that. I am attaching 2 more photos where what's written on the back of the accordion can be easily seen. It may help.

I also have a Digisyzer with rectangular rocker switches like you're describing here. The 456 has a great sound and is very enjoyable to play (and a few pounds lighter), but it's also obvious that Digisyzer is higher-end, with a sound that is richer, being more powerful and mellower at the same time than the 456.

Alan is an expert on Excelsiors. Excelsior built the Accordiana line as a lower cost brand, but they are also considered good accordions. I have an Accordiana that has “built by Excelsior” printed on the back. The grille pattern maybe looks more Accordiana than Excelsior to me, but I’m no expert.

That grille definitely caught my eye. For a few months, I've been looking at used accordions, more specifically Excelsiors and Accordianas, and I had never seen that grille design before. I had to try it, and luckily the seller was only 3 KMs from where I live.

 

[Alan Polivka]

I know Accordianas were made by Excelsior and that they're excellent instruments too.


Thanks, now I see why you think that. The casing doesn't look like it has been tampered with to change the brand name. If that's true, could this have been done at the factory? I bought it from the original owner and he did not look like someone who would do that (though of course I may be mistaken). Also he told me he bought it from Archambault, a reputable musical instruments store in Montreal. I don't think they would have done something like that. I am attaching 2 more photos where what's written on the back of the accordion can be easily seen. It may help.

I also have a Digisyzer with rectangular rocker switches like you're describing here. The 456 has a great sound and is very enjoyable to play (and a few pounds lighter), but it's also obvious that Digisyzer is higher-end, with a sound that is richer, being more powerful and mellower at the same time than the 456.


That grille definitely caught my eye. For a few months, I've been looking at used accordions, more specifically Excelsiors and Accordianas, and I had never seen that grille design before. I had to try it, and luckily the seller was only 3 KMs from where I live.

Yes, it is certainly possible that the accordion came from the factory that way. In fact, I have seen one other like it with "Excelsior" on the front while I have seen many similar looking rockers with "Accordiana" on the front. If you bought it from the original owner and are confident that he/she didn't change the name, then it seems reasonable to believe that's how it came from the factory. I am starting to wonder if perhaps Excelsior exported some different variants of their accordions to Canada vs. what they sold here in the USA. For example, I believe PANcordion had some differences in what they exported to Canada vs. what they sold in the USA. One other thing that is helping to convince me that the Excelsior name on it is original is that it uses the trademark Excelsior font, which would not be readily available to somebody other than at the Excelsior factory. BTW, it is possible to remove lettering from the front of an accordion, repair the celluloid to look perfectly unblemished, and put new lettering on it. I happen to have an Accordiana that looks just like yours on which a restorer actually did change the lettering to read "Excelsior".

 

[Alan Polivka]

I just looked back at what you (Zvon) originally wrote: "I bought it from the original owner and when I asked him when he purchased it, he told me he thought it was in the 80's." I can tell you for sure the accordion was made in the 1940s (or very late 1930s), so if the "original owner" got it in the 1980s, he's not the original owner.

 

[Zvon]

That old! I thought it looked older than the 80's. If so, it has been very well kept, it looks and sounds good! Maybe he bought a used one, or maybe the accordion has been sitting in the store for 20 to 30 years.

For the point of companies selling different products, sometimes using the same name, in Canada vs USA, Excelsior would not be the first, not the only one, doing so.

 

[Alan Polivka]

That old! I thought it looked older than the 80's. If so, it has been very well kept, it looks and sounds good! Maybe he bought a used one, or maybe the accordion has been sitting in the store for 20 to 30 years.

For the point of companies selling different products, sometimes using the same name, in Canada vs USA, Excelsior would not be the first, not the only one, doing so.

In any event, I'm sure it is an excellent box, like all the other Excelsior and Accordiana rockers I've played from that era. Enjoy it !

 

[Zvon]

I will, thank you!

 

[Alan Polivka]

I need to slightly revise my assessment of your accordion's age, Zvon. I believe it was made between the mid 1940's and the mid 1950's.