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Chinese Manufactured Accordion Model List

has anyone tried the starting accordions from Thomann? they have a 41/120 4/5 LMMH (without cassotto) for a little less than 1000 €. I am pretty sure in these days this type of price cannot be achieved elsewhere than China...
I never heard of Thomann before. I would be interested to hear about them but I am too risk-averse to try one myself. I took home a Chinese-built Hohner Amica for a week one time. It was not bad at all, but it could not compare with my 50-year-old Paolo Soprani. Paolo Soprani is a solid Italian accordion, but it is definitely not a high-end brand; my used one cost $1000 less than a new Amica and was superior to it in every way except one: the new Amica had much quieter mechanics.
 
Prices at Thomann for the startone accordions are pretty interesting:

22/8 - X/X 179€
26/48 - 2/X 419€
34/72 - 3/X 529€
37/96 - 3/4 589€
41/120 - 3/4 749€
41/120 - 4/5 (piccolo) 998€

I added an X when a key info was not displayed in the advertisement. All instruments above are without cassotto.


I add here the link of their website. on the contrary, I am pretty sure most people know Thomann here, since it seems to be the biggest musical instruments supplier in Europe.
I personally bought there a cheap brass sliding trombone fro around 100€ and I was just as good as an equivalent Yamaha of 300-400€. they are obviously no high end Instruments, but, at least my trombone plays pretty decently for that price
 
For example, there's not much wrong with this guy's "Parrot "?
I wonder what he's got here??
I am very sure these video were shot and published at least 20-25 years ago (around 1995-2000), they were just uploaded to youtube recently. The sound is very good for me.
 
Yang Yi is probably one of Asia's best known accordionists, and he is most heavily government sponsored and recognized as a political asset. You can bet that anything he plays may look like the "off the shelf" accordions, but they are known to be modified to the extreme and the costs associated are equal to or beyond the highest costing accordions on the market today. Of course, they would never let him play anything German or Italian just because of political pride.
Well, Yi is famous, but it is not because he is heavily sponsored by government, it is because he was from "that years" and can still play accordion on the stage (or in another word, he is still young and still has energy to play in different places, this is extremely important). I know some other Chinese accordionists, they have more titles and higher reputation than Yi's from gov, they are also senior than him, but they are not active these 10-20 years due to the age, and it is hardly to find their news
 
Interesting: a "professional playing accordion for children "!
And, under $800 dollars.
And to think some members are spending $29 k.
Something of an overkill?🤔

Hits all the bases!🤣
 
Seems people have some misunderstanding about the Chinese accordion. Well, Chinese are manufacturing and selling these low-end accordion, but I believe these products' target customer are definitely not professional players, not even the amateur player. Instead, these accordion are for the really beginner (I mean they even have no idea what music/ accordion is), yes, the really beginner who just want to make some noise, and parents also buy these accordion to their kid to play, just "play", like a better, bigger and more formal toy. Once these "player" get know about the accordion (I mean they know they have interest on it and want to spend time to learn it formally), they will buy better accordion of course, because they know these accordion are not good enough to support their playing in future. This scene is just like you go to Staples to buy a pen, you won't investigate what the pen's brand and where it was manufactured, also I bet you won't expect to use the pen every day for 10 years. But if you want to buy a big thing (such as your refrigerator, microwave, washer), you will not go to the dollar store to buy them (just an example, dollar store will also not sell them, lol).

Another thing, I believe the accordion market is similar to other markets, there are always high-end products for professional users, of course, there are also the low-end products to meet mass market. European are taking the lead position in the high end market, but who will fill the low-end market, and will European do that? I don't know...But I am sure Chinese is taking the low-end market, just because of their low cost on manufacturing and they know the low-end is really a mass market.
 
Interesting: a "professional playing accordion for children "!
And, under $800 dollars.
And to think some members are spending $29 k.
Something of an overkill?🤔

Hits all the bases!🤣
People are constantly changing their language by giving new meaning to existing words. It's not just the Russians who are doing it during war times. It's commercial as well. Any item (from accordions to cameras to anything else) that is labeled as "professional" now really means: would NOT be used by people who make a living from this use. So the meaning has simply become the opposite of what it used to be.
Under the new interpretation of the word "professional" you can indeed get a professional accordion for children without suggesting child labour.
 
No nuanced amateur options, like tuning frequency or key width, with these fine instruments. Instead these models deliver— in purple!, no less—on the one option real professionals concern themselves with: “What color do you want?!”
Very funny, but o so true!
When I get an accordion in for tuning I sometimes ask things like: what (A4) frequency is it tuned at? and in case I cannot determine what the tremolo was originally set to, how many cents should the tremolo be? Some people could answer the first question. Absolutely nobody could answer the second (unless the answer was zero).
 
Another one for the list: Monzani.
I think this is made by Golden Cup, also known as the worst accordion manufacturer in the world.
Here is one:
PA123771.jpg
 
Last edited:
The following is a list of accordion models/makers thought to originate in China.
This is not an attempt to qualify the good or bad - just inform of the country of manufacture.
How you use the info. will be down to your own interpretation and research - and possibly the input from the members on the board.
The list has been gathered from previous posts by the members; often from memory so there is room for error.

Corrections/enhancements/additions welcomed.

Ill edit it to include info from later following posts or from the discussion here: http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1526&hilit=pearl+river .

And a big THANKS to JimD who provided much of the info. Much appreciated JIm. :tup: :tup:


Aidi
Aliante
Aileen
Baidi
Baile (or sometimes listed as Balie, or Bailie)
Baronelli (Barronelli?)
Bellini http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1584&start=100
Belmont
Black Diamond
Bonetti
Brandelli
Canarino
Cantibile (18/09/15)
Castellani (reputedly aggregating manufacturers in Italy, which may (or not..) include Chinese manufactured instruments/parts- see page #7)
Cavalier
Chanson
Cipelino/Cipalino
Cotati
Del Sol
DLuca
E. Soprani (Circus model range) but Italian manufactured models still being sold. (April 2018)
Elane
Estrella (18/09/15)
Excalibur (most models)
Fenix/Michael/Veneza (not Venezia which is Italian)
Fever
Firotti (old models are east German but new models are likely Chinese using the now defunct brand name; see page 10)
First Act
Firston
Gallini Pic added page 11; 09/12/16
Gararda (M. Gararda - seen listed on eBay Australia Feb 2016)
Giovanni (There are older Italian Giovanni accordions. Chinese I have seen have the typical Parrot like, 70s Scandalli like, register switches).
Golden Cup
Golden Lion
Goldstar
Heimond
Hohner (German, but some models, recent and lower end, inc Nova & Bravo, are produced in China, Ed)
Honica / Hohnica - see post 07 Aug 15
Hsinghai
J.Meister
Jessy
Jinbao
Jixing
KGD
M. Gararda - seen listed on eBay Australia Feb 2016
M-zutx (Amazon) Page 7/8
Meister, J (J.Meister)
Michael/Fenix/Veneza (not Venezia which is Italian)
Mirage
Morelli /Mirelli
OEM
Padova
Paganini
Parrot
Pearl River
Peredie
Primo
Rizatti
Revel
Rossetti
Rossini
Scarlatti (some models, maybe all)
Serenelli (was a quality Castelfidardo maker from the 30s until 1963; recent branded product is likely Chinese - Page 11, post 01 June)
Sila (Pic posted Sat Feb 27, 2016)
Skyline
SofiaMari
Sonantti (see link added 16 Nov 2016, page 11)
Sonata
Songlin
Sonor
Soprani (see post 16Sept15)
Startone
Starwave
Stella (not to be confused with Weltmeister Stella which is German manufacture, see pic in thread, July 9 2014)
Stephanelli
Stewart
Studio http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1584&start=100
Sunrise
Talents
Tombo (think Japanese but believe mostly made in China), also seen as Tombo Soprano.
Tslents
Veneza/Michael/Fenix (not Venezia which is Italian)
WYKDL page 7/8
Yingjie
Yuewie
Add the YingWu (made by Parrot)
 

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Add the YingWu (made by Parrot)
At least with that name nobody will assume it is European... and of course the "old Scandalli style" register switches scream "made in China" to anyone who knows a bit about design elements that distinguish European from Chinese accordions.
 
Yes, heh,heh, they certainly weren`t trying to fool anyone with that name!
 
Seems people have some misunderstanding about the Chinese accordion. Well, Chinese are manufacturing and selling these low-end accordion, but I believe these products' target customer are definitely not professional players, not even the amateur player. Instead, these accordion are for the really beginner (I mean they even have no idea what music/ accordion is), yes, the really beginner who just want to make some noise, and parents also buy these accordion to their kid to play, just "play", like a better, bigger and more formal toy. Once these "player" get know about the accordion (I mean they know they have interest on it and want to spend time to learn it formally), they will buy better accordion of course, because they know these accordion are not good enough to support their playing in future. This scene is just like you go to Staples to buy a pen, you won't investigate what the pen's brand and where it was manufactured, also I bet you won't expect to use the pen every day for 10 years. But if you want to buy a big thing (such as your refrigerator, microwave, washer), you will not go to the dollar store to buy them (just an example, dollar store will also not sell them, lol).

Another thing, I believe the accordion market is similar to other markets, there are always high-end products for professional users, of course, there are also the low-end products to meet mass market. European are taking the lead position in the high end market, but who will fill the low-end market, and will European do that? I don't know...But I am sure Chinese is taking the low-end market, just because of their low cost on manufacturing and they know the low-end is really a mass market.
Looking at chinese manufactured brass instruments, I'm going to suggest that factories in China will manufacture what you want at the price you are prepared to pay. So, you can get high end, good quality stuff as well as nasty stuff. It generally depends on who is doing the importing/ordering and who their target clients are. Some importers will order from a range of factories while others will have a team doing quality control at (probably) one factory. Pretty sure the same applies to accordions.
 
Looking at chinese manufactured brass instruments, I'm going to suggest that factories in China will manufacture what you want at the price you are prepared to pay. So, you can get high end, good quality stuff as well as nasty stuff. It generally depends on who is doing the importing/ordering and who their target clients are. Some importers will order from a range of factories while others will have a team doing quality control at (probably) one factory. Pretty sure the same applies to accordions.
Recently I found accordion is a very typical instrument that could be assembled per your wish and (money). You are right, you can ask them to order some special parts from manufacture and ask them to assemble there. I think is it pretty similar to build your desktop, you can choose the CPU, GPU RAM and monitor model from the market (in accordion world, I even think it is possible to let the manufacture to make a specific "CPU" for you, it might be the only one in the world. One crazy example, you can ask them to put 9 reeds there and make them wet tuned with 20 cents dif...). The shared character is if you pay more, you can definitely get an accordion that fits your needs. If you pay less, you will have to get a mass market product. Seems I got some missed from the topic of this thread....
 
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