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classic and new professional piano accordions

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I'm not finding that, mind you I don't have a recent accordion.
But my 1959 Hohner Lucia has worked without any faults since I did an extensive restore 3 years back.

I would say the basic materials for a decent accordion haven't changed in 60 years. although these days you do get plastic reed blocks apparently.
If it was put together properly 60 years back it should still work fine, the only bits that will fail are 'consumables' like pallet facings, leather valves, and felt inserts - but those should all be replaced periodically anyway.

Doh, forgot bellows, they will wear out eventually.
 
I'm not finding that, mind you I don't have a recent accordion.
But my 1959 Hohner Lucia has worked without any faults since I did an extensive restore 3 years back.

I would say the basic materials for a decent accordion haven't changed in 60 years. although these days you do get plastic reed blocks apparently.
If it was put together properly 60 years back it should still work fine, the only bits that will fail are 'consumables' like pallet facings, leather valves, and felt inserts - but those should all be replaced periodically anyway.

Doh, forgot bellows, they will wear out eventually.
Agreed, there are many fine older accordions in circulation however they require "extensive renovation " from time to time. The newer models will also require renovation over time however they shouldn't need it for a number of years so might be a safer purchase.
 
Can you have a piano accordioqin with free bass only, i.e. 3 rows of buttons each playing a single note only and 58 buttons in total? Such an accordion would be quite lightweight I would imagine, similar to a 60 bass stradella bass PA.
Would it sound exactly like a piano accordion with a converter set to free bass mode?
Sure can... this one lives in my basement. :)
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Yes you sure can, but I'll tell you that they are quite a lot more rare than Stradella accordions, plus they really limit you to JUST Free bass work, though there is a woman I know in Ontario that has a near identical version of the one above in this pic and plays nothing but Celtic music with it. :)
 
You know, I may have to rethink my position a little. I love the older ones because that is what I play and after many decades had the pleasure to play a professionally maintained 414 Gola (it was absolutely beautiful)... but then I look at companies like Beltuna, who makes a solenoid powered, carbon fiber bodied instrument that is nothing short of gorgeous (https://www.beltuna.com/en.php) that I would for sure love to play, in piano keyboard format.

Given unlimited funds, my house would be full of new AND old accordions... lol
 
If you were to get on a trip around the world, would you get a new vehicle, with available parts and service, or a classic vehicle from the 60's which has the looks and the hype? :cool: Sure, you can find a decent playable instrument for less than $1000 but it will likely need fixing, sooner or later.

Also, buying new instruments keeps the manufacturers and artisans alive! Buying vintage boxes doesn't help any maker stay in business.
 
It would have been nice to have heard an actual tune on it! However, what a lot of mechanical noise! A tune would be drowned out.
Yeah, two points on that. Yes they are a little noisy, those are student models from the 50's but that recording was not really setup well for that demo to show off the accordion's potential... and he likely didn't really know how to play on a Free Bass only accordion very well, he did play something... lol
 
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Do you guys think that the best accordions today play and sound as good as the best accordions from the classic era?
 
If you were to get on a trip around the world, would you get a new vehicle, with available parts and service, or a classic vehicle from the 60's which has the looks and the hype? :cool: Sure, you can find a decent playable instrument for less than $1000 but it will likely need fixing, sooner or later.

Also, buying new instruments keeps the manufacturers and artisans alive! Buying vintage boxes doesn't help any maker stay in business.
In your analogy I'd rather go round the world with a well maintained older vehicle as they're self-fixable and easy to maintain - unlike a high end modern vehicle.

But you are right about supporting manufacturers to stay in business by buying new, although older accordions keep repairers in work.

Just observations really as I will never have a new accordion due to cost, but I'm happy enough with my 'vintage' ones.
Longshore
 
I prefer new models. This is mainly because I can only buy online. I don't like to buy used online. If it had to be fixed, I have no where to take it.

I am not concerned with the weight. If I want to play something light or bring an instrument traveling, I will bring a DA or a concertina.
 
I guess a better way to put it, an older top of the line classic in perfect condition compared to a top of the line accoridon made today. Will the new ones play and sound as good? I would think the older one would be better, as they probably have better quality woods and materials.
 
I guess a better way to put it, an older top of the line classic in perfect condition compared to a top of the line accoridon made today. Will the new ones play and sound as good? I would think the older one would be better, as they probably have better quality woods and materials.
You can't compare, it's like asking if women were more beautiful 50 years ago or today.
 
You can't compare, it's like asking if women were more beautiful 50 years ago or today.
I certainly found women more attractive years ago.....pah..as has been said "youth is wasted on the young".... ?
 
50 years ago my appreciation was just beginning, not convinced there has been a change in attractiveness, but now I play accordion so I have to be more careful.
 
I am also very interested in the modern vs 50s comparison, assuming both are in top shape.
I guess cassotto gives superb sounding bassoon compared to the old non-cassotto boxes, but apart from that, have there been any significant design/material improvements compared to 70 years ago?
Keyboard smoothness is probably down to the set-up of the particular box rather than anything else?
 
I find it interesting how musical instruments evolve, or should I say after the fundamental problems of the instrument are solved evolution basically stops. Modern violins may be made by different processes but still are patterned after examples from the late 17th and early 18th century in an effort to achieve similar timbre. Modern accordion makers aren’t trying to create a new kind of instrument. They are building accordions using the fundamental designs and materials that have proven to work.

Theoretically they should be able to use modern advances in material science and manufacturing to achieve higher quality control and consistency but they also have weigh all decisions to make sure it makes economic sense. Those kind of updates usually have a smaller impact on the ultra high end side where custom attention is paid to each instrument.

My 2 cents is that once you get to a certain level of instrument it’s really difficult to objectively compare them, so it falls into subjectivity. At that point it’s just each individual selecting which flavor of “really nice” they prefer.
 
I can't help thinking of the documentary I saw comparing Stradivarius violins with modern instruments in a double blind experiment in front of an audience of experts.
Guess what: no one picked out the Stradivarius!?
Then again, would a Stradivarius be of any use in this situation??
 
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