Excelsior NY Left Handed Accordian

[dak]

Let's suppose this is an upside-down instrument. Then the "top" is actually the bottom in the normal orientation. In what I can see in the picture (on the left) the top diagonal runs down from the outside of the instrument towards the bellows. When I place one of my accordions upside down the then top diagonal runs down from the bellows side down towards the outside. It isn't all that clear but that's what I think I am seeing.

You are unfortunately just seeing the quite inconclusive 129 button arrangement of an older Morino button accordion. Both potential diagonals have the same inclination and will look "correct" from the right angle, and the buttons (all of them operative by the way, making for different range limits for basses, major/minor chords, and seventh/diminished chords) fill a rectangular area rather than an oblique one.

If he were playing an Excelsior-style Morino Artiste, the photographs would tell us more.

As it is, the only clue is how he places his fingers. By the way: if you are missing the index finger, the remaining three fingers favor the non-standard diagonal, so it really begs the question why he would want to change to a different direction once he became famous enough to get personally built instruments.

 

[debra]

You are unfortunately just seeing the quite inconclusive 129 button arrangement of an older Morino button accordion. Both potential diagonals have the same inclination and will look "correct" from the right angle, and the buttons (all of them operative by the way, making for different range limits for basses, major/minor chords, and seventh/diminished chords) fill a rectangular area rather than an oblique one.

If he were playing an Excelsior-style Morino Artiste, the photographs would tell us more.

You are right. The later Excelsior-style Artiste (IV and VI at least) have the diagonal edges of the bass pattern. (My Artiste X S has the old-style 127 button pattern.)
So the picture is inconclusive regarding what exactly is different on the accordion Würthner is playing in the picture.

 

[dak]

You are right. The later Excelsior-style Artiste (IV and VI at least) have the diagonal edges of the bass pattern. (My Artiste X S has the old-style 127 button pattern.)
So the picture is inconclusive regarding what exactly is different on the accordion Würthner is playing in the picture.

In the left of the vitrine is an older instrument of Würthner:


And here you can see the rectangular arrangement of the newer instrument (if not his fingers):

 

[PhiliGol]

Some close-up to Würthner's upside-down Morino:

 

[dak]

Some close-up to Würthner's upside-down Morino:

Apparently someone forgot to tell the photographer that this was supposed to be an "upside-down" accordion. The open-bellows shot is in standard playing position. Shows that Morino's half-circle design of the Hohner logo works for passing off the instrument in either orientation.

 

[rosie1453]

hey Rosie,

if you have the time, please make a nice copy of that photo,
and put it in a strong page protector with a 1-2 page write up about your
Gramps, where and when he played, music he played, band names etc.
and include it in the case with the Excelsior

Provenance is so important to "hand down" with these nicer old accordions,
as it encourages future owners to be "caretakers" of the heritage
the particular instrument has

thanks

Absolutely. I have notes, etc. on practically everything!!

 

[Alan Polivka]

are we going to say one New York handmade pro accordion
could not have had reedplates and reeds done in the opposite direction ?

are we saying there is no chance they reversed the bass ?

i am not ready to say that those guys, the freakiing best in the business
at the time, could not or would not have done that if they felt like a customer
they liked should have a real left handed accordion

certainly, they had the chops and the tooling to pull it off

someone needs to get their hands on this box and check it out
for Rosie before we reach any rigid conclusion.. it might !

and no matter what it ends up being, this one looks well preserved
and would be a fine one to have.. sure it will need some fixing up
but well worth it.. it may be playable as it sits (with new straps)

Just look at the keyboard and you can see it's clearly just a regular accordion - not left-handed - except possibly for the strap brackets, which if customized for a left-handed person, could easily be changed for a right-handed player.