Rancos are/were being made again, but I don't know by whom, and there aren't many about. They were originally made in Vercelli in Piemonte, and this clip looks as though it was filmed at an outdoor demo as a "plug" for the make, as the accordions are all brand new. The original Ranco factory closed in 1966, according to what I've read, and the video was uploaded in 2010.Somebody on here will probably know if they are still on the go, which I would doubt.
The family forbade the name Ranco to be used after their demise, but presumably with the passage of time that has been overcome. The original accordions featured some innovative construction, like having "floating" pallets and duralium reed plates. No wax was used and the reed plates were pinned and glued. Don't want to get too technical in case somebody asks me the inevitable question I cannot answer. Some members might know what the content of this paragraph means, but I certainly don't.
With regard to the style it is a sort of swing, although I've seen the oldest of the three players play standard musette tunes at "proper" tempo. I've no idea who any of them are, and I've only been to that area once in my life when as per usual never heard an accordion played at all. A friend of mine drew my attention to the fact that there were one or two "French" style players in Valle d'Aosta, and it looks as though these guys were three of them. Whether the music is typical of the area is open to question, but it does seem to be yet another area where French style CBA accordions (as played by the oldest player) are used.
