Hello from Hungary

[David Hun]

HI, Thanks for letting me join, I like instruments and have several, but never accordion before. I like repairing things (old clocks and all sorts) and I spotted a local advert for an old Traviata Moment, claimed to be fully working order. I checked the internet and found the same model photo from Auschwitz, where a young Kewish boy survived because he entertained the guards with the accordion (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/nyregion/helping-holocaust-artifacts-tell-their-stories.html). Keys are 2 octaves, buttons 8x4.
I went to see it, and its was far from 'working', with lots of whistles and squeeks. But the price I offered was accepted. Taking it apart, I find a lot of leather valves fallen off or curly, the frame needs a bit of gluing, but overall it is in better condition that I expected. In pencil, on the keyed blocks is "76". The reed blocks are metal, fixed with metal pins (I am wondering if I can get them out OK). The buttons end came away from the bellows OK, but try as I might, the bellows seems to be stuck to the keyboard end.

I think I will buy a set of plastic valves, then tune it up.

Any advice on finding out the age of the instrument? Any advice of the repairs?

Thanks for reading!

David (Hungary)

 

[Tom]

Welcome David!

 

[Dingo40]

Welcome David!
I sounds like you'll be fully occupied for a while!

 

[Vladimir M.]

Hi David,

I'm always fascinated by talking about the history of a particular musical instrument. The historical example you mentioned is proof that even an ordinary cheap accordion can have much more historical significance than superb models (such as the German pre-war Hohner 5555 or 5055 models). If someone plays an instrument that accompanies him through his life long enough, the instrument becomes part of his personal history, image and personality. And vice-versa: A person often acquires an emotional relationship with it. Another way to get an emotional connection to a musical toy is to repair it yourself. This happens especially if a person is not a professional repairer of these things. But I also know professional accordion repairers who bought a wrecked instrument as a source of spare parts, then repaired it and finally still have it today. I think that the final repaired state of the instrument will not be that important a goal in your life. The most valuable will be the story of its gradual repair. Now you have your Traviata on the table and you are looking at it. It is new and unknown to you. By the end of the repair story, you will know every spring, reed and valve in it. And you too will become part of the history of that instrument. I wish you success in your way.

Best regards, Vladimir

 

[JerryPH]

I know of a story where around 50-75 accordions were dropped off at a location, their source of origin was one of the better known concentration camps. These were all instruments taken away from their owners and dumped in to a room somewhere. Eventually they were picked up and then later on taken out of the country and placed in a museum.

The accordion seems to represent times in history where men went through their own forms of hell but somehow there was something good that came from these tragic events, be it a life saved or a box that max it out.

There are a million good reasons to preserve and bring in to the future our wooden boxes.