Help ID this Accordian (Maybe Famous?)

[Fishman99]

Just got this at an estate sale. Might belong to Betty Ann McCall? Works apart from broken key. No identification on it or case. Looking for any info related to manufacturer, model, or provenance. Thanks in advance.

 

[Scuromondo]

For someone who is nostalgic about “Betty Ann” it might be worth a few hundred sentimental dollars. I doubt that any player would be interested in it. Based on the outside appearance alone, it is likely to require more money to repair than it is worth.

 

[Ventura]

so this accordion was built between 5 and 10 years
BEFORE BETTY ANNE McCALL WAS EVEN BORN
and Missouri lays claim to her, not Georgia

so this would be a great example of wishful thinking out loud,
and if that was what got you to bid on it.. OMG

as for provenance, what was the family name on the estate that was liquidated ?
you must have asked while you were there..

so you have an accordion to first fix a key on, then find someone who can
play it and evaluate it on it's own merits is step two

 

[Fishman99]

What's the manufacturer?

 

[Tom]

It is a cool accordion, none the less, and would have to be a labor of love to restore, as Ventura alludes to, not worth what you would pay. I don’t recognize the decoration but looks like it was made in Italy in the 1930s by any number of manufacturers.

I will admit that I had to look up Betty Ann McCall. Apparently she was quite well known as an accordionist back in the day. So, either some other “Betty Ann” played your accordion, or one of the famous Betty Ann admirers so labeled it.

Anyway, good luck with your interesting find!

 

[Fishman99]

Thank you Tom for actually providing some useful information unlike the other commenters. I only got it for $30 so it's not like I have a ton invested or anything. It sounds great so apart from the broken key i might keep it and learn to play it. Cheers all.

 

[Tom]

Thank you Tom for actually providing some useful information unlike the other commenters. I only got it for $30 so it's not like I have a ton invested or anything. It sounds great so apart from the broken key i might keep it and learn to play it. Cheers all.

Excellent idea!!! If you need advice on fixing that key, ask here…,

 

[JerryPH]

I am not getting as many Castelfidardo vibes as I am getting Italo American from this accordion. If one accepts that this accordion had something to do with Betty Ann McCall (which, I have to admit, the dates do not line up well with that being accurate as she was very well known for being the "Titano girl" and later did do a lot of advertising with Cordavox), the distance from St. Louis to Chicago is only a 4-hour drive.

Discussing the accordion.
It's true value is not going to come from the name on the front, but from the condition it is INSIDE. If not maintained over the years, older boxes like this are going to be in bad condition inside. I cannot tell you how many times we've all heard "it sounds great" and when we get pics from the insides, see rusted reeds, old cracked wax and curled valves and major tuning. Any 2 of these placed together is already going to cost more to fix than the full market value of these kinds of boxes if touched by a competent professional repair person.

I've seen and played on a few truly famous instruments, the accordion of Lawrence Welk or Pietro Diero, for example. Neither has great monetary value, but tons of sentimental value... for the right person.

 

[cass]

Before you do anything to the accordion, check out the Accordion Revival website. It contains a wealth of information on many of the repairs the instrument is likely to need. Looking through this forum will also give you an idea of what you might be up against. Simply opening the accordion will tell you quite a bit about what you have. Having gotten all of my repair experience on flea market finds, I can tell you that some repairs are truly minor, others may involve many hours of labor and even then may not be successful. If you are looking for an absorbing hobby without any expectation of financial return, your $30 is well spent. Playing an accordion well is not easy but playing to entertain yourself can be a lot of fun. good luck.

 

[Dingo40]

Just got this at an estate sale

Welcome Fishman99!
This will be a labour of love!
It's probably from the 1930s, a lesser featured (37/80) model, and with obvious damage: it should have been a gift!
Probably, all is fixable... if you have the skills and the time.
Good luck with it!

 

[Waldo]

Looks like a Soprani to me.

 

[JIM D.]

This box is from the late 20;s thru the 30;s. True advice on these accordions can be found here ---

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