Help identifying peculiar accordion

[Psykam]

I'm brand new to accordion, and I picked up this piece for a very reasonable price from a local shop. My heart was set on a chromatic button accordion, I specifically wanted a bayan, but I was a bit skeptical about importing one from Ukraine without being able to test it in person. This B-Griff, 4 row, 120 bass with 6 registers on the back of the keyboard is in perfect working order, but I can't find any examples quite like it anywhere and I was curious if anybody has any information on it. It says made in italy on the back, but besides that I can't seem to find any markings besides single numbers on parts inside. Thanks in advance

 

[Psykam]

It's worth mentioning, it certainly seems to be a French style accordion, being a 4 row and having the treble register switches on the back. The owner of the shop didn't know much about it, he bought it a few years back wanting to learn to play CBA, but he caters to mariachi musicians and never got around to it.

 

[Tom]

Welcome Psykam! Sorry can’t help you with identification but the reeds look pretty good. Enjoy it!

 

[ColoRodney]

Many accordions were ordered by music stores from whichever factory in Castelfidardo had excess capacity, and were shipped without brand names. You may never find out who made it. But it probably doesn't matter. What matters is whether it's in good shape. Nice find!

 

[dak]

I'm brand new to accordion, and I picked up this piece for a very reasonable price from a local shop. My heart was set on a chromatic button accordion, I specifically wanted a bayan, but I was a bit skeptical about importing one from Ukraine without being able to test it in person. This B-Griff, 4 row, 120 bass with 6 registers on the back of the keyboard is in perfect working order, but I can't find any examples quite like it anywhere and I was curious if anybody has any information on it. It says made in italy on the back, but besides that I can't seem to find any markings besides single numbers on parts inside. Thanks in advance

4-row B system is pretty rare. My guess is that this is a French-market model (so usually C system, but here ordered and delivered in B). Since its reed plates are waxed in and the reed blocks appear to be comparatively light material (the original French style would be hardwood, with reed plates nailed on leather gaskets), it is not a "traditional" French manufacture either. My guess would be an Italian instrument in a model designed for the French market and delivered in B system.

There are some regions in Belgium that use B system, often in combination with a "Belgian bass" (not the case here). Could have been ordered there, with the instrument builder saying "can't do" for a Belgian bass. Worth asking about the bass system, though: Belgian is 3+3, so is French (and smaller B systems in Russia tend to be 2+3, larger 2+4 with the dimished row offset by 1). And Belgian is upside down, not just rectangular. If they want to accommodate a Belgian player but cannot do rectangular instead of diagonal rows, they might still do it upside down.

So it's worth explicitly asking how the bass side looks: chances of unexpected layout are non-zero.