Help me identify this accordion

[salem97]

My parents have recently been going through storage and found my grandfather's accordion. I know very little about them and google isn't much help. I can see the word serenelli and I think castelfidardo but not much is coming up about this specific accordion. I'd like to learn how to play it but I first need to understand it

 

[Valski]

Hello there Salem,

You missed one clue, the metal corners say melodeon. That's a folk instrument that plays one note when you pull the bellows and another on the pull. If you google melodeon you should be able to find out more about your instrument. Sorry, I can't really tell you more because of my limited experience with these instruments.

 

[debra]

Very old diatonic instrument. Serenelli was not a bad accordion maker. The first series of Giulietti accordions made in Italy were made by Serenelli (later ones by Zero Sette).

 

[boxplayer4000]

salem97: Have a look in 'melodeon.net'. There's loads of information in there.

 

[salem97]

Hello there Salem,

You missed one clue, the metal corners say melodeon. That's a folk instrument that plays one note when you pull the bellows and another on the pull. If you google melodeon you should be able to find out more about your instrument. Sorry, I can't really tell you more because of my limited experience with these instruments.

I've tried that too, still not found anything about this specific one

 

[Valski]

I've tried that too, still not found anything about this specific one

This is a very old Instrument that wasn't particularly valuable when new. These were popular, probably not produced in huge quantities so you might not find a lot of specific information about them. They are probably sought-after as a decorative conversation piece and definitely not as anything more. If it plays then learn how to do so and enjoy it for the sentimental value, but don't spend too much money on repair because you'll never recover your investment.

 

[dunlustin]

Most boxes like this were made in Germany and more or less 'disposable.'
Italian made - and in Castelfidardo - you don't see too many like that. Must be very rare in Aus'
These are still very popular in Louisiana for Cajun music.
If you search a bit you'll find they are still being made:

» Marc Savoy

www.craftinamerica.org

As you can see, Cajun Accordions usually have 'stops' so you can select banks of reeds.

 

[dak]

Most boxes like this were made in Germany and more or less 'disposable.'
Italian made - and in Castelfidardo - you don't see too many like that. Must be very rare in Aus'
These are still very popular in Louisiana for Cajun music.
If you search a bit you'll find they are still being made:

» Marc Savoy

www.craftinamerica.org

As you can see, Cajun Accordions usually have 'stops' so you can select banks of reeds.

Well, this one has 3 stops it would appear, but the first pallet appears to be bent out of shape and will not cover its air holes properly.

 

[dunlustin]

Re: "this one has 3 stops"
well spotted, dak.
Please add to mine: "and so do some other one-row instruments. I would have seen this if I had not been too idle to click on the photos."

 

[Xiane]

I just bought a similar, but maybe not as old, nor as Italian, melodeon for not very much as a kind of "starter" project on repairing melodeons/accordions. I figured if I failed, it's still nice decor, and if I succeed, I have a fun little instrument in "D" which is useful to the music I play.

I turns out to need some work on the "spoons" - spring, reset, new padding, and a couple of "scratchy" is the term I use, reeds need to be fixed, but otherwise is fine. People here are very experienced so if you want to fix it yourself to play, you can probably get help with problems that have you confused. Or at least that what I'd hope. Or at melodeon.net If you can't register, send Theo a message through his store site at

The Box Place – For Melodeon and Concertina Repair and Tuning

theboxplace.co.uk

Also, check out this website - more or less self-taught accordion repair, which makes it pretty approachable. Some people here are proper, real, technicians and restorers, but you don't need to be that to fix your little melodeon, if that's what you want to do.

Home

Check out http://accordionrevival.com! Home Page

accordionrevival.com

 

[Xiane]

Well, this one has 3 stops it would appear, but the first pallet appears to be bent out of shape and will not cover its air holes properly.

This is more of a general question - if there any reason you couldn't design and 3d print a part out of ABS (or perhaps another plastic is better?) if something is bent beyond repair, and use that? One of my hobbies is making, and fighting, small combat robots, so I'm fairly experienced in designing and printing my own parts, which are subsequently heavily "stress tested".

I'll go so far as to say, if any of you need a part printed, well I'm far from a pro shop, but send me a file of accordion parts, pay postage if it's more than a few dollars, and I'll send you the parts you need.

 

[Pipemajor]

One of my hobbies is making, and fighting, small combat robots,

Will I have seen you on BattleBots on TV?

 

[Xiane]

Will I have seen you on BattleBots on TV?

Not yet! (I hope one day.)

You'll have seen people who are part of the robotics club we're in - Warhawk, Claw Viper, Big Dill. And we know lots of others, because you see them, often with a small version of their big bot, at the smaller events than the big Las Vegas show. Like accordions, combat robots are kind of a small world.

Combat robotics is a bit like boxing, in that there are different weight classes. We fight at a much lower weight class than the 250lb monsters on BattleBots. The 250lb robots represent a pretty significant investment of time and money, and unless you're a great engineer (I'm...not) you need to sort of work your way up.

You might see my son not on the current season, but the next one, as he'll likely be part of a team. We'll be fighting here in Oregon over St. Patrick's weekend, I'll send you a link of the video stream, if you'd like. The little bots can be pretty exciting too, and you're not heartbroken if you've got a pile of plastic in a bag after a fight.

 

[Pipemajor]

accordions, combat

Now there's a thought

 

[dak]

accordions, combat

Now there's a thought

We can't leave all the battling to banjos!

 

[Xiane]

Now there's a thought

Hmm. Two worlds collide!

I'll post some pictures here of the little robots WITH accordions when they're "pret a combattre". The robots, that is. I assume the accordions are always up for a fight. Even the old one "still makes noise" as the EBay listings would have it.