History

[JIM D.]

There might just be some of us interested in the beginning and development of electronically assisted acoustic accordions.


http://caffetrieste.com/Abrief.pdf

It starts in the 60s and carries thru the 90s when Midi equipped accordions became popular and has resulted in the V accordion today.

The first one of these I owned  is on page 43 when I was 17 tears old.

 

[Dingo40]

Thanks, Jim!
Very interesting!

 

[jozz]

thanks nice resource!

 

[Eddy Yates]

Thanks, Jim. Little did I know I’d have an Iorio G when I first read this on another post of yours.
The electronics are gone, but the reeds sound great to me.

 

[JerryPH]

You know, having been fortunate enough to have lived through that era, seen and even been a small part of that history, this document brings a lot of smiles to me. As a teen, I lusted after the Cordovox and it's sound, but shied away from it's ridiculous (at the time) price. I owned (and still have!), my Iorio S3, Elkavox 83 Cassotto (which I have never seen elsewhere except in brochures), and now own the current pinnacle of digital accordions in the Roland 8X.

It's been a lovely electronic accordion journey that is far from over for me yet!

 

[Tom]

Thanks Jim! They are good but sadly too big and bulky to even be saved as vintage for me. I restored my friend's old Cordovox (non functioning electronics) and currently am selling it at my friend's music store for whatever it it will bring. It does have a lovely acoustic sound......

 

[JerryPH]

Coincidences.

I decided to do some cleaning in my basement yesterday and I found the paper work of all the electric accordions and toys I had in the 80's and found out some cool info about my Iorio Accorgan and Elka 83, like for example, my Elka is the top of the line 83 model, and that there were several models of the 83 out there (more than what was commonly known). There was even an 83 that came in a C-system button format... I never knew until I saw the pricelist... lol

My Elkavox 83 has:
- hand made reeds
- double Cassotto
- higher end internal microphones
- the "basic" midi was an option in those days and installed in the tone generator, not the accordion, and it has that too

Mine came with the Wilgamat rhythm unit (which was part of the complete Elka 83 package) and a month later I picked up the Solton Programmer 24, a higher end rhythm/arranger unit. You then had to pay to get the foot pedal modified so that it would work with the Solton and still retain the factory warranty.

Here was the big surprise... I never knew this but my parents had put away the original paperwork in this suitcase and enclosed in the original plastic were the books with full schematics for the Wilgamat, Elkavox 83 accordion and the tone generator, the original advertising brochure and... the owners manual in untouched "like new" condition!

I guess I have some new fodder for my website once I organize all of this and piece together this story that happened some 35 years ago!

 

[Tom]

Cool!!!!

 

[Giovanni]

Thanks Jim!  They are good but sadly too big and bulky to even be saved as vintage for me.  I restored my friend's old Cordovox (non functioning electronics) and currently am selling it at my friend's music store for whatever it it will bring.  It does have a lovely acoustic sound......

Hello Tom , What model is the Cordovox ? does it all work including the electronics  , where are you located ?

regards …………...Giovanni

 

[Tom]

Hi Giovanni, sadly the electronics do not work at all, in fact they were taken out to make the accordion lighter. I don't think they are repairable, although maybe could be replaced from another accordion. I don't know the model, it's in my friend's store in Wisconsin. Where are you?

 

[Giovanni]

Hi Giovanni, sadly the electronics do not work at all, in fact they were taken out to make the accordion lighter.  I don't think they are repairable, although maybe could be replaced from another accordion.  I don't know the model, it's in my friend's store in Wisconsin.  Where are you?

Hello Tom ,Thanks for your reply ………………..I'm in the uk ………………..

 

[Tom]

Yeah, wouldn't be worth the shipping cost.

 

[Zevy]

Thanks Jim!  They are good but sadly too big and bulky to even be saved as vintage for me.  I restored my friend's old Cordovox (non functioning electronics) and currently am selling it at my friend's music store for whatever it it will bring.  It does have a lovely acoustic sound......

Hey Tom - Where in Wisconsin does that newly restored Cordovox reside, in case someone would want to purchase said accordion?