House Brands but made by Italian or other European Makers

[Alan Sharkis]

The accordion market is confusing, and it seems that the only way to get around the various lesser-known brand names is to start listing them. Recently, in talking to my friends, I found out that there are many accordions, mostly older but some relatively new, that were manufactured in Italy or somewhere else in Europe by well-known manufacturers but do not bear those manufacturer's brand names. In some cases, the accordions were made for a specific retailer or accordion school. In other cases, a retailer would be looking for a quality beginner's instrument and ask a well-known manufacturer if they would make it under a name the manufacturer used in the past for a line of accordions.

So, in that spirit, I am going to start a list with one entry:

Armoniosa -- Made in the Cooperfisa factory (relatively recent);

and hope that some of you will add to the list.

Alan

 

[JIM D.]

I'll make a start here -- and add more later if you get more responses.

Excelsior --- Now made by a Div. of Pigini
Titano --- Formally made by Victoria -- Now made by a Div. of Pigini

:tup:

 

[maugein96]

Paul Beuscher, Paris, made by Paolo Soprani, Piermaria, and others

Crucianelli made by Piermaria

Savoia made by Hohner

Atti made by or for Hohner

Saltarelle some made by Mengascini

 

[JIM D.]

Pancordion --- made by Crucianelli 1950 to Date

 

[Alan Sharkis]

I just checked the Cooperfisa site for any mention of Armoniosa. None turned up.

Such was also the case when I bought one a few years back. I needed a new student-level, 41/120 accordion and, having tried some smaller Armoniosa accordions, decided on this one, with the addition of mikes and Master MIDI. At that time I assumed that Armoniosa was a discontinued Cooperfisa line and that the dealer had permission to use Armoniosa as a house brand.

But recently I began to see Youtube videos of accordions being demonstrated. They all has the Armoniosa brand name and the titles of the videos all said "Armoniosa by Cooperfisa" in one form or another. I didn't, however, come across a separate website for Armoniosa.

Does anyone have any further information on these boxes?

 

[JIM D.]

This 2010 but will tell who is active, ---
http://www.accordions.com/articles/chronology.aspx

 

[debra]

The accordion market is confusing, and it seems that the only way to get around the various lesser-known brand names is to start listing them. Recently, in talking to my friends, I found out that there are many accordions, mostly older but some relatively new, that were manufactured in Italy or somewhere else in Europe by well-known manufacturers but do not bear those manufacturers brand names. In some cases, the accordions were made for a specific retailer or accordion school. In other cases, a retailer would be looking for a quality beginners instrument and ask a well-known manufacturer if they would make it under a name the manufacturer used in the past for a line of accordions.
...

I have never quite understood why a specific retailer would use his own brand name. There is one in my area who sells Fredini instruments, made in Italy (and I dont doubt that). But when you buy such an instrument and later wish to sell it this may be more of an issue than if it listed the real manufacturer.

We also need to include years in the list. As the list Jim pointed to already shows a good example is Zero Sette which was a real brand until 2007 but then taken over by Bugari. Likewise Giulietti was first made by Serenelli and later by Zero Sette. And Excelsior was independent until around 2000 and then taken over by Pigini.

Brands can also be partly real: making some instruments themselves and outsourcing others. The Hohner Morino N and S series were made by Excelsior, later series by Pigini...

So you really opened a can of worms here...

 

[rancoman]

:b I just LOVE a can of worms!

'Clinkscale' accordions would be an example where a retailer had his name used instead of the makers. Jimmy Clinkscale (what a wonderful surname for an accordion retailer!)was probably one of the biggest retailers of accordions in Scotland and the north of England for a long time, and I saw many accordions in use (usually in the accordion clubs) by juniors and beginners with his brand name on them, but I have no idea who actually made them.

 

[wout]

I got some as well:
Rossini -> delicia, housebrand of some dutch or belgium store. But the pro line is from castelfidardo

Vermona -> weltmeister

Kratt karat -> fantini, House brand of mister kratt but doesbt exist anymore.

 

[debra]

I got some as well:
Rossini -> delicia, housebrand of some dutch or belgium store. But the pro line is from castelfidardo

Vermona -> weltmeister

Kratt karat -> fantini, House brand of mister kratt but doesbt exist anymore.

These are good examples of mixed origins: Lower end Rossini instruments are from eastern Europe and higher end from Italy. Likewise with Kratt which is another brand that is not a factory and has eastern European instruments as well as Italian ones.

 

[Soulsaver]

I thought I followed the OPs gist... all the way up to the first reply...

Therell be house brands that were made by different makers, too.

Like Allodi (well known & very respected long standing, 2 generation, UK dealer & players)used to be Excelsior and went to Fantini. Not sure from when, so maybe some Allodi Excelsiors were Piginis?
.... and youd need to see the accordion to determine which it was.

Allodi Fantinis were specific to Allodi at one time, but Emilio says they standardised to his specification - so now they are just badged Fantinis.

 

[yc360]

Guess it all comes down to the budget and access. The instruments differ just as much within the same brand as between brands And then there're size, age, level of maintenance, etc. Folks like me far away outside the center of the accordion universe with limited budget just have to pray hard when buying stuff. Even the seller is totally honest and fair, the sound/video clips often do not reflect how they sound when played for real. Probably the bad brands unlikely to produce miracles. But the good brands are also hit and miss, I am talking the used instrument market. So if you can't try before buy. Pray hard instead {}

 

[Waldo]

ARTISTA, the house name for Brown's Accordion Shop, Indianapolis, Indiana (1948-1984), made by Pigini (at least the Pro model I have).

Waldo

 

[debra]

Interesting to see how some "special" brands (not all of the mentioned examples are "house" brands) do specify their origin whereas others try to hide it. This does not only hold for whole accordions but also for the origin of accordion parts.
For instance: some Hohners I have seen from the era after Hohner stopped making reeds used first Bugari reeds, later Cagnoni, and you can see that because the names Bugari and Cagnoni are stamped into certain reed plates on the outer side and when you open the instrument you can see that. (On a Morino IV S this might be not so obvious as Cagnoni puts the stamp on the low E and this accordion starts with the low F.) But on the Crucianelli (Super Video) I am now working on they put the marked reed plates backwards so you do not see the (Bugari) name. As "Bugari" and also "Brev" (meaning patented) is stamped into several reed plates and only these reed plates are put in backwards that was clearly a very deliberate move to hide the origin of the reeds. Likewise when you see movies like Pigini's "una storia d'amore" you might get the impression that they make everything in their own factory. They do not acknowledge where they filmed the production of parts that are not made by Pigini.
There is more obfuscation going on: some stores will tell you they have an exclusive right to sell brand X in country Y which in all cases that I know is untrue as the Italians tend to not give anyone exclusive rights.

 

[Geronimo]

There is more obfuscation going on: some stores will tell you they have an exclusive right to sell brand X in country Y which in all cases that I know is untrue as the Italians tend to not give anyone exclusive rights.

I almost suspect they rather give everyone exclusive rights.

 

[maugein96]

Paul,

Piermarias are sold in Brazil under the name Pampiana (trans Pampas), and a Brazilian agent in Porto Alegre imports them directly from Italy, so branded. It seems that they prefer to market them by that name in Brazil, even although they are very obviously re-branded Piermarias.

Heres a photo of one which would appear to suggest that CBA is finally making some inroads into Brazil. Sorry for the small photo, but their website isnt working too well. http://pampiana.com.br/

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