Information on an accordion, please

[James]

I came across this accordion on Craigslist quite a while ago. This accordion looked strange to me. Look at its keys.



I downloaded the pictures from the sellers listing. When I had an idea to write to ask him to share some information about this (type of) accordion, the listing was removed.

I went online trying to find some information. I did not find any except for a website that carried a photo of an accordion that was similar to this one; they keyboard was somewhat different and it had switches on the treble side. The manufacturer looked the same on this one. But the website did not talk particularly about this (type of) accordion.

Could anybody share some information about this type of accordion? Thanks!

 

[Corsaire]

An interesting looking box.
The Italo-American Accordion manufacturing company have other models with a similar key layout :







and heres another which looks like yours but has been sold :



You may find out more by contacting this company :
http://www.italo-american.qpg.com/page3.html

 

[Dingo40]

A once famous accordion personality from the thirties or forties who had his musical numbers published as sheet music is pictured on the cover page holding such an accordion.
Could it be a variant type of chromatic button accordion?

 

[Dingo40]

I tried their web-page (as per above <EMOJI seq="1f642">?</EMOJI>).
Boy, what a comprehensive advertisement!
Not only comprehensive, also somewhat “old schoolish”, but in a good way<EMOJI seq="1f642">?</EMOJI>
Thanks for the info!<EMOJI seq="1f44d">?</EMOJI>

 

[Corsaire]

A once famous accordion personality from the thirties or forties who had his musical numbers published as sheet music is pictured on the cover page holding such an accordion.
Could it be a variant type of chromatic button accordion?

The old photo I posted was titled Chromatic 46 note ... but unfortunately no further detail as the box had been sold at auction.

 

[dunlustin]

From memory it's called a 'finto' accordion = fake (more or less)
It is said that cba - ie buttons - were so undesirable in (particularly) the USA that Chromatic boxes were disguised to look like piano boxes, thus allowing primitive Europeans to pass themselves off as sophisticated Americans.
Looking closely, it would seem to be a C system from the dots on the first row

 

[Corsaire]

Ive just found this :



It looks as if this type of accordion has already been discussed 4 years ago. Some interesting information and photos :
https://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1170[/url]

 

[James]

Thank you all friends for all your interesting information! It must be very interesting to play such a kind of accordion. It has a lot more keys/"buttons" than a regular PA, a non-finto accordion.

 

[Dingo40]

Corsaire’s link reminded me that it was indeed Pietro Frosini whose published sheet music bore an image of him holding one of these odd accordions on the title page<EMOJI seq="1f642">?</EMOJI>