Jupiter

[Morne]

While trawling trough bad Google translations on http://www.goldaccordion.com I have been able to get the following tentative information.

There are at least two (factory) periods involved with Jupiter. It looks like these names refer to the directors.

Barinov
Some say the instruments from this period are better.
Claims to have existed since 1992.
Website: http://www.bajan.ru/

Gusarov
This is the current period. Apparently these are partly produced in Korea.
Claims to have existed since 1994, but makes no mention of Barinov.
Website: http://www.bayanjupiter.com/

You can possibly tell them apart by the latter logo having a different font and a star in the beginning O part (the Cyrillic character Ю).

I will post more as I learn more.

Sidenote: Do we have any Russian speaking members here who might be able to help with making sure I am not writing nonsense here? I can do basic searches for terms and I have picked up a little bit of the vocabulary around accordions, but I am still primarily at the mercy of Google Translate for making sense of complex sentences.

 

[Nuuksu]

These two websites have different models listed.

this english site - http://www.bayanjupiter.com/models/

and russian one - http://www.bajan.ru/index_soubory/model.htm

Asians sell models from this english site - http://www.accordions-asia.com/jupiter/

Germans sell models from russian site - http://www.bajanbest.de/bajan_jupiter2_en.html

They may be actually different instruments or just models for different market who knows.

 

[Morne]

Asians sell models from this english site - http://www.accordions-asia.com/jupiter/

This one has models with the new Jupiter logo.

Germans sell models from russian site - http://www.bajanbest.de/bajan_jupiter2_en.html

These models have the old logo.

They may be actually different instruments or just models for different market who knows.

That is interesting. I am not sure if some of these website have old information, or if there are two Jupiter faces for different markets, or if there are two companies operating as Jupiter.

 

[TomBR]

Interesting that they follow stringed instrument tradition so the 96 bass PA is "7/8" size,

 

[Nuuksu]

Contact information in both sites are different as well as contact perssons

http://www.bajan.ru/index_soubory/kontakt.htm

and

http://www.bayanjupiter.com/contacts.html

Russian site (C) date is 2012 but there isnt any date in English site. Both of them hav reference for Moscow musical instruments factory.

I think that best thing is ask information from some Jupiter dealer.

 

[Morne]

Its starting to look clearer that there are two separate companies here. The one is called Bayan Jupiter (Barinov) and the other just Jupiter (Gusarov).

It seems like the Gusarov incarnation has more complaints regarding build quality. Apparently their quality has become better over the years, although some still disagree. The comment regarding (partial) Korean manufacture seems to be mentioned a lot - just not sure about the North Korea part.

Though this is mere speculation, it is possible that since they both seem to have originated from the same parent entity (Moscow Experimental Musical Instruments Factory) that there might have been musical or business differences between the two that lead to this.

Here is a reference from the Russian accordion forum:
http://www.goldaccordion.com/forum/pokupkaremont/topic-2068.html

Here are some photos of a Gusarov Jupiter (outside and inside):
http://www.goldaccordion.com/forum/pokupkaremont/topic-2068-page-5.html#post31162

 

[debra]

I have always found something strange about the http://www.bajan.ru/ . And if you look at the photos on bayanjupiter you will see that there are pictures in which bayan style reed plates are being installed in an accordion interior that is clearly a Bugari 289 ARS/C4. You may not recognize it in all the pictures (I do), but in several pictures you can clearly see the Bugari logo. All 11 pictures show the same person working on that same Bugari accordion. And when you look at the pictures of the Bayans and Accordions, most clearly have Italian style register switches. Only the Bayan Jupiter Lux has russian-style switches on both sides and the Accordion Jupiter (solid-lath) has russian-style switches on the bass side.

 

[Morne]

Tom, I have seen the fractions 1/2, 3/4 and 7/8 reference on an online Russian musical store and I always just thought it was some weird lazy way to indicate sizes as none of those really correspond (except 1/2 for 60 bass).

Paul, I never noticed that before, but I looked again and now I saw the Bugari logo. I cannot imagine what the point of uploading that would be.

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Some more research:
- I take back the North Korea reference. I think I misunderstood a phrase that meant these instruments end up going there. Though the reference to being made in (South) Korea, is still the case.
- Barinov bayans take longer to make and are more expensive. These are presumably made entirely in Russia.
- Gusarov bayans take less time and cost less. Some say the difference might be because Korea has more modern tooling, so they can do some tasks faster. These have a lower resell value.

 

[Nuuksu]

I suppose that it takes less time because Gusarov may be actually just modify Bugari accordions. Modifying Weltmeister Supita piano accordions were quite common in soviet times because good quality free bass accordions wasn't available in ussr. I have lithuanian accordion duo vinyl (I don't remember name at the moment) where one of them plays with such kind of instrument where right side is normal but bass reeds and mechanics are replaced with bayan ones.

 

[Morne]

That is an interesting thing you mention. There was some kind of collaboration between Barinovs Jupiter and Vignoni.
Search for VIGNONI / ЮПИТЕР on this page:
http://www.bajan.ru/index_soubory/aktual.htm

This one has the proper bayan multi-reed plates (solid lathe). This accordion, or at least some other such collaboration, was mentioned on the Russian forum.

I dont about the extent of Barinovs Jupiter involvement in the other Vignoni models on that page.

 

[Nuuksu]

Duo what I talked about was Eduardas Gabnys, Genadijus Savkovas.

 

[debra]

Interesting to see all these different accordions on bayan.ru.
I noticed an instrument labeled "Moskwa" (well, in cyrillic equivalent) which is very clearly a Bugari (it has a Bugari grille), probably a Championfisa from the looks of it. What are they thinking?

 

[Nuuksu]

Section where this Moskva is is section of collaborations/modifications between Jupiter and other brands section.

 

[superbayanist]

there are indeed two separate factories as you thought.
bayanjupiter.com is the one that most players of Jupiter bayans use and the prices are more competitive and the instruments are made for mass market use.
bajan.ru is the one that all the famous bayanists (sharov, Shishkin, Moza, Sidorov etc) play on. From what I've heard, the Baronov factory employs a number of voicing masters who all have their own individual sound. You can either go to Russia and audition different instruments and select the one you prefer or if you know which one you like already because you've heard someone play, for example, a Guserov voiced instrument, you can request one.
someone I know has also said that, unless say Sharov recommends you to Barovon, you may not get a great instrument straight off the bat. It's as much about who you are and who you know as how much money you have.
On the whole though, it's accepted that baronov instruments, when built well, are superior to Guserov ones.`

 

[superbayanist]

as an aside, the Barinov Jupiter factory worked with Pigini to produce the "mythos" line of instruments. Italian mechanism combined with Jupiter Reeds. Played by People like Soave, Lips, Semionov, A Dmitriev etc.