Key or keyboard width

[knobby]

Hi folks,

I'm away from home at the moment so can't measure my accordion, so could someone please tell me the width of a standard piano accordion key please?
Also, if possible, the overall length of either a 25 and/or 32 key keyboard.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Soulsaver]

19 mm standard width key. I haven't got keyboards with either of them key counts... (usual 26/48 & 34/72) but 16 whites (assume 10 blacks & with gaps) is 323mm on one of mine. On that basis use 20.19 x n for the number of white keys in the other one for a pretty accurate overall measure.

 

[TomBR]

Nominally 20mm? I just measured two Hohners and a Frontalini, measuring 10 keys for accuracy. All three were very close to 20mm per key, though none exact.

Measuring a Hohner Student VM (both black and white notes) all 26 keys were 314mm, reducing that to 25 keys gave 294mm. 32 chromatic keys of an Atlantic was 385mm.
(The Student is slightly <20mm, the Atlantic >.)

While I was measuring Ss has posted. I guess I'm including the cracks! Putting a caliper on the keys themselves gives 19-19.5mm.

So, nominally, 19mm keys on 20mm centres.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[knobby]

Thanks both for your quick replies .

 

[Soulsaver]

This was discussed some time ago, but I can't locate it. So for the record, other pertinent info.:
'Full size' is often described as 19.25 inches = 489mm. A Full size 41 key is 24 white keys = 20.37mm ea. inc gaps between keys, in theory.

But actual measures from near edge of 1st white key to far edge of last white key with steel engineers' rule:
Scandalli Polifonico (1970s) measures 492mm over 24 keys=20.5mm inc gaps;
Hohner Verdi VN (1950s) 487/24 = 20.29;
Excelsior (1960s) 486mm/24=20.25;
Hohner Concerto (1970s) 405/20=20.25;
Paolo Soprani Professionale 1A (2007) 442/22 = 20.09;

In my experience migrating from a larger full size to a smaller full size is almost second nature - a couple of double octave scales and arps and you're there.
Moving from a full size to a compact takes a good 10 minutes of exercise and avoiding big jumps early on when you're used to migrating; maybe half an hour if not... worth practicing moving back & forth if you intend to play both.
I put the little one away... until I can't handle the 96s.

 

[debra]

There are two common "narrower" formats: The so called "ladies size" is such that one octave is about one whole key smaller. That's quite a difference over a 37 or 41 keyboard (3 to 3.5 key widths difference). And then there is the format used in many modern accordions with a 45 key keyboard (and convertor). These accordions have keys that are just a bit narrower, amounting to a difference of about one whole key width over the entire keyboard. You can clearly tell the difference when you put the keyboards together of say a Hohner Morino VI (M,N,S, doesn't matter) and something like a Bugari 289/ARS/C which has the slightly narrower keys.
Note that there are also differences in not only the width but also the placement of the black keys. On some accordions all white keys have a straight edge meaning the black keys only take up space from the adjacent white key and on other accordions the black keys cut into both adjacent white keys. And then there is the Morino VI which has narrower black keys which take getting used to.