l busillachio accordion - advice

[smdc66]

someone i know is selling this 120 bass accordion which i have not really heard of - unsure if 3 or 4 voice

i'm hoping to get an idea of a fair selling price and a cost of repair for them and some background info

it appears in all round good condition cosmetically and solidly built but unplayable at the moment due to to it being in need of attention - multiple reeds sound whilst playing - see pic showing leathers all curled

 

[smdc66]

contd

also it has an unusual bellows release mechanism - a twist knob - see pic above

 

[debra]

Thanks for showing the image of the bass reed blocks. Never mind the bent leathers. That's an easy fix.
Looking at the largest reed block it appears to have only 11 reed plates for the lowest notes and only 10 for the higher notes. Both should have 12. Reed plates do not simply disappear. This instrument has probably been opened before and reeds taken out, maybe to fix another accordion. Or maybe the owner still has them laying around, in which case it means they must have come off by themselves due to the was having become all brittle. That would mean everything needs to be rewaxed. Sorry but an instrument this old isn't worth the repairs it needs.

 

[smdc66]

Thanks for showing the image of the bass reed blocks. Never mind the bent leathers. Thats an easy fix.
Looking at the largest reed block it appears to have only 11 reed plates for the lowest notes and only 10 for the higher notes. Both should have 12. Reed plates do not simply disappear. This instrument has probably been opened before and reeds taken out, maybe to fix another accordion. Or maybe the owner still has them laying around, in which case it means they must have come off by themselves due to the was having become all brittle. That would mean everything needs to be rewaxed. Sorry but an instrument this old isnt worth the repairs it needs.

actually i remember now that in the old battered looking case there was a little bag with what looked like a couple of spare leathers and reeds and also i could hear what sounded like a bit of wood or something rattling around in the box:!:

i have no interest in buying and will avoid - i am just trying to help the seller with gauging a reasonable price of sale now

 

[landro]

+2 regarding not worth the repairs.
Aside from the few curled up leather valves and the missing reeds ,it looks like the rest of the valves are either twisted or too far lifted off the reed plates. Any of them possibly laying flat are certain to be dried stiff as well as the wax being very brittle. This accordion is very old (40`s?) and in need of a total rebuild and IMO not worthy of the time and expense it so badly needs. The locking twist knob for the bellows isn`t unusual. S. Soprani and maybe others used it in the 40`s on their accordions.
The bellows could make a good reed tester and the remainder for parts.

 

[JIM D.]

A late 30's early 40's. The cost to rebuild this one will be at least 10 times what this one will be worth when finished.