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My Mom's Accordion

treesaw

Newbie
Joined
Jun 24, 2023
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Location
Portland
My Mom passed away last week and was an excellent accordion player and teacher. She was my accordion teacher when I was younger. I started at age 9 and played throughout high school, but when I graduated from high school, I went on to study music in college as a flute player. My Mom had several accordions, two of which went to my sister (a 12 bass beginner and a beautiful Petosa), and 3 came home with me (a 12 bass beginner, my old Titan that was my first 'real' accordion and my Mom's first professional accordion a Crucianelli Magicvox).
The Magicvox is the accordion my Mom played when I took lessons with her and was the one that I taught on for the first time, which led me to become a music teacher. I have now been teaching (not accordion) for 42 years.
I am wanting to find out more about the history of my Mom's accordion maker and where I might perhaps find a manual of some kind that will help me to know how to properly work the different settings. I have her amp also and both the accordion and the amp still work, even though they sat in her garage for about 25 years after she got her Petosa.
I would also like to know where I might find new or used straps that I could buy. It did not have straps with it because my mom used a stand. My sister has the stand, but is using it for one of her accordions, so I would like to purchase some, but have no idea where to look. I would like some that are well padded because the accordion is quite heavy. Currently I have straps from an old accordion that I had here already, but I think heavier padding would be better.
I played my Mom's accordion last night after I arrived home. I still remember how, though I am rusty after not playing for 35 years. I think my Mom would have smiled to know that I was playing it and bringing it back to life again.IMG_20230624_093103.jpg
 
Welcome, treesaw!🙂👍
I'm sure someone here will be able to tell you something about your mum's (mom's) accordion and where's the best place for shoulder straps ( a perennial evergreen on the forum 😄)
 
This was the first 'big' accordion that I learned on. After my Mom's passing, it has been found and recovered from her house and is now at my house. I have been playing this one every day since I returned from Canada. I find it easier to play than my Mom's Magicvox because it's lighter and not quite as big. It's got a pretty good sound too.
 
I am wanting to find out more about the history of my Mom's accordion maker and where I might perhaps find a manual of some kind that will help me to know how to properly work the different settings.
One of our members ( Jim D.?🤔) is very knowledgeable about the history of the Crucianelli and Titan/Titano makes.🙂
 
Welcome Trees! Sorry for your loss. That Titano is sharp looking, I like it. From your name "treesaw" are you a climber? From a fellow woodcutter, and Crucianelli owner.
 
Your location 'Portland' is in the US not the UK.
Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct. My mom was located in Canada in the Vancouver area. She was fairly well known in local accordion circles. People came from miles away to take lessons with her.
 
Welcome Trees! Sorry for your loss. That Titano is sharp looking, I like it. From your name "treesaw" are you a climber? From a fellow woodcutter, and Crucianelli owner.
Hi Tom! No, I am not a climber, but I am a musician, music teacher, dog lover, and gardener. In my younger days, I had a cryptic way of signing my name that my friends all knew. It was a picture of a tree + a saw. When they saw this they knew it was me.

The Titano was the accordion I dreamed about when I was younger. I grew up in my mom's music store and took accordion lessons at first on a little Hohner Camillo Jr 12 bass accordion (this also came home with me when I returned from my mom's passing and is now with my daughter, who has had her first accordion lesson from me). The day the Titano came into the music store, I was absolutely mesmerized by it and would stare at it longingly. My mom noticed my sighing for a better instrument and let me adopt it as my own. I played it faithfully for several years before I stepped up again to a red Parrott accordion that I played through high school. When I graduated from high school, I had to make a choice: Was I going to study the accordion at an accordion college in Seattle or the flute at a local college and live at home? I chose the flute and the accordion fell to the wayside because I could not keep up the practice required for both and my studies too.

Now here I am 40 years later and every accordion that was important to me as a young person is suddenly in my house. I have played almost every day since they arrived and have enjoyed going back through my old accordion books (Palmer Hughes). I've played through books 4 and 5 and am looking forward to tackling 6 today.

You own a Crucianelli! Can you tell me anything about Magicvox, perchance? Would you know if I can find a manual on one like my mom's so that I can have some help understanding how it works? Do you know where I would buy a set of accordion straps that are well padded? My mom's accordion is quite heavy and a little big for me. I have been practicing on the Titano because I can move my head to look down the keyboard when I need to; that's much harder on my mom's because it's bigger.

Thank you for taking time to respond to me. It's a pleasure to 'meet' you.
 
Wow, thanks for that great story! I wish I had met your mother, sounds like a cool lady.

I'm sorry I know nothing about the Magicvox. Hopefully one of the more knowledgeable people on here will have more info.

My bigger accordion came with straps so I have not bought any. Hence I can't recommend a brand, sorry. If I were looking I'd check out Italcinte:


Good luck, hope you let us lnow how it goes!
 
Hi Tom! No, I am not a climber, but I am a musician, music teacher, dog lover, and gardener. In my younger days, I had a cryptic way of signing my name that my friends all knew. It was a picture of a tree + a saw. When they saw this they knew it was me.

The Titano was the accordion I dreamed about when I was younger. I grew up in my mom's music store and took accordion lessons at first on a little Hohner Camillo Jr 12 bass accordion (this also came home with me when I returned from my mom's passing and is now with my daughter, who has had her first accordion lesson from me). The day the Titano came into the music store, I was absolutely mesmerized by it and would stare at it longingly. My mom noticed my sighing for a better instrument and let me adopt it as my own. I played it faithfully for several years before I stepped up again to a red Parrott accordion that I played through high school. When I graduated from high school, I had to make a choice: Was I going to study the accordion at an accordion college in Seattle or the flute at a local college and live at home? I chose the flute and the accordion fell to the wayside because I could not keep up the practice required for both and my studies too.

Now here I am 40 years later and every accordion that was important to me as a young person is suddenly in my house. I have played almost every day since they arrived and have enjoyed going back through my old accordion books (Palmer Hughes). I've played through books 4 and 5 and am looking forward to tackling 6 today.

You own a Crucianelli! Can you tell me anything about Magicvox, perchance? Would you know if I can find a manual on one like my mom's so that I can have some help understanding how it works? Do you know where I would buy a set of accordion straps that are well padded? My mom's accordion is quite heavy and a little big for me. I have been practicing on the Titano because I can move my head to look down the keyboard when I need to; that's much harder on my mom's because it's bigger.

Thank you for taking time to respond to me. It's a pleasure to 'meet' you.
Hi Treesaw,
Just join the forum yesterday. First post here. You may want to check out this Ebay store for the strap. Bought three sets from them. Excellent quality and very good price. https://www.ebay.com/str/musicstickers1

Al
from West coast
 
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