New owner, second hand Paolo Soprani 120B

[jameson_waits]

Hey all,

New to the forum, very amateur player. Picked up a red Paolo Soprani at an auction yesterday for 350AUD.

Outside is in good condition, plays well from the tinkering Ive done so far, at least to a beginners ear.

Was hoping to get some info and advice on make and model, maybe placing it to a year or decade. The badge is black with six stars, Ive read blue means fifties and Im guessing this one is from the 70s or 80s from how cheap it was but would like to hear from someone with more knowledge. Especially what issues and parts in need of repair to look out for.

Picture attached.

Looking forward to hanging around the forum and learning more. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171213/fc78ec92cdb4860aed95f5d5b68e5d7d.jpg>

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

 

[JIM D.]

Late 40s to mid 50s. Should be 3 reed treble & 5 reed bass. These Paolos came with quality machine made reeds and were of sturdy construction. Looks good for its age.
As for the maintenance and any future repairs you may need - give this a read --
http://www.accordionrevival.com/
:tup:

 

[jameson_waits]

Late 40s to mid 50s.

Thats great news, thanks a tonne Jim. Brought a smile to my face. Can I ask how you identified it? Was it the badge, or the specs? And more out of curiousity than actually looking to sell, how much might it be worth?

Cheers

 

[JIM D.]

Hi James;
Most always I find myself busy and find myself to be short with answers on this forum but, as a new member here from Down Under Ill spend a bit of time to reply.

To answer your first question of the knowledge Ive acquired on the age of accordions from the so called Golden Age Of Accordions (1920 to 1970) .
My knowledge is not a gift, but simply over the years to be at the right place, the right time, and fortunate to be mentored by some of the (Sadly Late) finest accordion repairmen in the history of accordion makes & models.
(1st) started accordion lessons at 7 years old 1953
(2nd) At 15 years old 1961 won 3rd place in the junior jazz competition in New York, NY.
(3rd) After this joined the Musicians Union 1961 (they let me in if I payed the dues) and still play professionally today.
(4th) at 18 years old found myself traveling to New York, NY to pick up new accordions for dealers in my New England area .
(5th) Now at this time picking up accordions from the Importers in that period of time , I found myself to meet and be mentored by the late Emil Baldoni. Emil at the time was the top repair tech at Ernest Deffner the importer of Titano(Victoria) & PANcordion(Crucianelli) accordions.
Now if some us reading this are unaware - Emil Baldoni designed the convertor (sliding bass) machine that is and has been used on some small frame accordions. He later traveled to Italy with the late Palmer & Hughes to develop what we know now as the standard Quint convertor used by all makers.
Well that was my start, and since then, Ive made a living performing, teaching ,mentoring & repairing all the types of accordions (Fisarmonicas) we use today both acoustic, electronic & digital.

For more info on Italian accordion history of makers see here -

http://www.accordionlinks.com/manufacturer.html

or here-
http://www.accordions.com/articles/chronology.aspx
And here - Email Paul at -
http://newenglandaccordionconnectionandmuseumcompany.com/


Now for the value on the Paolo -- as I havend seen the indards.
This box in good shape (cleaned & tuned) with good straps & case would be between $350.00 to $400.00 USD
Now if refurbished with a 6 month warranty would fetch $500.00 USD

Many accordions were made with the badge last name with Soprani -- the Poalos were always the finest.
If I had this in my shop in good shape , I could have sold it yesterday.
Have Fun And Keep Playing With Your New Toy:
Musically Yours;
James Dascanio

 

[jameson_waits]

Hey Jim,

really appreciate the time you spent on the response. Found it fascinating, will be showing it off to anyone who will listen. What drew you to playing at such a young age?

Chances are I was able to buy it so cheap (about 250 USD) as there isn't a very strong accordion playing scene where I live. Although it plays well, and you say it is tuned, long term I think I will look into refurbishing out of respect for the instrument. The straps hold but there is what looks like some oxidising around one of the metal buckles.

Knowing I have a quality instrument with such a history will encourage me to play even more. Thanks again.

Cheers