Oddball Accordions #1

[Waldo]

I am a sucker for most anything different when it comes to stuff I get interested in. Accordions are no exception, and there is plenty of fodder out there. While there are numerous piano oddballs, I'm a CBA player, and I prefer stuff that I might be able to play sometime. I have had several oddballs pass my way, and they have engendered a number of wonders as to "why?". I have two 1920's (?) vintage boxes that are what I would label as "combo" boxes. That is, they have a piano keyboard, (one of which the black keys are fakes, but the white keys are functional, some as enharmonics. The other has fully functional keys and buttons), combined with 2 or 3 rows of buttons in the CBA style. This post concerns the box with the fake black keys, pictured below.
Why? What was the thinking behind such a hybrid? While I haven't had the opportunity to inspect the mechanicals yet, I'm reasonably sure they are more complex than either design would be separately. So again, Why?
This box does not yield any clues as to the manufacturer, which I would very much like to know. As can be seen from the reed block pics, the reeds and valves are in excellent condition. The reed blocks carry a very faint rubber stamping which reads "Remanufactured by International Accordion Company ????". I've fooled around with it a little, but because of lack of use, the keys and buttons are somewhat stiff and don't always return fully. I'm hoping exercise will loosen them up to where it'll become playable. I'm thinking, because of the metal flake celluloid, that it is of American manufacture. Any ideas? [JimD?]
The other attraction to these accordions, for me, is the bling factor. The artistry involved (often handwork), is impressive. My second "Oddball" post is an excellent example of this. Internet opinions suggest the bling factor was a result of the vaudeville era and stage craft considerations. Any opinions here?

Thanks for the input,
Waldo

 

[Ffingers]

I believe that the fake piano style keyboard was introduced by Pietro Frosini in his vaudeville years because the audiences considered the button keyboard to be less sophisticated than piano keys.
Snobbery comes in all shapes and forms.

 

[Ffingers]

Playing like this




Interesting Swedish player, this guy.

 

[Ffingers]

Another example of the faux piano keys:




Same artist.

 

[Ffingers]

This is a better one:

 

[Dingo40]

These are "finto*" (=fake) accordions and nothing more than a distinctive fashion concept of a CBA.
Very nice: lucky you!??
There are one or two previous threads on this topic.?
*See here:

Google Search

And here:

Finto-Piano

In the book The Golden Age of the Accordion there are excerpts here and there from old accordion company catalogs; an interesting feature of items available in the 1920s are accordions which have a piano keyboard plus a row of buttons below the keys, usually two but sometimes three. Somewhere...

www.accordionists.info

 

[debra]

The story I learned is that these accordions (sometimes called the Finto Pianoaccordion) were created so that CBA players could perform in venues where only piano accordions were allowed. In some past history in America the CBA was disliked (by the audience and theatre owners) so much that they were banned, but the Finto looked just enough like a piano accordion to be allowed.

 

[Skari]

There still seems to be prejudice against CBAs here in the US. Piano accordions can be imported duty free. Not so for CBAs. The piano accordion lobby must be very powerful.

 

[Waldo]

Skari; When I see this sort of BS, it makes me glad I've lived my life.
BTW; Any idea of what the 40% in column 2 refers to?

Fingers; I like Alf's bellows technique!

Any idea if these "fake" accordions are still made. When was the last production???

 

[Skari]

Waldo, sorry no idea about the 40%. I had always thought the tariff difference was some urban legend, but it looks like it could be true. When I purchase a CBA from Europe, I ask them to just put "accordion" on the documents. Not sure if it helps. I have paid anywhere from 0 to 7%.

 

[Dingo40]

Here's Alf again ?:

 

[Scuromondo]

BTW; Any idea of what the 40% in column 2 refers to?

According to the tariff schedule, that is the rate applied to goods coming from Cuba or North Korea.

 

[Waldo]

Wheew. A least I've dodged that tax.