Straps, dimensions, supplies and frustration

[KiwiSqueezer]

As I've posted before, I'm restoring a Paramount (by E E Busilacchio) 41/120 accordion. It's a 'ladies'/'intermediate-size'/'compact'(?) model, with an 18" (46cm) keyboard. There are two banks of reeds for treble and for bass side.

Mechanical restoration is coming along slowly - when scant time permits. I'm at the stage where I want to order parts and materials. I need shoulder straps, a bass strap, reed valves, felt (for keyboard and bass machine piston buffers, and for bass machine 'pipe' retaining plates), and a small amount of pallet facing (of two thicknesses). To minimise freight costs, I'd like to order everything from one source, but I'm frustrated by the patchy information offered by suppliers. Dimensional information is often incomplete, and my ignorance of accordions doesn't allow me to fill in the holes, nor to make educated guesses. I would imagine that there's at least one supplier with everything I need, but they seem to hide behind impenetrable language barriers, minimum order limits, or keep one guessing about specification details.

The existing bass strap leather measures approx. 46cm. It has probably been butchered, and its fixing hook has been crudely re-bent to lengthen it, and then fixed further 'outboard' than originally. I will replace the hook, and re-position it into its original location. The bass strap apertures are about 41.5cm apart (centre-to-centre). I assume that this is less than on a 'standard' size 120 bass button machine. My best guess is that I need a strap 48cm long, but it's not clear whether this length is available: few suppliers seem to specify length explicitly; most specify by bass button number. Is one expected to cut bass straps to length?

Shoulder strap sizes often seem to be specified hopelessly vaguely, referring to the number of bass buttons, rather than strap length. I don't think I can assume my accordion requires the same size straps as an 80 bass button machine: do I have to email suppliers to ask for explicit strap dimensions?

I'd be very grateful for any help and advice, including the name of a long-suffering, helpful supplier...

I'll post separately about reed valves, which are another area of uncertainty.

 

[debra]

For the bass strap you should simply have to specify the length, end to end, of the leather.
As for the shoulder straps specifying dimensions is nearly impossible because they can be adjusted on both ends and in the middle. But a ladies size / compact 41/120 accordion has the dimensions of a 37/96 accordion, so if you ask for a 96 bass accordion they should be the right size.
(It must be hard living in an area where you cannot just walk into a store so you can browse for what you want... But when in doubt the best thing to do is to call a supplier. A person to person conversation on the phone can do wonders, compared to trying to find something on a webshop.)

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

Thanks. I think that clears up the shoulder strap question.

I too would have thought that all I had to do was to specify the length of bass strap required, but many web sites don't reveal this. It's frustrating.
I guess I will have to contact suppliers directly, as you suggest.

 

[Buckeye]

Hello KiwiSqueezer,

I have a Paramount Continental accordion by the brothers E. E. Busilacchio, 41/120, with a 18.5" keyboard that I purchased in 1991. Made in Italy but the number is hard to read -- looks like 6152. They were in business 1946 -1982. I rarely see another Paramount accordion advertised in ebay or any accordion store and I don't know why unless the brothers made accordions for other brand names. One thing I am curious about is the plastic icon on mine is a standing ballerina and, I believe, not their standard icon. Maybe it was customized for a lady client.

Because of its age, and I never opened it, I recently took it to an accordion repair expert for an examination. Fortunately everything looked intact and it did not need a tuning. After a 28 year hiatus, I resumed playing. However, the accordion has always been stored in its case, in the vertical position, in air conditioned space, and exercised twice a year. All I can say from my experience is that E.E. Busilacchio made a good accordion. Sorry I cannot provide you with details of the innards.

Can you provide a photo of your accordion and also the plastic icon?

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

Buckeye, your wish is my command...

I'm not getting on well with inserting images into posts on this forum. I'll try again to get images to you - somehow. You'll need to use your imagination, because the accordion is in pieces. I rested the major components together, to give some idea of the complete thing. The ballerina dances on my accordion too!

Ah, it looks like attachments work!

 

[Buckeye]

Buckeye, your wish is my command...

I'm not getting on well with inserting images into posts on this forum. I'll try again to get images to you - somehow. You'll need to use your imagination, because the accordion is in pieces. I rested the major components together, to give some idea of the complete thing. The ballerina dances on my accordion too!

Ah, it looks like attachments work!

Thank you for the photos. Now we know there are at least two (Ladies?) accordions with dancing ballerina icons. From what I could find the standard icon shows in the attached photo. I wish you success in repairing and assembling your accordion. Just wondering, would it be less expensive and time consuming to buy an older used accordion from a reputable dealer?

 

[Glug]

One thing to watch on the bass strap is you need to match the width and thickness.
Seems to me that older accordions need thinner bass straps. The length you can cut down.

Here's one site that does list the dimensions: https://www.stringsandboxes.de/epag...driemen/Bass_Handriemen_fuer_Hohner_Akkordeon

I bought a Hohner original 96 bass strap from them, then cut down the non-adjuster end.

 

[Ventura]

Italiacinte didn't mind selling me a couple bass straps once with the hardware
separate in a bag so i could cut them shorter then rivet on the ends myself

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

Just wondering, would it be less expensive and time consuming to buy an older used accordion from a reputable dealer?

Yes, of course it would. Sensible suggestion, but not really practicable in (this part of) New Zealand. Anyway, be honest, how many accordionists/ accordion tinkerers can be described as 'sensible'? The accordion was cheap. I'm not expecting it to be a very expensive restoration, in terms of materials, but certainly time-consuming. Fortunately, my time isn't counted. If it were, I guess I'd do very little of anything...

My main problem, apart from my ignorance, is deciding where to go for parts and materials. Freight costs are so high these days, a single supplier would be best. Most suppliers seem to come with problems for the novice: inadequate descriptive information (dimensions lacking, materials not specified), foreign language (Google Translate does its best...), too much choice, not enough choice, trade-only suppliers, and the mysteries of international commerce (in which I'm inexperienced).

I've seen another E E Busilacchio Paramount accordion on a local auction site. The image was poor, but I think its badge was like that in your last post. It's beginning to look like the ballerina may identify ladies' models. If I ever get to be able to play mine, should I wear drag?

 

[Dingo40]

KS,
These guys have been playing, teaching repairing and dealing in both new and used accordions since the 1950s, including mail order.
They usually have some used instruments on hand.
I'm sure you could get a good used one from them sent to you
Ask to speak to Rawnee:

ron pearce music - Google Search

www.google.com.au