The end of my search... it's done! :D

[JerryPH]

Well... I've come to the end of my accordion purchases... there is nothing left that I could possibly want.

This last Thursday I sat on a plane in Montreal, arrived in Frankfurt Friday morning and 2 hours later I was in Amsterdam. Six hours later, I was back in my hotel room with a very pretty guest and ate an amazing supper (first meal in 10 hours). The following morning I hopped on a plan back to Montreal with company.

The supper, a monster schnitzel and 10.5% Pilzner beer:


The guest in my room:


She ended up sitting in the seat beside me on the plane ride home:


And here she is at our table minutes after arriving back home:


I want to give my very special thanks to @jozz who first found the Gola and was a great guy throughout the entire process, supportive and guiding in many ways. I had promised a call, but by the time I ate and got in to my room, I was burned out and crashed. @jozz THANK-YOU for your help, support and finding the Gola in the first place. Without you, I would not have been able to have what I have today on my table this instant.

The next morning was a whirlwind frenzy of getting ready for the trip home, packing the Gola to further protect it, returning the car and the entire ordeal of getting to the airport, going through checking in, security and making it JUST in time for boarding (a total of 5.5 of the most stressful hours of my life... not that the ENTIRE event wasn't putting grey hairs on my already grey hairs, but that ranks as one of the most intense days of my life... lol).

Would I ever do anything like that again? No, I really don't think so. Was it worth it? ABSO-freaking-LUTELY. This is a bucket list item ladies and gents, and I am blessed in have been able to do this.

I am grateful, thankful and incredibly happy. There is an expression out there "don't ever meet your heros, becuase you will be disappointed". There is in no way any disappointment, in fact, every moment I look at, use and hear it, I am in complete awe and can for the FIRST time in my life, understand why it is such an incredible instrument that has (IMHO), no equal.

Oh... just in passing... the red-light district... really... uhhmmm... unique!
Amsterdam is really out there for people that are in to that kind of thing... haha!!!

 

[Ben-jammin]

Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing it.

 

[Dingo40]

And here she is at our table minutes after arriving back home:

Congratulations and wishing you many happy days of enjoyment!

 

[Tom]

Wow, incredible news Jerry!!!! Congratulations, you deserve this and I hope it brings you great joy for many years to come! Can’t wait for the video……

 

[JerryPH]

Thanks everyone!
I know it's hard to express emotion in the written word, but I literally shake my head wondering if that is a Gola on my dining room table or a dream, and then I put it on and just futz with it.

I thought it would be close to my Morino in terms of feel, but it is a completely different personality. The left side actually feels lighter and the Free Bass notes are just so much more "alive". The Stradella part is also more dynamic... its both slightly deeper and slightly brighter than the Morino.

The one big thing that Paul once said is that on the Gola their registration is missing the triple reed musette sound. On my Morino the Violin is the most "musettie" and just has the 2 reeds singing together. It's nice but missing richness compared to the Beltuna which has this triple musette sound and it is incredible.

On this Gola, the original owner ordered it with a different set and order of registrations and it really matches what I would have done if I was the one ordering it... just that I would have chosen a different order that is more "logical" to me... BUT It *has* the triple reed musette in *2* variations, one with the clarinet and 2 outside reeds (the triple musette) and it has the same thing WITH the piccolo reed added, giving it a really interesting brightness and sonic punch.

That triple reed musette


A 4-reed musette?


... and yes, it's the full 459 with 5 reeds and the full MIII setup that tickles me no end:



Fast question... how many of you have seem MULTIPLE 459 Gola accordions in the same room in real life?

Not including my time at the conservatory where I was in a group of about 10 MIII Gola accordions in the same room (no idea if any were 459's or not at that time), I've now seen 2 sitting side by side... lol. Mine is the one in the back:


The owner of the one in the front did one cool modification on his... he added a button on top that flicked off the one of the musette reeds making it in to the traditional "violin" tone and it was pretty much switchable on or off in any registration... and he was very proud to show me how he did it if I ever wanted to do it one day myself (no thanks, not at this time), but it is both simple AND ingenious!

Note the round button bottom right of this pic (sorry for the blur, tried to blow it up, but it's good enough to make the point).


I sat and chatted with the seller for several hours and we had a great time. Now, here is the little kicker... NEITHER of those Gola had owners that ever used the Free Bass! Both bought them within a couple months of each other and chose these versions "just in case" they ever wanted to go that way. Interesting! BTW, the 2 owners of these accordions were very close friends. I had a chance to speak to the owner of my Gola and was honored (his friend was selling "my" Gola for his friend due to illness and not strong enough to play it anymore).

I will make sure that this Gola has found a new home and is treated with all the respect and care that an instrument like this deserves.

 

[OuijaBoard]

What a momentous and greatly moving life event. Wishing you much joy in your the journey to come, of cherishing and playing your beautiful Gola.

There was a post a few years back by a fellow in the Netherlands asking about his dad's Gola 459 that had not been played in some years and was in beautiful condition. He said his dad usually played his Morino. I wonder if this is that instrument. Regardless, an occasion to be celebrated.

 

[Walker]

Great work JerryPH. Mission accomplished. Enjoy it in good health.

BTW: if you're taking requests, mine is the Aria from the Goldberg Variations.

 

[jozz]

ha haa exciting that it all worked out @JerryPH
good that you hung in there with these guys...
awesome story to tell now! what a journey, but what an instrument

glad to have helped

 

[debra]

Congratulations on finally getting the Gola 459 you have wanted all your life!
The button on the one you didn't get is a very useful addition. I made one like that for my Morino, after doing it for a woman with a Morino V who had previously just taped off the third 8-foot reed as she said she didn't want it. (I thus gave her a choice of enabling it should she ever want it for a performance of light music.)
I'm sure that if you ever want a switch to enable/disable that 5th voice my friend Edwin Ericson can make one for you. He is again quite a long trip away (Buck Lack, near Edmonton, Alberta) but at least that's not international travel.
The melody bass on an old Gola 459 is indeed in a different category than that of the Morino. I had the pleasure of trying it (about 10 years ago) when I did tuning on a good friend's Gola. What a wonderful instrument it is. (I also worked on a newer Gola from around 2000 and it's not nearly the same.)
Enjoy your new (old) baby. I'm sure it's going to give you a lot of pleasure and will stimulate you to play a lot more than you already do!

 

[TomBR]

Great story Jerry and I'm very glad it had a happy ending.
Now then - how about a video?
Cheers, Tom

 

[petch]

Lovely! Though the image of it on the plane seat is bringing back some stressful memories

 

[Tom]

“Fast question... how many of you have seem MULTIPLE 459 Gola accordions in the same room in real life?”

This depends whether there are two at A World of Accordions. There are some cool black Hohner accordions but I don’t know about 2 459s.

 

[JerryPH]

Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing it.

Thank-you! I am very eager to just grab it and start recording, but I want to do it a little bit of respect and give it a couple of weeks before I put out the "Introducing my new to me..." video. There is a very special ( but rather standard and non-classical) song I need to record for my mother first. After that, I can start to follow any direction I wish.

Congratulations and wishing you many happy days of enjoyment!

Thank-you! I could just sit at my table and smile in happiness, but it won't do my playing skills very much... haha

Wow, incredible news Jerry!!!! Congratulations, you deserve this and I hope it brings you great joy for many years to come! Can’t wait for the video……

Thank-you! Joy seems like such an understatement, maybe bucket-list-level of joy may be a little closer. I am one happy man!

What a momentous and greatly moving life event. Wishing you much joy in your the journey to come, of cherishing and playing your beautiful Gola.

There was a post a few years back by a fellow in the Netherlands asking about his dad's Gola 459 that had not been played in some years and was in beautiful condition. He said his dad usually played his Morino. I wonder if this is that instrument. Regardless, an occasion to be celebrated.

Thank-you! While completely possible, I kind of do not think so. I had the pleasure of briefly speaking to the original owner. The man selling it was a VERY close friend of his and shared a little bit of his story. There was no mention of a son sharing his Gola for his father, or even that he had faily other than his wife. This Gola was at his friend's for the last year and just not played and it was quite dirty. Even with repeated requests to at least wipe it down that were refused, the seller honored that request and never cleared it, though his accordion and his entire home was immaculately clean. Suffice to say I speant a very pleasureable 3 hours yesterday cleaning out the (in the words of Ventura) previous owner's DNA in rather astonishing amounts... lol. I also have plans to over time do a lot of the small regular maintenance that wasn't done by the original owner.

Great work JerryPH. Mission accomplished. Enjoy it in good health.

BTW: if you're taking requests, mine is the Aria from the Goldberg Variations.

Thank-you! Now, I do have one song that just has to be recorded first, it will likely be in the introduction video, after that... I think I would like to try something completely different to me. I recall that song from the movie Hannibal... lol

ha haa exciting that it all worked out @JerryPH
good that you hung in there with these guys...
awesome story to tell now! what a journey, but what an instrument

glad to have helped

Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! Without your initial sharing of the info, without your support, without your many insights, I would have definitely given up early and missed the opportunity of a lifetime. I sincerely do not know if I will ever get a chance to get back to Amsterdam, but I would like very much to if only to meet you and shake your hand.

Congratulations on finally getting the Gola 459 you have wanted all your life!
The button on the one you didn't get is a very useful addition. I made one like that for my Morino, after doing it for a woman with a Morino V who had previously just taped off the third 8-foot reed as she said she didn't want it. (I thus gave her a choice of enabling it should she ever want it for a performance of light music.)
I'm sure that if you ever want a switch to enable/disable that 5th voice my friend Edwin Ericson can make one for you. He is again quite a long trip away (Buck Lack, near Edmonton, Alberta) but at least that's not international travel.
The melody bass on an old Gola 459 is indeed in a different category than that of the Morino. I had the pleasure of trying it (about 10 years ago) when I did tuning on a good friend's Gola. What a wonderful instrument it is. (I also worked on a newer Gola from around 2000 and it's not nearly the same.)
Enjoy your new (old) baby. I'm sure it's going to give you a lot of pleasure and will stimulate you to play a lot more than you already do!

Thank-you! Buck Lake, huh? A 3700km walk... yes its a good distance away, and by coincidence, I know that town, I stayed there many years ago. I also have family in Edmonton... but I am not currently really feeling the urge to drill in to my Gola... lol.

Great story Jerry and I'm very glad it had a happy ending.
Now then - how about a video?
Cheers, Tom

I so much am tempted to rush it, but will instead take the more prudent approach and get acquainted with my new lady before performing with her in public... but its coming soon!

Lovely! Though the image of it on the plane seat is bringing back some stressful memories

OMG, the stress of the event was beyond measure, and the talk with the head stewart just after we were in the air was so comical:

Him: Sir, we cannot have that on the seat!
Me: Sir, yes we can, I actually paid for that seat and if you check you will see it is reserved under my name
Him: Walks away without another word

Five minutes later:
Him: Sir we are going to move that box in to a closet, it will be safe.
Me: Will it be tied down?
Him: No of course not.
Me: Will you guarantee to me in writing that this multi-thousand dollar instrument will not be damaged?
Him: Of course we cannot do that, by the way, how many thousands?
Me: About 25,000 Euros.
Him: (eyes go wide)
Him: But in a 4g drop, it would be everywhere
Me: Sir, I do not wish to cause you any trouble, but I want you to hear my words... are you paying attention? Yes? Good... in a 4G drop, you will have far more serious issues to contend with other than this box leaving the seat, and if your superiors said I could purchase a seat and were provided the weight and dimensions of this instrument and agreed to it by accepting my money, you cannot and will not move this instrument from this seat (add me pointing to him as I said "you" and a point towards the Gola as I say "instrument" for added effect... lol
Him: walks away in frustration, doesn't bother me again for the rest of the trip... and looks away as I pass by him, wishing him a good day after landing in Montreal.

“Fast question... how many of you have seem MULTIPLE 459 Gola accordions in the same room in real life?”
This depends whether there are two at A World of Accordions. There are some cool black Hohner accordions but I don’t know about 2 459s.

I lnow they have a couple developmental "beta" Golas there, but untouchable and behind glass. I don't know, but I did send an email asking if she had any Gola 454 or 459 for sale and Helmi never even bothered to respond to my request if she had any to sell. Without that simple courtesy, I am kind of emotionally put off from even ever visiting there, though who knows what goes on with her. I've been told that she was very eccentric and odd. No matter, I have what was needed in my life without her, so there... haha.

 

[JerryPH]

OMG, huge post, but I wanted to thank everyone directly. I have decided to try and take about a month off and dedicate myself to a little bit of accordion study, I am hoping to reach someone in HR today.

 

[Tom]

“I don't know, Helmi never even bothered to respond to my request if she had any to sell. Without that simple courtesy, I am kind of put off from even ever visiting there, though who knows what goes on with her. I've been told that she was very eccentric and odd. No matter, I have what was needed in my life!”

This is unfortunate, Jerry, as I found Helmi gracious and approachable, as she showed me around the museum. One never knows what’s going on in another’s life, as to why she did not respond to your inquiry. She is definitely a “character,” which is probably a necessary condition to build a museum as she has, but her heart is in the right place. Anyway, I say this so that you and others are not dissuaded from visiting, as it is so worth it. And the Duluth area is fantastically beautiful, naturally and culturally. Plus I’ll meet you there, maybe after 2026!

 

[petch]

OMG, the stress of the event was beyond measure, and the talk with the head stewart just after we were in the air was so comical:

Him: Sir, we cannot have that on the seat!
Me: Sir, yes we can, I actually paid for that seat and if you check you will see it is reserved under my name
Him: Walks away without another word

Five minutes later:
Him: Sir we are going to move that box in to a closet, it will be safe.
Me: Will it be tied down?
Him: No of course not.
Me: Will you guarantee to me in writing that this multi-thousand dollar instrument will not be damaged?
Him: Of course we cannot do that, by the way, how many thousands?
Me: About 25,000 Euros.
Him: (eyes go wide)
Him: But in a 4g drop, it would be everywhere
Me: Sir, I do not wish to cause you any trouble, but I want you to hear my words... are you paying attention? Yes? Good... in a 4G drop, you will have far more serious issues to contend with other than this box leaving the seat, and if your superiors said I could purchase a seat and were provided the weight and dimensions of this instrument and agreed to it by accepting my money, you cannot and will not move this instrument from this seat (add me pointing to him as I said "you" and a point towards the Gola as I say "instrument" for added effect... lol
Him: walks away in frustration, doesn't bother me again for the rest of the trip... and looks away as I pass by him, wishing him a good day after landing in Montreal.

We had some similar trouble leaving Ancona on a budget airline. Luckily another attendant came along who was more understanding, I think she told the first attendant it was a cello and that seemed to be the magic word to appease him. The accordions were strapped in with the seatbelt extenders quite securely but he wanted them to go in the overhead storage. Even if they physically fit (fat chance) it doesn't seem like a good idea to put a 15kg box above everyone's head!

 

[debra]

Just out of curiosity... How did you handle customs upon arrival in Montreal? It could have been trivial or it could have been quite a bit of trouble. Just like to know how that goes in general and how it went in your case. (In case you smuggled the accordion into the country you might not want to tell that in a public forum of course!)

 

[losthobos]

As a side @JerryPH and @saundersbp
What was price of extra seat in comparison to your own seats
Thanks

 

[debra]

...
Thank-you! Buck Lake, huh? A 3700km walk... yes its a good distance away, and by coincidence, I know that town, I stayed there many years ago. I also have family in Edmonton... but I am not currently really feeling the urge to drill in to my Gola... lol.
...

I understand the feeling about making modifications/additions to your newly acquired accordion...
I am not so hesitant though. Soon after I received my Morino Artiste X S I removed the register sliders under the keyboard (that many people don't like) and made chin switches, reusing the internal mechanism of these registers. I also added two more. On a new Bugari we bought for my wife (about 15 years ago) I added an extra chin switches, and on another Bugari we got later I added two chin switches. I also added bellow straps, and retuned the second M reed bank to get some tremolo... And all of this was before I even took the accordion repair courses in Castelfidardo. But of course none of these accordions are as valuable as your Gola. (Together they are but not individually.)

 

[JerryPH]

As a side @JerryPH and @saundersbp
What was price of extra seat in comparison to your own seats
Thanks

Instruments, if you play your cards right are 50% of the cost of a regular seat, at least with Air Canada that was their pricing structure. That was a welcome surprise, because:
A: I didn't care what the cost of the flight was going to be
B: The flight was expensive, yet still reasonable for what it was and the single seat back at 50% less was a pleasant surprise.

Verify everything a minimum of 3 times with the airlines, and stay on top of things EVERYDAY. When they say "we will call you"... give them 24 hours then call them back. Document EVERYTHING, take names and employee numbers, take tons of notes. Give them at least 2-3 weeks to get it right... lol