The Most Beautiful Piano Accordion You’ve Ever Seen

[Eddy Yates]

The only reasons I’d ever buy a concert grand piano are the quality of the build, the touch, and the sound, but there is something seductively different about accordions, right or wrong. This has probably already been posted, but since I can’t find it, thought I’d ask. I began the exercise for myself, first listening to YouTube recordings of different full-size accordions, then asking myself, “Since you can’t play them from a thousand miles away, which one would you buy just from looks alone?” There are vintage boxes that are just “cool”, but a new one caught my eye and made the choice easy: The Beltuna Leader V in Red Olive. I think it’s around $11,000 American, and although I can’t link to that specific color, here’s another one that’s too garish, but with a similar design. How about you?

 

[OuijaBoard]

If you check out the second half or so of the posts on the "Maugein Shake Up" thread on this same "Makes & Models" forum, you will see a number of us kvelling over various Beltunas . . . :b

 

[wout]

Well the pricetag is so incredibly high that i wont be able to afford it. My preference goes to the design of scandalli, guerrini and the serenellini imperator. I like the body of the accordion to be neutral but im a sucker for grill decos. A little bit like older fancy cars.

 

[Eddy Yates]

Thanks, OuijaBoard.
Yeah, Wout...worth more than my car. The vintage instrument that makes me drool is the Bell 4516.
http://www.accordiongallery.com/bell-4516-sn352

 

[Eddy Yates]

Here’s a beauty I could actually afford. Anyone know anything about Lazich?
https://www.libertybellows.com/shop...zich-Piano-Accordion-LMH-41-120-x34298399.htm

 

[debra]

Maybe not the most beautiful piano accordion (because of the chin switches setup) but if I were to ever go back to playing PA this is what I would probably try to buy.
Why? Because the keyboard has 49 notes (D to D) and I actually do have some pieces of music where either the low D or the high D is needed (or both)...
http://bayanakko.ru/uploads/catalog/18_1_slide.jpg>

 

[fjsys]

Well Four years into owning it I still think the Victoria Poeta is the best looking that I have seen. (and as a bonus I get to play every day)



Here is the first picture that I ever received of it, and for a month or two was all that I had to show for the large wire transfer that I made...

Ben

 

[maugein96]

Maybe not the most beautiful piano accordion (because of the chin switches setup) but if I were to ever go back to playing PA this is what I would probably try to buy.
Why? Because the keyboard has 49 notes (D to D) and I actually do have some pieces of music where either the low D or the high D is needed (or both)...

Well Paul,

With the height of that thing I reckon Id need to go on a stretching rack, otherwise Id need to shave the beard off to avoid a war against those chin register switches! Ive never played a PA and would reckon I might need to use a helper to play that high D. If they made them the same size as a small CBA with a revolving treble keyboard on the escalator type principle, then I might give one a try. Id also worry that the combined weight of the box and I would maybe destroy every chair in the house!

 

[debra]

...
Well Paul,

With the height of that thing I reckon Id need to go on a stretching rack, otherwise Id need to shave the beard off to avoid a war against those chin register switches! Ive never played a PA and would reckon I might need to use a helper to play that high D. If they made them the same size as a small CBA with a revolving treble keyboard on the escalator type principle, then I might give one a try. Id also worry that the combined weight of the box and I would maybe destroy every chair in the house!

That accordion has a length (keyboard length) of 493mm. For comparison, a Roland fr8x with 41 keys is 543mm (which I find unbelievable) and a Bugari 260/CHC/C with just 41 keys is 485mm. A Bugari 289/ARS/C4 or C5 with 45 keys is 495mm.
The AKKO with 49 notes has narrower keys and that keeps its size completely reasonable for a PA. Of course a CBA would be more compact.

 

[Eddy Yates]

Oh, dang. (that’s something we say around here), that Poeta is stupefying. I knew I shouldn’t have started this. As a pianist, I used to laugh at guitarists who spent all their money on guitars. “Whaddya need more than one for?” Need?!

 

[maugein96]

That accordion has a length (keyboard length) of 493mm. For comparison, a Roland fr8x with 41 keys is 543mm (which I find unbelievable) and a Bugari 260/CHC/C with just 41 keys is 485mm. A Bugari 289/ARS/C4 or C5 with 45 keys is 495mm.
The AKKO with 49 notes has narrower keys and that keeps its size completely reasonable for a PA. Of course a CBA would be more compact.

It must look bigger than it actually is. Longest box I have is a Cavagnolo CBA at about 460mm, and I thought that was bad.

If I ever consider a PA, reckon Ill just cut a piano in half and see if I can manage that on my knee!

 

[fjsys]

Oh, dang. (that’s something we say around here)...

We say that around here too, but then I am only around 500 miles south of you...

Here’s a beauty I could actually afford. Anyone know anything about Lazich?
https://www.libertybellows.com/shop...zich-Piano-Accordion-LMH-41-120-x34298399.htm

it looks a lot like a 70s/80s Guerrini made accordion with a nice dressing on it. (they also went under the names Universal, or as we find them out here in the west Da Vinci accordions) I own a Da Vinci and have found it a good reliable box, it is my outdoor accordion for whenever an outdoor gig comes up. I havent seen the name Lazich on one, but the Guerrini factory would let you put any name you wanted on the box for the right price...

Ben

 

[Eddy Yates]

Sounds right, Ben. Since I can’t fly everywhere and try out Accordions, I’ve been thinking of hiring someone in the area to check out ones I’m serious about.
Does Utah have any accordion shops?

 

[fjsys]

yep. One.

Accordions International
https://www.accordionfactory.com/

They also do a convention in Las Vegas in October, and while there are no other vendors to compare; they do bring down quite a bit of inventory to try out.

http://www.accordionstars.com/

Ben

 

[OuijaBoard]

No elaboration needed:


https://accordionuprising.wordpress...iger-combo-cordion-1920s-flow-tone-accordion/

 

[Eddy Yates]

Mine’s Cougar Puke Yellow, but certainly beautiful in its own way....

 

[Granitz]

This is a Beltuna Leader V with amplisound thats part of my arsenal. Incredibly rich tone and absolute perfection throughout.



Its a darn shame that it lives in the closet.

Ive turned......to the dark side

 

[debra]

This is a Beltuna Leader V with amplisound thats part of my arsenal. Incredibly rich tone and absolute perfection throughout.
...

That Leader V is a beauty indeed. I tried a Leader V years ago (and decided against it because of price) and not only is it a beautiful instrument (surprisingly compact for a 5 voice instrument) but it also has a very nice sound and with the amplisound also a very rich selection of sounds (timbres) as well.

 

[Eddy Yates]

Happy to hear about the playability of the Leader V. Just curious, does the wood case affect the weight in any way? Thanks for the postS!

 

[debra]

Happy to hear about the playability of the Leader V. Just curious, does the wood case affect the weight in any way? Thanks for the postS!

All pure wood instruments are essentially identical to their wood+celluloid counterparts. The choice of wood and the finishing are different, and it results in somewhat superior accoustic properties of the box, but in terms of weight (or shape) there is no noticeable difference.
The thing that sets the Leader V apart is that it has roughly the same size as a similar 4 voice Bugari, Pigini, Victoria or any other brand of instrument. It is a real masterpiece of engineering to keep the Leader V as compact as it is.