That would be more the mentality of a v-accordion player where you can fit near any combination or instrument choice from a list of thousands of combinations. If you have an accordion with NO registers, I bet you can take ANY of those songs in your list and if you are talented enough, still play them and make a room full of people happy.
Here's a previous thread on the topic, but there are others:
You have a Gola?? How did I miss that? Have any videos of you with the Gola in action?
I'd rather have a 4 voice and less weight. 11 treble registers is plenty for me, and I usually prefer a 2 reed musette to a 3 reed one anyway.
I've never personally had much need for an accordion with piccolo reeds, but after watching this video it almost made me wish I had one.
Yes, we accordionists must suffer for our art in more than one way! So I must confess now that I enjoy talking, listening and playing accordions considerably more than collecting them.
This thread and some other similar instrument-based conversations have been a terrific money saving tool for me. It can be easy to get caught up in the wonder of buying shiny new accordions with all the special features. Yet I rarely find that the daydream is matched by the reality, and even the effect of Guidobaldi reeds (with voices like flutes) encased within a precious cassotto of aged Wisconsin maple, doesn't quite soothe the shock of the invoice that accompanies said lovingly crafted accordion.
Now, I just checked and apparently accordions are not on the commodity list alongside copper, wheat, Rolex Submariners and solid gold... so sadly the Excelsior AC doesn't stand for Asset Class.
I currently own two accordions, an old 4 voice musette Bugari PA and a Pigini classical PA - both mid level but solid quality. They are all I need... I guess I could replace both with one five voice accordion, but the weight of the five voice would make me tetchy. So, for the time being I'll stick to what I have.
If I can get my act together and my playing improves significantly on free bass, then I probably will replace my Pigini with something more fancy, with an extra bell and maybe two whistles. A compact 4 voice Zero Sette converter would be nice, but I can't quite decide whether to go 45 keys or stick with 41 keys. I am not convinced I would actually need the extra 4 notes.
Anyway. I'm off to practice my accordion for a while. See y'all later.
Oh wait, I forgot to say... very interesting point Dan:
The Serenellini above is a good accordion for a variety of world music styles. I also think the value for money in standard bass accordions is to be found in the small family run businesses like Serenellini, Siwa & Figli, Fisitalia, Giustozzi or @Tom's Piatanesi.
However, for free bass, well that's a different ball game - with different technologies and different sounds. I would look for the big free bass specialists (Pigini, Bugari etc). For example, if I wanted to hear some Zolotaryov I would like it on a Jupiter or AKKO bayan... and if I want some Renaissance music I would enjoy it on a big Italian concert accordion. Your preferences will almost certainly differ...
Out of interest, any thoughts on the tone of this accordion below... It's very distinctive! I like it for the style it's playing, but maybe not for a Highland Barn Dance...
Riccardo Centazzo playing Frescobaldi on a Zero Sette concert accordion (with 5 voices).
This thread and some other similar instrument-based conversations have been a terrific money saving tool for me. It can be easy to get caught up in the wonder of buying shiny new accordions with all the special features. Yet I rarely find that the daydream is matched by the reality, and even the effect of Guidobaldi reeds (with voices like flutes) encased within a precious cassotto of aged Wisconsin maple, doesn't quite soothe the shock of the invoice that accompanies said lovingly crafted accordion.
Now, I just checked and apparently accordions are not on the commodity list alongside copper, wheat, Rolex Submariners and solid gold... so sadly the Excelsior AC doesn't stand for Asset Class.
I currently own two accordions, an old 4 voice musette Bugari PA and a Pigini classical PA - both mid level but solid quality. They are all I need... I guess I could replace both with one five voice accordion, but the weight of the five voice would make me tetchy. So, for the time being I'll stick to what I have.
If I can get my act together and my playing improves significantly on free bass, then I probably will replace my Pigini with something more fancy, with an extra bell and maybe two whistles. A compact 4 voice Zero Sette converter would be nice, but I can't quite decide whether to go 45 keys or stick with 41 keys. I am not convinced I would actually need the extra 4 notes.
Anyway. I'm off to practice my accordion for a while. See y'all later.
Oh wait, I forgot to say... very interesting point Dan:
The Serenellini above is a good accordion for a variety of world music styles. I also think the value for money in standard bass accordions is to be found in the small family run businesses like Serenellini, Siwa & Figli, Fisitalia, Giustozzi or @Tom's Piatanesi.
However, for free bass, well that's a different ball game - with different technologies and different sounds. I would look for the big free bass specialists (Pigini, Bugari etc). For example, if I wanted to hear some Zolotaryov I would like it on a Jupiter or AKKO bayan... and if I want some Renaissance music I would enjoy it on a big Italian concert accordion. Your preferences will almost certainly differ...
Out of interest, any thoughts on the tone of this accordion below... It's very distinctive! I like it for the style it's playing, but maybe not for a Highland Barn Dance...
Riccardo Centazzo playing Frescobaldi on a Zero Sette concert accordion (with 5 voices).
The piece is "Oblivion" by bandoneon player/composer Astor Piazolla. Many of his compositions blurred the line between tango and classical music. The accordionist is a monster player, and certainly makes one take an interest in Serenellini accordions.
Very nice comparison. I think there is a lot of similarity there between the regal and accordion. I am no expert on Renaissance music, but the Regal would certainly have been an instrument of this era. I think much of the music employed note combinations with intervals of 5ths. It seems to give a strong harmonic reaction. A lovely low buzzing sound that's centuries old to my ears.It reminds me of the "regal", a kind of "buzziness". I like it!
Thanks for sharing!
Totally agree Tom, in the higher notes there is definately an accent of recorder or flute. It's magic. I just picture a very small village church organ somewhere in hot and dusty Italy or a leafy English hamlet with recorder like tones floating out of it's miniature pipes...
