1930's Settimio Soprani restoration

[Rosie C]

Part of the reason I spurned melodion in favour of piano accordion is that my grandfather played it - through the 1940s and 50s he played in a dance band. His is the instrument on the right. I'm not sure what happened to it. It looks like it had white "black" keys? Anyway, here is a photo from the late 1940s.

 

[Ben-jammin]

Prewar Settimio Soprani

 

[JerryPH]

Beautiful, they don't make them like that anymore!

 

[Rosie C]

Prewar Settimio Soprani

Thank you for sharing that image - it's good to know what it looked like

 

[Rosie C]

I think I may have narrowed down the search. I found this example on Ebay - in pretty poor condition, but it seems to have the same detail in the stradella surround, the same motif either side of Settimio Soprani. So it looks like it's a "Castello" model.

 

[Ventura]

I think I may have narrowed down the search. I found this example on Ebay - in pretty poor condition, but it seems to have the same detail in the stradella surround, the same motif either side of Settimio Soprani. So it looks like it's a "Castello" model.

we may see something pop up now and then here in the USA,
like this one

Ancona Accordion By Soprani. - musical instruments - by owner - sale - craigslist

Ancona By Soprani. My fathers around early 1940's.

newjersey.craigslist.org

maybe one of us can check something out and ship it off to Scotland for you someday
if the price is right

it is possible to set up an area search on Craigslist from any ZipCode then set a radius
of say 200 miles and leave it as a cookie in your browser, then you can refer to it
once a week or so.. some may get listed in antiques and some Soprani's may not
say "Settimo" on the ad

Musical Instruments For Sale "soprani" near College Park, MD 20740 - craigslist

Musical Instruments For Sale "soprani" near College Park, MD 20740 - craigslist

washingtondc.craigslist.org

"Ikesaccordions"
Ike has a huge stash of old accordions that need fixed, but he has been
busy lately with a move.. he might have a couple for parts once he re-surfaces

 

[Rosie C]

Thanks for those suggestions @Ventura . Annoyingly I'm the the USA in two weeks - for the first time in over a decade, but I'm up against it with university assignments, otherwise I could have spent some time looking for something to bring back. But there'll be other times.

That "Ancona" is *very* nice. I can see I'm going to need a whole room for accordions at this rate!

 

[Rosie C]

I think I may have narrowed down the search. I found this example on Ebay - in pretty poor condition, but it seems to have the same detail in the stradella surround, the same motif either side of Settimio Soprani. So it looks like it's a "Castello" model.

But no, reading back through the thread I see that @Ben-jammin got it spot on right at the start - either side of the keyboard is a scalloped edge, and when I re-looked at that photo, the "Cardinal" has the same scallops. Also in the photo of my grandfather, the accordion on the left clearly has black and white keys, whereas my grandfather's has very low contrast, suggesting it has the golden coloured keys.

So the hunt is on now, ideally I need *TWO* accordions - one for honing my repair skills and for parts. The other to restore.

 

[Rosie C]

I was quite convinced that I wanted an accordion identical to my grandfather's, but there's a Settimio Soprani "Rialto" on ebay at the moment. Very similar, but 80-bass rather than 120. Not quite the same, but I'm probably much more likely to play it, being a bit smaller. Decisions, decisions!

 

[Ventura]

is it within driving distance ?

of course when you do pick one up, it is going to be
Labor of love to fix it up, regardless of cost or even
if it takes a year to finish

from the pic's and of the recent posting from new Zealand, when you
see all the old rhinestones still in their places, not fallen out from dryness,
and non-warped bellows, tape not ripped, and a keyset relatively straight
and not curving and rubbing, well that's a good start..

making sure it's all there, hands on, is next, and making sure
the reeds are not rusted or ruined from wild tunings by butchers

but sure, it looks like a nice one.. good luck

i re-built a little grey Hohner Mouse from the 1930's and still play it
every Oktober at gigs as a featured interlude on a few very German songs..
had to work on literally everything in it, though Ike did the bass mechanism adjustments
for me at a later date

having a neat old pre-WW2 box is definitely cool and different and
like playing History as well as preserving it

 

[Rosie C]

It would be about 400 miles round trip to collect it, and it's up for £180 or offers. So by the time I consider the fuel and a day's driving I might as well take a chance and have it shipped. It wouldn't be worth paying someone to restore it, but I hope to learn the skills and do it myself.

I saw the post by @Moko earlier today, about a similar era accordion (which prompted me to run another search on eBay) and I might well take the same approach - acquire a couple of similar instruments, and make a good one from the two.

I'd be almost happy just with it nicely polished in a display case, but if it plays well too, well that would be a definite bonus.

 

[Ventura]

the grey mouse plays "Amboss Polka" and "Schnee Waltz"
like no other accordion I own

 

[Rosie C]

I am learning Schnee Waltz at the moment

 

[Moko]

It would be about 400 miles round trip to collect it, and it's up for £180 or offers. So by the time I consider the fuel and a day's driving I might as well take a chance and have it shipped. It wouldn't be worth paying someone to restore it, but I hope to learn the skills and do it myself.

I saw the post by @Moko earlier today, about a similar era accordion (which prompted me to run another search on eBay) and I might well take the same approach - acquire a couple of similar instruments, and make a good one from the two.

I'd be almost happy just with it nicely polished in a display case, but if it plays well too, well that would be a definite bonus.

I got the green one from eBay 50 pounds the seller put lots of pics on and I spoke to the man on the phone.he did not want to post it so I got my own delivery can't remember who I used. When it arrived the bottom was smashed to bits. the bellows were spot on. The keys just about level.reed blocks good no rust on reeds but some leathers had curled which I expected. I worked for a well known courier a big name company. Items were marked fragile but we're tossed about like garage by low paid over worked agency staff. Personally I would not trust any of them to deliver an iron ball intact. I waited a year to find another of the same model at a low price lot wanted silly money for junk. I looked for another but wanted to pick it up but none were local so did the eBay route again. I contacted the seller and asked him to pack the box well hi did this and the accordion was ok arrived by parcel force. Personally if I did it again I would find one more local and pull the pins and look inside.

 

[Moko]

I got the green one from eBay 50 pounds the seller put lots of pics on and I spoke to the man on the phone.he did not want to post it so I got my own delivery can't remember who I used. When it arrived the bottom was smashed to bits. the bellows were spot on. The keys just about level.reed blocks good no rust on reeds but some leathers had curled which I expected. I worked for a well known courier a big name company. Items were marked fragile but we're tossed about like garage by low paid over worked agency staff. Personally I would not trust any of them to deliver an iron ball intact. I waited a year to find another of the same model at a low price lot wanted silly money for junk. I looked for another but wanted to pick it up but none were local so did the eBay route again. I contacted the seller and asked him to pack the box well hi did this and the accordion was ok arrived by parcel force. Personally if I did it again I would find one more local and pull the pins and look inside.

 

[Moko]

 

[Rosie C]

It would be about 400 miles round trip to collect it, and it's up for £180 or offers.

Ah, while I was still deciding whether to buy someone else bought it

Settimio Soprani Rialto Accordion 80 Bass 34 Treble | eBay

With 80 bass and 34 treble keys, it provides a wide range of notes to play with.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Ventura]

a sign from the universe then..

be patient, be lucky, be ready..

 

[Rosie C]

a sign from the universe then..

be patient, be lucky, be ready..

Wise words! I ran another internet search and I see one at a dealer who previously said they might have one. It has the scalloped edge around the keyboard. Everything seems to match. My photo just isn't clear enough to make out the model. It seems it will be either CARDINAL or CASTELLO. I'm thinking CASTELLO - the last letter looks more like an O than an L.

 

[Moko]

I was quite convinced that I wanted an accordion identical to my grandfather's, but there's a Settimio Soprani "Rialto" on ebay at the moment. Very similar, but 80-bass rather than 120. Not quite the same, but I'm probably much more likely to play it, being a bit smaller. Decisions, decisions!

The old 120 bass settimios are quite light. My 120 is lighter than my 80 bass weltmiester. Lots lighter than honer Atlantics etc you soon adapt to in and more air so less work