Accordion Trivia - Smallest Full Size

[rauschmeier]

What is the smallest full-size accordion (41/120) with four voices (LMMM or LMMH)?

For an objective standard of "small" ... I'm going with keyboard length.

I have a bet that it is not the Hohner Regina VI at 14 1/2"

Can anyone help me prove this? Measurements needed to collect.

 

[JerryPH]

The smallest full size that I saw was at the accordion museum, it was NOT a Hohner Regina, but some Italian brand... memory fails me for the name (he actuallly had 2 of them on sale and both were red and white). It was the smallest 41/120 I had ever seen... I am not sure if it was 3 or 4 voices, but it was cute as heck, and very compact.

For someone that can still handle full sized 5/5 with Free Bass, I find full sized standard accordions light and zero effort to play.

 

[kimric]

I may have one that has a 13" keyboard, I will check.

 

[rauschmeier]

I would love to know. Thanks, Kimric.

I feel a little like I've given the age old logic problem of the Steam Boat Captain who wants to buy the slowest steam-boat ever made. Three people show up each saying they have the slowest boat. What does the captain do? Hold a race where the sellers have to drive one of the other seller's boat!

But seriously, I don't want to lose this bet...but if I do...I want to buy that winning accordion!

 

[Dingo40]

What is the smallest full-size accordion (41/120)

Mine doesn't have 4 voices, but it is 41/120 and has a 14" keyboard:

https://www.accordionists.info/attachments/1569855e-15d2-40f1-8457-8c4cd61ae0f4-jpeg.4394/

(A bit tight for adult fingers!)
The bellows alone are 12" tall.
I got it for my daughter who was in grade school at the time.

 

[JerryPH]

My Mundinger is 16.5", playing it makes me feel like I am cramping 5 fingers in to the place for 4 fingers and my tiny Titan (Titano) is 13-3.4" with a 37 key layout placing 5 fingers in an area good for 3... on a 41 key 13 or 14 inch keyboard... you'd better have fingers no wider than the average thickness of spaghetti!

 

[rauschmeier]

My Mundinger is 16.5", playing it makes me feel like I am cramping 5 fingers in to the place for 4 fingers and my tiny Titan (Titano) is 13-3.4" with a 37 key layout placing 5 fingers in an area good for 3... on a 41 key 13 or 14 inch keyboard... you'd better have fingers no wider than the average thickness of spaghetti!

Thanks Jerry. That is tiny!

However, 13.75" for 37 keys (0.372" per key) still gets me to 15 1/4" for a 41-key layout.

I'm afraid I'm still going to lose the bet and have to buy this accordion...aw shucks! My wife is going to be upset because she says the last thing we need is another accordion...but a bet is a bet!

 

[rauschmeier]

My Mundinger is 16.5", playing it makes me feel like I am cramping 5 fingers in to the place for 4 fingers and my tiny Titan (Titano) is 13-3.4" with a 37 key layout placing 5 fingers in an area good for 3... on a 41 key 13 or 14 inch keyboard... you'd better have fingers no wider than the average thickness of spaghetti!

Thanks Jerry. That is tiny!

However, 13.75" for 37 keys (0.372" per key) still gets me to 15 1/4" for a 41-key layout.

I'm afraid I'm still going to lose the bet and have to buy this accordion...aw shucks! My wife is going to be upset because she says the

Mine doesn't have 4 voices, but it is 41/120 and has a 14" keyboard:

https://www.accordionists.info/attachments/1569855e-15d2-40f1-8457-8c4cd61ae0f4-jpeg.4394/

(A bit tight for adult fingers!)
The bellows alone are 12" tall.
I got it for my daughter who was in grade school at the time.

That's georgeous! Thanks for posting a pic! I wasn't expecting bass registers on an accordion that small!

However, at only 3-voices, I'm still going to lose.

Maybe you want to make a bet too, where if I lose, I have to buy that beautiful Crucianelli from you. My wife said I can't go shopping for accordions any more...but she didn't say anything about my gambling.

 

[JerryPH]

However, 13.75" for 37 keys (0.372" per key) still gets me to 15 1/4" for a 41-key layout.

I'm afraid I'm still going to lose the bet and have to buy this accordion...aw shucks! My wife is going to be upset because she says the

It's not just key size but hand angle/finger position as well, but I understand where you are coming from. The question is... do you want to lose... lol

Maybe you want to make a bet too, where if I lose, I have to buy that beautiful Crucianelli from you. My wife said I can't go shopping for accordions any more...but she didn't say anything about my gambling.

Haha... that explains a lot, but if you like a specific accordion, why aren't you gambling for the ones you want... or are you? .

 

[rauschmeier]

It's not just key size but hand angle/finger position as well, but I understand where you are coming from. The question is... do you want to lose... lol


Haha... that explains a lot, but if you like a specific accordion, why aren't you gambling for the ones you want... or are you? .

Yes, I actually am...I'm pretty sure the Hohner Regina VI is the smallest 41/120 accordion ever made with 4 full voices (which is why I wanted it), but my wife was sure there was a smaller one...and I thought I'd give her every advantage by enlisting the cognoscenti of our forum so there was no doubt that I won and could add to the collection. After all, I wanted to be fair...fingers crossed!

 

[Ventura]

with less internal space, there is a finite smallness
one can design a reed for a given pitch before it
sounds like absolute crap and has no balls at all..
so the initial engineering is critical to craft a complete
scale design that will be truly playable

in the 3/4 size accordion 41/120 LMMH 4 reed Bass
category, my personal experience puts the cream and blue
series Scandalli as the best of breed in a "ladies" size box
(it even has a palm shift)
and in more modern times, Faithe Deffner commissioned
and helped design a 3/4 size LMMH lightweight PanCordion
from Pigini that is still available by special order today,
and is a delight to own and play..

if you even run across either of these two, do not doubt
they are worth owning.. of course the bass section of the
Scandalli will likely need a ring job..