Baby Crucianelli ?

[Dingo40]

Lately I've been messing about with my daughter's abandoned baby Crucianelli/ Pancordion 2/2 (bassoon/clarinet) voiced 41/120 accordion I bought her aged10 years, which she used for two or three years before giving up music, some decades ago.
It's quite a challenge to play anything on it as the keys are only 1.5 cm wide , the whole keyboard being only 37.5 cm across (14.75 inches) and bass buttons to match.
Nevertheless, with persistence, it is possible to get a tune out of it, and it can only get easier!?
I thought to myself, here's the very instrument for all those always banging on about how heavy their accordions are and looking for something lighter.?
Quite surprising how much volume comes on of it: it certainly fills the room!
I can easily manage a 13 key stretch, so arthritis shouldn't be a problem!
And it takes up very little room in the car: just the thing to take along for folk sessions.
I'm simply enthusing about it's advantages, not trying to sell it, so you can all relax! ?

 

[lunarluxau]

Sure love to see a picture of it

 

[Ventura]

here is my "Bambi" model, which i mostly use as my Chapel acccordion for wedding gigs

yes, even with just LM reeds they are suprisingly powerful and clean, while
the shorter keyboard allows easy Octave plus fifth stretched Power Chords
for the wedding march

enjoyable, cute, yet very useful boxes... nice to hear you thought to
pull it out and get re-aquainted with yours

 

[Ventura]

it is a Pan

note the Louvers that re-direct some of the sound TO the musician
rather than all the sound being projected outward... like having tiny
stage monitors, it helps ones confidence when you can hear yourself
even in a noisy situation

this was one of the many Patents that came out of the New York
research and development arm of Deffner and PanCordion

 

[lunarluxau]

Thanks for the pics

 

[Dingo40]

Lunarluxau,
Here you are:?

 

[lunarluxau]

Wow, nice, and thanks for the pen for scale. A lovely looking instrument!

 

[Ventura]

in the USA they sub-branded this model as "Video"
(vih day oh)

 

[Dingo40]

Another image ?

 

[Ventura]

the Crucianelli / Crumar organization and factory were quite a
force at one time.. it was a real shame that place burned to
the ground, as some awesome musical instruments came out of there

there was a container of Pan's in the hold of the Andrea Doria... after
that Ms. Deffner went to 100% air shipment of all orders between
Italy and the USA

 

[debra]

I still have two Crucianelli accordions: the one you could really call a "baby": 26 notes/40 bass 2 voice (very good quality for such a small child's accordion, and a "Super Video" 41/120 4/5 with LMMM that I fully restored 2 years back. My brother used to have another one that had flapper registers and louvers (to the side of the registers). The "grille" was too "solid" (no very large sections with just grille cloth) to get a powerful sound. Besides, directing sound towards the player is generally a bad idea. You want as much of the sound of the accordion to be directed to the audience in order for the player not to become deaf after an extended period (decades) of playing.

 

[jozz]

Another image ?

lovely model! I love these compact versions

but 1.5cm a bit too narrow?

 

[Dingo40]

Jozz,
Normally it's manageable, with some practice. The keys are actually narrower than the widest part of my fingertip pads, but it still works although not much room for error ?
In my case, I have some unintentional, age related, hand/fingers tremor. This can make it trickier. ?
But we soldier on!??

 

[debra]

lovely model! I love these compact versions

but 1.5cm a bit too narrow?

A number of people in my old accordion group had the Crucianelli Prefect (or Perfect, I forget) and the room normally occupied by 7 white keys (C to B) accommodated a whole octave of 8 white keys (C to C). That is a very noticeable difference, and people needed a bit of time to adjust to it, especially to "hit" larger jumps.

 

[jozz]

@Dingo40 as you said, it can only get easier - good luck!

here is my 18mm baby-Bugari keybed - a perfect fit (at least the white keys....)

 

[Tom]

Good to hear you're playing it Dingo! Looks really nice, also yours Ventura and Jozz.

The older Crucianellis are awesome. I've still got a 5 flapper model that I restored. It's got a keyboard sized sort of half way between the compact and standard.

Unfortunately it's across the country at my parents' house so I can't get at it till after covid.

Interestingly enough, I took it to a repair place (that shall remain unnamed) to get a missing treble reed. Much later I realized that the reed comes ftom a different voice set. How sad. I'll be calling Jim D. when I get the accordion back.

 

[NickC]

I missed out on this smaller Crucianelli by a few days.

Crucianelli 60 Bass Accordion

Crucianelli 60 Bass Accordion

theaccordionshop.co.uk

 

[Ventura]

Much later I realized that the reed comes ftom a different voice set.

or drop by someday... (maryland)
i have 2 (junker) flapper boxes in the barn you can pull a few reeds out of
no prob

 

[Tom]

or drop by someday... (maryland)
i have 2 (junker) flapper boxes in the barn you can pull a few reeds out of
no prob

Wow, thanks for that kind offer, Ventura! I'd live to visit...after this virus madness.

 

[JIM D.]

Very few of these well made student models have appeared here with the name Crucianelli as most were imported to
the US with the name "Video" ( short for Montivideo a section of Uruguay founded by Italians) .
There is an interesting history of the origin of the models badged Crucianelli, PANcordion, Panitalia, and Video.
In the early 30's Robert Pancotti (who left his family owned Excelsior Co.) to then develop and patent a series of innovative
accordion designs. He then joined with Ernest Deffner and together purchased the old Wurlitzer accordion factory and
they founded the firm Pancordion. They produced hand made accordions that had and some still have the "Flappers"
(grill shifts) and a body design that carried more power a blended the bass & treble sounds. The design was called "Directone"
and became and still is a preferred design by many recording artist's. Those flappers offered (and still do) easy access to the
shifts with the hand in any playing position. In the 50's it was found necessary to develop an Italian made line and some
Pancordion craftsmen were sent to the Italian firm of Sante Crucianelli to set up a high quality accordion production for the
American market ( a decision made by most American firms at the time). This decision was the result of well made Student, Semi Pro,
and Pro models that were sold in Europe & the US with the names PANcordion, Panitalia, Crucianelli, & Video.