Back from the accordion museum!

[bluke]

Nice story, Jerry. And your Mom is a peach!

I didn't realize that there was an accordion museum so close to me. I thought it would be in Milwaukee, or somewhere like that. Canaan is 75 minutes from my house. Now I've definitely gotta go!

 

[JerryPH]

Nice story, Jerry. And your Mom is a peach!

I didn't realize that there was an accordion museum so close to me. I thought it would be in Milwaukee, or somewhere like that. Canaan is 75 minutes from my house. Now I've definitely gotta go!

When you get there, be prepared for a really special experience and after you meet the owner, tell him the Beltuna is in good hands and being immensely enjoyed.

 

[Tom]

No accordion museums in Milwaukee, but a lot of polka and some Italian players! Nearest is World of Accordions in Superior which is.....superior (in itself, I haven't been to Canaan).

 

[JerryPH]

No accordion museums in Milwaukee, but a lot of polka and some Italian players! Nearest is World of Accordions in Superior which is.....superior (in itself, I haven't been to Canaan).

World of Accordions is definitely much bigger, but based on on what I've heard others say, I doubt it has the personalization and "heart" of Caanan, just my opinion, but I'll be able to tell you more definitively after I visit the one in Superior... its still on my list!

I *wish* we had more polka and italian players around here... that is a wealth of info gold if you could get in amongst that community. I miss not having much of that around here.

 

[kimric]

"The tiny Giullietti free bass, straps so small that I could barely fit one shoulder in it, but that had a pure sound and would be the perfect starting box for a young guy or gal wanting to walk the path to the conservatory. Sweetness in a tiny box!"

I had a couple of these in the shop a few months ago. The reed setup is interesting. The keyboard side has regular hand finished reeds ,but at some point on the left as the notes get lower they transition to hand made. This gives better than expected sound on the lowest reeds. The lowest reeds are also quite large compared to regular bass reeds.

 

[Tom]

World of Accordions is definitely much bigger, but based on on what I've heard others say, I doubt it has the personalization and "heart" of Caanan, just my opinion, but I'll be able to tell you more definitively after I visit the one in Superior... its still on my list!

I *wish* we had more polka and italian players around here... that is a wealth of info gold if you could get in amongst that community. I miss not having much of that around here.

I would say that accordion museum owners are probably a pretty distinctive lot! World of Accordions definitely is defined by Helmi's personality. I found her very friendly and knowledgeable. I'll meet you there! I would like to meet Paul some day.

Alas, I have met a total of one PA and one button box player here. There are more in Green Bay, I'm sure, but I have yet to meet them.

 

[John M]

We have the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum here in Euclid, Ohio. The museum has accordions from the polka band players of the '50's & '60's. There is a large section for Polka King, Frank Yankovic. Hi original Hammond Solovox is there that he used often with the left hand bass side of his accordion. His famous tune with the accordion and Solovox was "Blue Skirt Waltz" -- a one million record seller.

 

[Walker]

I gotta say, I'm really digging it y'all (did I say that right?) I mean the accordion-americana trail; Canaan Accordion Museum in Connecticut, Cleveland-style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum in Ohio, World of Accordions in Wisconsin, all that plus maybe a wee trip to Nashville and Louisiana too. That would be awesome! Ok, so it's a fair stretch of the legs, but it would be worth it. Would you add anywhere else on Route 41/120?​

 

[JerryPH]

I gotta say, I'm really digging it y'all (did I say that right?)​

I am so close to actually calling you up all the way to the highlands just to hear you say "y'all" with a Scottish accent... LOL

I mean the accordion-americana trail; Canaan Accordion Museum in Connecticut, Cleveland-style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum in Ohio, World of Accordions in Wisconsin, all that plus maybe a wee trip to Nashville and Louisiana too. That would be awesome! Ok, so it's a fair stretch of the legs, but it would be worth it. Would you add anywhere else on Route 41/120?​

Well, HERE are 12 more accordion museums, and they don't include the ones in Japan or even the one here in Quebec City, Quebec (which I have never gone to either and is the closest one to me!) or the Muzeum Akordeonu w Kościerzynie in Poland and there have to be some in China, of course, like the Tacheng Accordion Museum in Tacheng, northwest China!

​

 

[Ventura]

Would you add anywhere else

i would add that giving us lead time on any plan to visit will get you
some co-ordinated invitations to accordion club meetings and such
that may line up with your timeline, as well as dinner invitations.

for Nashville, stay at the Gaylord near the (new location) Grand ol Opry
and take the riverboat ride if you can.. good entertainment and all the
Catfish you can eat

 

[Tom]

We have the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum here in Euclid, Ohio. The museum has accordions from the polka band players of the '50's & '60's. There is a large section for Polka King, Frank Yankovic. Hi original Hammond Solovox is there that he used often with the left hand bass side of his accordion. His famous tune with the accordion and Solovox was "Blue Skirt Waltz" -- a one million record seller.

Another travel destination! Thanks John!

 

[Tom]

I gotta say, I'm really digging it y'all (did I say that right?) I mean the accordion-americana trail; Canaan Accordion Museum in Connecticut, Cleveland-style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum in Ohio, World of Accordions in Wisconsin, all that plus maybe a wee trip to Nashville and Louisiana too. That would be awesome! Ok, so it's a fair stretch of the legs, but it would be worth it. Would you add anywhere else on Route 41/120?​

My house. My museum is small, but distinctive. And you do take US 41 to get here. I'll give you an accordion for a song.

PS. "I'm digging it y'all" is correct but went out with Dick Contino. Now you have to say, "This accordion museum thing is dope."

 

[JerryPH]

My house. My museum is small, but distinctive. And you do take US 41 to get here. I'll give you an accordion for a song.

PS. "I'm digging it y'all" is correct but went out with Dick Contino. Now you have to say, "This accordion museum thing is dope."

As someone that lived in Texas and was officially introduced to Ebonics, the correct grammer is "Dis 'codeen thang BE dope!"

 

[Walker]

i would add that giving us lead time on any plan to visit will get you
some co-ordinated invitations to accordion club meetings and such
that may line up with your timeline, as well as dinner invitations.

for Nashville, stay at the Gaylord near the (new location) Grand ol Opry
and take the riverboat ride if you can.. good entertainment and all the
Catfish you can eat

Ventura, thank you kindly for such thoughtful suggestions on accordion clubs and Nashville too. It sure would be amazing and I could get me some good-eatin catfish and corn pone to boot.

My house. My museum is small, but distinctive. And you do take US 41 to get here. I'll give you an accordion for a song.

Now Tom, that sounds just swell. I would enjoy playing some songs with you on the accordion, and even if I don't know the tune, there's a fair chance I can vamp out some of the chords. And if that doesn't work, I am pretty good at eating cheese, and I'd imagine that's a useful skill in America's Dairyland.

I am so close to actually calling you up all the way to the highlands just to hear you say "y'all" with a Scottish accent... LOL

Well, HERE are 12 more accordion museums, and they don't include the ones in Japan or even the one here in Quebec City, Quebec (which I have never gone to either and is the closest one to me!) or the Muzeum Akordeonu w Kościerzynie in Poland and there have to be some in China, of course, like the Tacheng Accordion Museum in Tacheng, northwest China!

​

Hi Jerry, thanks for all the information about the accordion museums globally! I did visit the Stradella accordion museum on two occasions, but it was closed both times - they must have known I was coming.

Still, I do think the North American and Canadian accordion heritage is amazing and should be celebrated. From Polka, Cajun, Jazz, Classical (Anthony Galla-Rini, Magnante etc), Country, and also the American accordions like Excelsior, Titano, Petosa etc and everything musical inbetween - I really think it's spot-on.

It certainly is a dream to visit the special music areas in North America, and it may be a dream but I hope it might just happen one day!

 

[kimric]

"Well, HERE are 12 more accordion museums, and they don't include the ones in Japan or even the one here in Quebec City, Quebec (which I have never gone to either and is the closest one to me!) or the Muzeum Akordeonu w Kościerzynie in Poland and there have to be some in China, of course, like the Tacheng Accordion Museum in Tacheng, northwest China!"

I never made it to the museum in Zwota outside of Klingenthal, but there is a decent one right downtown in Klingenthal that I have visited. Klingenthal it is about 100' from the hotel I typically stay in. The one in Tula Russia was really cool since they have tours with professional musicians that play the different instruments (young men in adidas track suits!) The owner was very nice and demonstrated several of the instruments for us. My pics and videos of the Tula museum.

 

[Tom]

As someone that lived in Texas and was officially introduced to Ebonics, the correct grammer is "Dis 'codeen thang BE dope!"

Sorry to hear that....

 

[JerryPH]

Congratulations on the Beltuna, Jerry
And on having such a generous mother!
You'll have to contact George76 and share information regarding the LIMEX ( as he also has one)

I’ve tried reaching out in PM, no answer yet. I just found a starting point in a PDF, that’s better than nothing.

 

[gfreed]

I want to ringingly second everything JerryPH said about the New England Accordion Connection and Museum. My wife and I just returned from our first visit. I'm fortunate that it's only about 2.5-hour drive from where we live, and I'm sure I'll be returning! The collection is beautifully displayed, and Paul is very generous with his time. I, too, squeezed myself into the child-sized Giulietti free-bass accordion-- it had awesome sound (no surprise there) and I could practically one-hand it when i picked it up. I didn't buy an instrument... this time. If you live in New England or plan to visit, be sure to stop in Canaan, CT.

Attached are a couple of photos.

 

[NickC]

This is such a great story. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the new accordion.

 

[Marty S]

Jerry, I very much liked your story of your visit to the Canaan, CT museum. Your experience with the various instruments was informative, and the ending was so sweet it made my eyes water. But please pardon me, I am a little confused about the old Paolo Rogledi. If I may dare to ask about it, I always understood that in the B-griff right hand, the outside 1st column of buttons are 3 white/1 black per octave, also repeated in the 4th column. While with the other columns (2,3,and 5) it is 2 white/2 black buttons per octave. Is that wrong?

And it was the C-griff which had the 3 white/1 black per octave buttons only in the middle 3rd column, as it seems in the pictures this grand beauty has. (As an aside, I prefer to call the vertical rows “columns”, and only the diagonal rows “rows” to help differentiate between them and avoid any potential confusion.)

So wouldn’t that make this a C-griff in the right hand? I just checked again with several B and C-griff pictures and that still seems to be the case. What am I missing? Or was it the left-hand bass side that was B-griff? Please excuse my impertinence, but my curiosity has driven me to try and understand this.

And yes, please post a video of the Beltuna!

Last story, promise... let's call this one "the Masochist's Accordion"

My mom and I were on the way out and after the hugs and promises, we were about 10 feet away from the door when my eye caught this old button accordion... but after the briefest of glances, it told me that something was "off". It looked really old, perhaps 1920's-1930's, but the shape, design and layout was just different.

Let me share that with you...

Check out that side view:


That old woodwork, the grain mirroring, it's like WOW.



Check out that mother of pearl inlays, so neat and perfect, just incredible!



Look at that art deco keyboard backing... siver!

Now... here is the part that instantly caught my eye from across the other side of the room...




See it? Let me get closer for you:



Thats a crap load of buttons! I knew instantly what it was... the number of buttons and the angles at the top and bottom gave it away to me the second I took a good look... thats an MIII Free Bass! Now the question was... what system?

For me that was easy... I knew the second I hit the 3rd note... they were chromatic, minor thirds... it was a C-System MIII system! Cool, so what would make this a masochistic accordion? That was courtesy of the right hand. Again, within playing 3 notes, I saw it was NOT a C-system, it was a B-system right hand!

So, my question is... what masochist would order an accordion with 3 different keyboard layouts??? A B-system right hand, C-system left hand and of course, standard Stradella... only a masochist would want to learn 3 systems on the same accordion... LOL

I had the blessed opportunity to take this accordion off it's shelf (with permission of course!), and play a few notes, and though I do not play a button accordion, I knew enough to define a few of it's key features that made this accordion likely a one of a kind in the whole world... what a perfect diamond!