Chinese Manufactured Accordion Model List

[Ventura]

the software our Sysop has chosen for this site is impressive,
but i do not know its capabilities

on Discord channels and other similar interfaces, a discussion
can have a "Tagged" or "Pinned" item that stays at the top
(like the actual list of verboten accordion names)
while the discussion can range widely beneath

which is good because the more info you have the better, and
many of us DO like to know why as well as what

 

[Scuromondo]

The following is a list of accordion models/makers thought to originate in China.
This is not an attempt to qualify the good or bad - just inform of the country of manufacture.
How you use the info. will be down to your own interpretation and research - and possibly the input from the members on the board.
The list has been gathered from previous posts by the members; often from memory so there is room for error.

Corrections/enhancements/additions welcomed.

Ill edit it to include info from later following posts or from the discussion here: http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1526&hilit=pearl+river .

And a big THANKS to JimD who provided much of the info. Much appreciated JIm. :tup: :tup:


Aidi
Aliante
Aileen
Baidi
Baile (or sometimes listed as Balie, or Bailie)
Baronelli (Barronelli?)
Bellini http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1584&start=100
Belmont
Black Diamond
Bonetti
Brandelli
Canarino
Cantibile (18/09/15)
Cavalier
Chanson
Cipelino/Cipalino
Cotati
Del Sol
DLuca
E. Soprani (Circus model range) but Italian manufactured models still being sold. (April 2018)
Elane
Estrella (18/09/15)
Excalibur (most models)
Fenix/Michael/Veneza (not Venezia which is Italian)
Fever
Firotti (old models are east German but new models are likely Chinese using the now defunct brand name; see page 10)
First Act
Firston
Gallini Pic added page 11; 09/12/16
Gararda (M. Gararda - seen listed on eBay Australia Feb 2016)
Giovanni (There are older Italian Giovanni accordions. Chinese I have seen have the typical Parrot like, 70s Scandalli like, register switches).
Golden Cup
Golden Lion
Goldstar
Heimond
Hohner (German, but some models, recent and lower end, inc Nova & Bravo, are produced in China, Ed)
Honica / Hohnica - see post 07 Aug 15
Hsinghai
J.Meister
Jessy
Jinbao
Jixing
KGD
M. Gararda - seen listed on eBay Australia Feb 2016
Meister, J (J.Meister)
Michael/Fenix/Veneza (not Venezia which is Italian)
Mirage
Morelli /Mirelli
OEM
Padova
Paganini
Parrot
Pearl River
Peredie
Primo
Rizatti
Revel
Rossetti
Rossini
Scarlatti (some models, maybe all)
Serenelli (was a quality Castelfidardo maker from the 30s until 1963; recent branded product is likely Chinese - Page 11, post 01 June)
Sila (Pic posted Sat Feb 27, 2016)
Skyline
SofiaMari
Sonantti (see link added 16 Nov 2016, page 11)
Sonata
Songlin
Sonor
Soprani (see post 16Sept15)
Startone
Starwave
Stella (not to be confused with Weltmeister Stella which is German manufacture, see pic in thread, July 9 2014)
Stephanelli
Stewart
Studio http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1584&start=100
Sunrise
Talents
Tombo (think Japanese but believe mostly made in China), also seen as Tombo Soprano.
Tslents
Veneza/Michael/Fenix (not Venezia which is Italian)
Yingjie
Yuewie

Two more potential brands for the list. The names are very cryptic, quite unpronounceable really:

“WYKDL” and “M-zutx”

I encountered both on Amazon. Some models of these brands do not even seem particularly inexpensive really. So I don’t know if they are slightly better than typical or if the purveyors of this stuff are just getting a bit bolder.

 

[Glug]

Some of those WYKDL accordions look like a decent spec:

WYKDL Children‘s Accordion Keyboard Instruments with Treble Keys Air Valves Hand Strap Early Learning Eduction Instrument Music Toy Black 41-key 120 Bass 3 Row Spring Piano Accordion Playing : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

WYKDL Children‘s Accordion Keyboard Instruments with Treble Keys Air Valves Hand Strap Early Learning Eduction Instrument Music Toy Black 41-key 120 Bass 3 Row Spring Piano Accordion Playing : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

www.amazon.co.uk

But it's got the wrong description and it's 5k ukp.
It has got sheepskin bellows though.

Supplied from (business address)

• xixianxinqufengdongxincheng
• sanqiaojiedaobanshichuxiaolicun89hao
• xian
• shanxi
• 710086
• CN

 

[Scuromondo]

Some of those WYKDL accordions look like a decent spec:

WYKDL Children‘s Accordion Keyboard Instruments with Treble Keys Air Valves Hand Strap Early Learning Eduction Instrument Music Toy Black 41-key 120 Bass 3 Row Spring Piano Accordion Playing : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

WYKDL Children‘s Accordion Keyboard Instruments with Treble Keys Air Valves Hand Strap Early Learning Eduction Instrument Music Toy Black 41-key 120 Bass 3 Row Spring Piano Accordion Playing : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

www.amazon.co.uk

But it's got the wrong description and it's 5k ukp.
It has got sheepskin bellows though.

Supplied from (business address)

• xixianxinqufengdongxincheng
• sanqiaojiedaobanshichuxiaolicun89hao
• xian
• shanxi
• 710086
• CN

It also has some very special features that I have never seen before like 7 built-in “keyboard tuners,” “3 rows of bass springs” and “3 bass mutators.” I would like to know whether the keyboard tuners use a scratcher or a grinder, but even seeing one of the mutant basses in action might be worth £5k!

 

[Soulsaver]

'WYKDL' and “M-zutx” added... (Doubt if they'd be confused with Italian instruments... )
Castellani warning added.

 

[Hopper Ron]

I was contacted by a Chinese student in our local university. She bought a very high quality accordion from me. She was a fine player of classical music. In visiting further with her, I learned that her teacher in China was a very accomplished classical accordionist. I asked her about the quality of accordions available in China. She said that the finest accordions made in China are kept in China for the best players and not generally shipped out of the country. She went on to say that many of the best Chinese accordionists prefer what she called the "pure" sounds of dry tuned reeds. She was not aware that any of China's best accordions were even available for export. I was very impressed with her playing ability and accordion knowledge. Several years later, she wanted me to buy the accordion back, for she had completed her advanced degree and could not return with an accordion. I found a buyer. Then a year later, this scenario was repeated with another fine Chinese accordionist who confirmed that China is making very high level accordions for the conservatory level players and that with the high demand, the finest Chinese accordions stay there.

 

[JIM D.]

As long as the unknowing and uninformed buyers keep purchasing the inferior and overpriced junk they offer and export today
it's extremely doubtful that a quality Chinese accordion will be offered and exported in the near future. The manufacturers and
dealers of the Chinese junk currently offered today are making a fine profit selling them and practice the rule of thumb --
"If it ain't broken don't fix it". And of course if they did offer a fine product for export it would only demean the junk they
offer today.

 

[Dingo40]

For example, there's not much wrong with this guy's "Parrot "?

I wonder what he's got here??

 

[JerryPH]

Yang Yi is probably one of Asia's best known accordionists, and he is most heavily government sponsored and recognized as a political asset. You can bet that anything he plays may look like the "off the shelf" accordions, but they are known to be modified to the extreme and the costs associated are equal to or beyond the highest costing accordions on the market today. Of course, they would never let him play anything German or Italian just because of political pride.

 

[wayne]

Norteno

 

[Pinu]

which is the best Chinese manufacturer? How much would cost a comparable instrument respect to Castelfidardo? Just as a reference to open the discussion, I consider my reference accordion to be either a 41/120 4/5 LMMM ( no cassotto) or 41/120 4/5 LMMH (L and M in cassotto). in Italy I would expect to pay the first around 3500-5000 euro and the second 5000-7000 euro in average.

 

[debra]

which is the best Chinese manufacturer? How much would cost a comparable instrument respect to Castelfidardo? Just as a reference to open the discussion, I consider my reference accordion to be either a 41/120 4/5 LMMM ( no cassotto) or 41/120 4/5 LMMH (L and M in cassotto). in Italy I would expect to pay the first around 3500-5000 euro and the second 5000-7000 euro in average.

I don't know which is "the best" Chinese manufacturer, but experience grows over time. So your best bet is to go with a brand that has been in existence for a long time, like Baile or Parrot. If your prices "in Italy" are accurate (I believe accordions cost already quite a bit more than this in Italy) then my expectation would be that "in China" a Chinese accordion would cost around 1/4 of these prices. However, buying directly in China is quite a bit more difficult than buying in Italy (at least for me). If you buy a Chinese accordion in "the West", expect to pay a lot more than in China (just like Italian accordions bought from a dealer in "the West" costs a lot more than buying directly from a factory in Italy). But even so I think the 1/4 ratio still mostly applies. But... you get what you pay for. If you buy an Italian accordion for say 10.000 then after 10 years you can sell it for around 10.000 again (so its value goes down with inflation) but I expect a Chinese accordion you buy for 1.500 may only be worth 150 to 300 after 10 years... It is basically "used up" while the Italian accordion is still almost new...

 

[donn]

Norteno

I believe that was a proposal to add this name to the list of Chinese brands. It's a Gabbanelli line of diatonic instruments generally referred to as "accordion". If the Latin-1 character set is available, it would be Norteño.

 

[Scuromondo]

which is the best Chinese manufacturer? How much would cost a comparable instrument respect to Castelfidardo? Just as a reference to open the discussion, I consider my reference accordion to be either a 41/120 4/5 LMMM ( no cassotto) or 41/120 4/5 LMMH (L and M in cassotto). in Italy I would expect to pay the first around 3500-5000 euro and the second 5000-7000 euro in average.

The price ranges for a “good” quality Italian 4/5 accordion in the US are actually similar to your numbers: about 3500-5000 USD for non-cassotto, and 5000-7000 USD for cassotto. This does not include a mano reeds, special features, or premium brands like Pigini, Petosa, Bugari, Victoria, etc., which would probably double these prices.

 

[Valski]

Sunrise ,is one for your list.

The Bonetti guy is a real piece of work, they have changed their name a couple of times. For a while they were going under the name Morishi which was a actual Italian company at one time. I believe they also were also the same people who went by "by Italian design" which was printed on their accordions.
I think they have been slapped with law suits at least a couple of times.

The name was most likely Moreschi, which was a small Italian accordion manufacturer which is long gone. I owned one for over 20 years and when I sold it to a dealer he was somewhat surprised at the high quality since it was an uncommon instrument. Mine was an actual Italian made model.

 

[Ventura]

which is the best Chinese manufacturer?

hello Vol,

first, please try and resist applying western concepts about manufacturing and brand names
and such to Chinese buisness and manufacturing practices

for the most part, there is only 1 manufacturer of accordions or pianos or guitars
etc. etc. in China, because there is no separate ownership of management, nor
separate research and development departments, and in many cases, really only
one location for fabbrication
(Pearl River)
which is an area possibly larger than Switzerland completely devoted to
factories and the like in China

chinese nameplates and designs that may distinguish one "brand name" from another
change all the time, with the only brand names kept over longer periods
being old and bankrupt Western brands that the Chinese Govt has purchased
when opportunity arose, or on occasion (like Pramberger) when they purchase
the loyalty of some famous designer to use for marketing purposes

to ask Which Chinese brand is better is always a moving target and will never
have an answer that you can rely upon

they think very very differently in the East then we do in the West

now some manufacturers, like Eminence Speakers, have purchased arrangements
with the Chinese Govt. and have been allowed to "have" a dedicated area in Pearl River
where they can apply their American Manufacturing specifications and
(somewhat) quality control and even have Technical managers on the
manufacturing floor and even, in some cases, are allowed to improve the
compensation and conditions to/for the workers assigned to their operations

but even these are not separate companies, just separate understandings
and part of the bigger picture of unified Chinese manufacturing and management

ciao

Ventura

 

[Pinu]

hello Vol,

first, please try and resist applying western concepts about manufacturing and brand names
and such to Chinese buisness and manufacturing practices

for the most part, there is only 1 manufacturer of accordions or pianos or guitars
etc. etc. in China, because there is no separate ownership of management, nor
separate research and development departments, and in many cases, really only
one location for fabbrication
(Pearl River)
which is an area possibly larger than Switzerland completely devoted to
factories and the like in China

chinese nameplates and designs that may distinguish one "brand name" from another
change all the time, with the only brand names kept over longer periods
being old and bankrupt Western brands that the Chinese Govt has purchased
when opportunity arose, or on occasion (like Pramberger) when they purchase
the loyalty of some famous designer to use for marketing purposes

to ask Which Chinese brand is better is always a moving target and will never
have an answer that you can rely upon

they think very very differently in the East then we do in the West

now some manufacturers, like Eminence Speakers, have purchased arrangements
with the Chinese Govt. and have been allowed to "have" a dedicated area in Pearl River
where they can apply their American Manufacturing specifications and
(somewhat) quality control and even have Technical managers on the
manufacturing floor and even, in some cases, are allowed to improve the
compensation and conditions to/for the workers assigned to their operations

but even these are not separate companies, just separate understandings
and part of the bigger picture of unified Chinese manufacturing and management

ciao

Ventura

grazie ventura. that's clear.

I understand China is a big grey zone as per your explanation.

just to be very pragmatic, which accordion would you buy today from them? is there anyone here having bought anything there?

 

[Pinu]

has anyone tried the starting accordions from Thomann? they have a 41/120 4/5 LMMH (without cassotto) for a little less than 1000 €. I am pretty sure in these days this type of price cannot be achieved elsewhere than China...

 

[saundersbp]

first, please try and resist applying western concepts about manufacturing and brand names
and such to Chinese buisness and manufacturing practices

Oh so true. My family background is clothing manufacturing in the East and the H&M budget shirts were all made in the same factories as the more upmarket GAP and Banana Republic. The modern western world wouldn't function if China wasn't capable of producing the best quality at the best price in many areas. It all comes down to re-branders specs, quality control and technical management. Accordion re-badgers for the West lag behind other areas of commerce. The trick is to have people on the ground to enforce the standards you want day by day - it can't be done remotely. You clearly have great knowledge Ventura!

 

[Pinu]

I buy all what said. indeed, I own few Italian accordions and I am ultra happy with all of them.

I am just trying to assess if there is something interesting out there eventually not for the top notch use