Compact Folk CBA boxes

[floppydiskette]

Wow! Awesome. All I've been able to think about is buying one of these. I've scoured the web and there's just one new Saltarelle Chaville on Liberty Bellows. Absolutely none of these 3 boxes on Craigslist nationwide, otherwise. You're helping convince me to make this life changing choice for myself.

 

[Ffingers]

Actually, CC_PDX, there were/are very many lighter weight CBAs made in Europe and the Russian fields of influence.
They were generally referred to as 'Bayans' which was the Soviet name for them and which remains the name for them in many countries.
Before the change to the fashionable piano keyed boxes popularised in the USofA by the Deiro brothers in the early 20th century, the majority of the instruments were of the button-keyed variety.
This Wikipedia article gives a history of the Accordion etc.

Accordion - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[floppydiskette]

There are a lot of bayans, but the wooden, compact folk CBA market is pretty niche.

 

[Dingo40]

Ffingers,
A great overview !
Thanks for sharing

 

[Ffingers]

There are a lot of bayans, but the wooden, compact folk CBA market is pretty niche.

In the USofA perhaps, but the USofA is but a small part of the world.
There are so very many 'variations on a theme' when it comes to squeezeboxes.

 

[CC_PDX]

Actually, CC_PDX, there were/are very many lighter weight CBAs made in Europe and the Russian fields of influence.
They were generally referred to as 'Bayans' which was the Soviet name for them and which remains the name for them in many countries.
Before the change to the fashionable piano keyed boxes popularised in the USofA by the Deiro brothers in the early 20th century, the majority of the instruments were of the button-keyed variety.
This Wikipedia article gives a history of the Accordion etc.

Accordion - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I was thinking more in terms of Castagnari’s production and offerings. The diatonic folk boxes are the bulk of their output as far as I can tell. I don’t have a good handle on how many total boxes they produce in a year, but it looks like a pretty modest workshop. I haven’t seen many new or used Magica’s in my global search either.

 

[floppydiskette]

I’ve had difficulty finding a Magica or Chaville on any used website regardless of country, but maybe I don’t know the right places to look. It doesn’t seem like they’re overly common though.

 

[losthobos]

O Neil's in northern Ireland have one...boorinwood music
Hope that helps

 

[SteveBox]

I bought a used Magica on Ebay 17 years ago (see profile photo), so they do appear from time to time. You have to keep looking and be patient. As others have said, it is not a mass production model, so there are not that many out there, and owners only occasionally want to sell one.

I presume you are interested in used to save money, as these are very expensive new. I have read that it is possible to contact Castagnari and buy directly at a significant savings, but I have no personal experience doing this. The disadvantage is that you can't try it out before you buy, and you will have no guarantee from a local dealer, if it should develop a problem. Castagnari makes five versions of the Magica CBA:

CASTAGNARI - organetti dal 1914

Benvenuti nel laboratorio di famiglia. Qui Castagnari produce organetti dal 1914. Una passione per la musica che si tramanda da tre generazioni, un lavoro artigianale che mantiene inalterati gli stessi ingredienti di sempre: qualità e armonia, per la soddisfazione dei musicisti di tutto il mondo.

www.castagnari.com

 

[floppydiskette]

I didn’t see prices listed on the Castagnari, Saltarelle, or Brandoni pages, so I guess it’s the custom not to list them from the manufacturer. I wonder how much less it would be. I’m just about decided to buy a Saltarelle Chaville for $4999 new. Based on the prices of other similar boxes and the fact that there’s seemingly only one available in a 2,000 mile radius, I think it seems reasonable. I now know to keep an eye on eBay for the possibility of something popping up.

I also have an accordion I want to sell, but I’m worried about shipping it and then just ending up with no money and a broken accordion, so I wonder how people do it.

 

[CC_PDX]

This fellow in France plays another obscure model of Piermaria that I’ve not seen anywhere else, but has a gorgeous tone with a similar form factor.

 

[floppydiskette]

Wow, that is really nice. Thanks for sharing! I can't find any example of such a thing existing either. Maybe it's custom.

 

[SteveBox]

There is lots of advice on the internet about shipping an accordion. Just do a google search for "pack an accordion for shipping".

 

[CC_PDX]

I found out more about the Piermaria mentioned above—despite the markings on the outside, it is actually a Maugein Festobal on the inside, per the owner.

Here is a video of my 8 month progress with the new old box. It has been a gradual but steady process to dial in and control the expression. It can go all the way to a whisper…