How easy/expensive is it to convert lmmm to lmmh for a 37/96 piano accordion?
Convert lmmm to lmmh
- Thread starter colinm
- Start date
- Status
The cheap DIY route would leave the reed blocks as is, move the reeds one octave over and buy new reeds for the highest octave (this costs roughly 100 euro). You have to partly fill up the resonance chambers inside the reed blocks as the H reeds are on smaller reed plates thann the M reeds they replace. It's a bit uncertain how well the H register will sound as the size of the cavity in the reed blocks (the resonance chambers) isn't entirely randomly chosen.
A completely different issue is how to activate/deactivate the new H reed set through registers. LMMM accordions tend to have different register combinations than LMMH.
A completely different issue is how to activate/deactivate the new H reed set through registers. LMMM accordions tend to have different register combinations than LMMH.
Paul, thanks
So if i could do it myself cost would be about €100 plus registers
if i paid to have it done approx €1000 including registers and tuning, is that a fair guess?
So if i could do it myself cost would be about €100 plus registers
if i paid to have it done approx €1000 including registers and tuning, is that a fair guess?
Decbox
Member
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2018
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 21
I could be wrong but I don't think it will be possible to alter the registers to give you the Reed combinations you might like to have. You may need to have a new switch installed to activate the H Reeds. As a matter of interest, what make and model of accordion is it?
It depends on what materials you already have. The €100 buys you the piccolo reeds, but you still need wax, a melting pot, spoon, soldering iron, maybe also some valves, bits of wood and glue...
And the work on the registers highly depends on which registers you already have. Some LMMM accordions only offer L, M, LM, M-MM+ and LM-MM+ and then it's rather hopeless. Others offer L, M, LM, M+, MM+, LM+, LMM+, M-, M-M, LM-, etc., etc., and replacing M- by H gives you all the registers you need. Sadly, it's more likely that you will be missing register options you want than that they are all there already.
What it will cost to have this change made is hard to predict, but a minimum of €500 and more likely a cost of €1000 is not unreasonable.
General advice is therefore to sell the LMMM accordion and buy a similar one which has LMMH.
Guerrini oxford 3
The LMMM is valued at £300, the LMMH will cost £2600
Yes
Yes there is also a Borsini in Birmingham but I'm trying to keep the weight down so was looking for a 96
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
Colin,
My objection to turning a perfectly acceptable lmmm accordion into a dodgy lmmh is on philosophical grounds.
There's also one on economic grounds: you will spend almost as much on the conversion as it would cost to buy one that already is lmmh, especially if you include the value of the existing lmmm.
My objection to turning a perfectly acceptable lmmm accordion into a dodgy lmmh is on philosophical grounds.
There's also one on economic grounds: you will spend almost as much on the conversion as it would cost to buy one that already is lmmh, especially if you include the value of the existing lmmm.
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2013
- Messages
- 5,178
- Reaction score
- 990
Well I've done removing a M reed set and replacing the set with H reeds in the past. I have many sets of piccolo reeds saved from the past from
my conversions of 3 reed L M H models to L M M . Converting a H reed block to accept M sized reeds requires the involved labor to enlarge the reed block to accept the larger M reeds. An in most instances shift slides will need alterations.
The process of replacing a H set to a M reed block will take less labor as the block only needs to be baffled to accept the smaller reeds.
Now the reed change labor will be less but the shift slide alterations will require more parts & labor.
Now as for the conversion value , you really must realize the conversion work just might over value the what the accordion is worth.
my conversions of 3 reed L M H models to L M M . Converting a H reed block to accept M sized reeds requires the involved labor to enlarge the reed block to accept the larger M reeds. An in most instances shift slides will need alterations.
The process of replacing a H set to a M reed block will take less labor as the block only needs to be baffled to accept the smaller reeds.
Now the reed change labor will be less but the shift slide alterations will require more parts & labor.
Now as for the conversion value , you really must realize the conversion work just might over value the what the accordion is worth.
300 is a very low value for the LMMM if it is in good condition. (A completely restored good as new goes for more than double here.) And 2600 should be what an LMMH with cassotto goes for. And LMMH without cassotto rarely fetches 1500 here, often considerably less.
if you can get this one for 1500 i will give you 2000, its in netherlands
Fisart Ravel IV / used model
€ 4,250.00 € 3,750.00
Fisart Ravel IV / used model
€ 4,250.00 € 3,750.00
Accordion prices do go down considerably with age. That Fisart is a fairly recent accordion. And the store you link to always lists ridiculously high prices compared to the competition. Strange business model. The store's description of the now defunct (sold) Fisart company is also "not exactly accurate" to say it very politely.
The current going rate here for for instance a Morino IV N is between 2.000 and 2.500, that's 4 voice with cassotto, over 40 years old, and it depends on the condition of the instrument. A friend of mine tried to sell a Hohner Pacific IV T that was younger, and is similar in quality to the Morino, but without cassotto, and could not find a buyer for 1500... But young instruments will often still fetch around 2/3 of their value when new (I mean real value and not store price), going down to maybe 1/2 of new by the time the accordion hits 20 years, and after that it depends more and more on the condition. You should be able to buy that Fisart for under 2.000 (before inflation correction) if you wait 30 years.
There's an auction starting in Scotland in 2 hours has a Guerrini Oxford 3 with 9 registers (so the LMMM one I think) with an auctioneer's estimate of £100 - £200:
www.the-saleroom.com
An Italian Guerrini Oxford 3 accordion with nine "voice" buttons in fitted case
Bid Live on Lot 271 in the EDINBURGH Collectors Auction of Coins, Militaria, Medals, Toys & Model Railway, Stamps, Postcards, Whisky etc. Auction from Thomson Roddick Auctioneers & Valuers.
www.the-saleroom.com
Yes that was me, now for the exciting bit
- Status
