Have I moved to the dark side?

[JerryPH]

I just got back yesterday evening from the accordion museum and that is another post coming later today, but just wanted to share a little something that I picked up. When looking at it in the museum, it reminded me of my grandfather and a special talk we shared one day a long time ago. It reminded me of the music that I heard as a kid and it puts a smile on my face when I look at it. It needs some work but we will get it there. I thought I was never interested in diatonic boxes enough to want to learn to play, but sometime in the future, it may be a bit of fun.









It has the traditional Helikon bass, powerful and deep, and the sweet musette sound of that era... and I am so grateful for being able to be the new owner of this little piece of history.

If interested IN THE FULL STORY, click on the link that leads to my website.

 

[Dingo40]

A taster?

 

[PhiliGol]

Hi Jerry
Congratulations to - yet another - nice instrument.
If I remember correctly you had 2 shelves pretty packed.
So, to store this one you need to open up a 3rd one - which (of course) will offer space for new opportunities

 

[JerryPH]

Hi Jerry
Congratulations to - yet another - nice instrument.
If I remember correctly you had 2 shelves pretty packed.
So, to store this one you need to open up a 3rd one - which (of course) will offer space for new opportunities

Thanks! Now, I sincerely have no plans or desire to add a 3rd shelf. One accordion is going to be removed and done with what I had planned originally, and that is just as a learning piece to take apart and practice on before I start getting in to repairs. It's basically a throw-away piece but looks good on the outside, if you squint real hard... lol

A taster?

Impressive! There are way more chords there than I thought were possible with such limited number of buttons, shows how little attention I have been paying in the past.

 

[Tom]

Great story Jerry!!! I can picture you guys at the museum, what a wonderful adventure! PS…I have the sheet music for Just Because if you need it…..

 

[Alan Sharkis]

Hello Jerry.

I followed the link and read the whole description of your latest trip and the beautiful accordion you picked up. I’m sure that you’ll find not only someone to help repair the accordion but that you’ll also find a way to get music out of it. I’ve never played a diatonic accordion, but I did play a chromatic harmonica , which is also bisonoric, just on my own, and I imagine some of the principles are the same.

Good luck!

 

[dak]

Well, have you moved to the dark side? Helikon basses sure seem like a new low for you. Hopefully your studio speakers can cope with them so that you can make mixes as compelling as with your other instruments.

Have fun!

 

[Thomas N]

Always lurking in the back of my mind is how difficult would it be for me personally to make the switch from piano accordion to diatonic. I think it would be a challenge and very fun. Or it could be horrific. I've read the myriad of posts here and elsewhere about others that made the switch. I believe even then great Galliano started as a master piano accordionist and made the switch. Obviously it worked for him.

Very interested to hear your thoughts on this subject after a few months Jerry. And congrats on the purchase! I've always said that anything under 20 accordions in your stable is perfectly acceptable.

 

[isorry123]

ah I need to visit that way again - only two hours away

 

[debra]

You moved "to the dark side" whey you got the Roland.
I would say that trying a diatonic instrument is just like going for a different color of light, not the dark side.
Have fun with the experience!

 

[JerryPH]

Always lurking in the back of my mind is how difficult would it be for me personally to make the switch from piano accordion to diatonic. I think it would be a challenge and very fun. Or it could be horrific. I've read the myriad of posts here and elsewhere about others that made the switch. I believe even then great Galliano started as a master piano accordionist and made the switch. Obviously it worked for him.

Very interested to hear your thoughts on this subject after a few months Jerry. And congrats on the purchase! I've always said that anything under 20 accordions in your stable is perfectly acceptable.

Thanks Thomas!
I have a feeling that it will go "horrific" before it gets closer to better.

 

[JerryPH]

You moved "to the dark side" whey you got the Roland.
I would say that trying a diatonic instrument is just like going for a different color of light, not the dark side.
Have fun with the experience!

Thanks Paul!
If there is anything that I can depend on it is your stand about Roland accordions... keep it up, this place would NOT be the same without you!!

 

[JerryPH]

Well, have you moved to the dark side? Helikon basses sure seem like a new low for you. Hopefully your studio speakers can cope with them so that you can make mixes as compelling as with your other instruments.

Have fun!

Thanks David!
Maybe I should just look for a PA with helikon basses? They just don't look as pretty, I think.

 

[dak]

Thanks David!
Maybe I should just look for a PA with helikon basses? They just don't look as pretty, I think.

On an accordion meeting I was on someone had one of those. For entertainment music (intended to animate people to sing along and dance), they are definitely fun and punchy. But they come at the cost of not having registers at all on the left, and they are essentially single-style. But if that's the style you want, they are really worth looking at.

 

[Siegmund]

I have a feeling that it will go "horrific" before it gets closer to better.

The nice thing about a diatonic is that even if you can't play the piece you intended to play, "any button in the first row, and the first two bass buttons" sounds good, push or pull (and likewise the second RH row and the next two bass buttons, etc.) so you can look like a brilliant improviser without knowing how to do anything but smile and push random buttons.

 

[dak]

The nice thing about a diatonic is that even if you can't play the piece you intended to play, "any button in the first row, and the first two bass buttons" sounds good, push or pull (and likewise the second RH row and the next two bass buttons, etc.) so you can look like a brilliant improviser without knowing how to do anything but smile and push random buttons.

Seems like my accordion is diatonic after all.

 

[JerryPH]

Well, I had a fast look inside and fixed the biggest issue, the wailing of sound when just pulling on the bellows. Turns out it was 2 of the pads that fell off. That was easy enough to fix in a fast and easy manner but I know that I am going to need to do a lot more proper cleaning and some more work on it, but there were a couple surprises...

Someone had already done a lot of work in it already. Someone has already had some time with a file on the reeds. The valves have already been done, some with booster springs, though about 4-5 were slightly loose, and one valve very likely has a valve that is off as now with the compression greatly increase, a single note now wails a little when pulling and pushing without pressing any buttons. I don't have any spare valves, but I should get some at a later time.

A few pics:


What odd reeds... 2 on each side of a single plate!


The 2 offending missing pads came from these places:



What a tiny marvel of simplicity and complexity at the same time!


So now it plays!

 

[debra]

...

What odd reeds... 2 on each side of a single plate!

That's Helikon for you... It is also a tuner's nightmare. But this is where software like Dirk'a accordion tuner helps: you need to measure both reeds (an octave apart) at the same time. Voicing is also critical because the two reeds influence each other and if one starts before the other you hear an out-of-tune reed for a brief moment (until both reeds play).

 

[Dingo40]

It appears the Poles also have the heligonka:

Still being hand-made by Delicia accordions:

 

[JerryPH]

Still being hand-made by Delicia accordions:

I'll be there to check them out this September in person... it will be interesting to see what they have and how they build them!