Hello! Still in search of my first accordion :)

[Aris Q]

Hello everyone!

I am excited to finally act on the desire to learn accordion. Being a sad soloist who has trouble finding accompanists (or a nice piano), I have too much envy for being able to accompany yourself and act as a full orchestra/organ/piano--but portable!

In my quest to acquire an accordion, I have some questions that I hope I can get some advice on.

I want to learn CBA with B-griff. My current genres of interest are probably mainly classical, eastern european folk, and maybe jazz or french or ... ok almost all genres...eventually...
I know I want a more-or-less full-sized instrument. I like the sound of deeper bass, and I would like to use the bass in a more melodic and virtuosic capacity.
I want an acoustic instrument as my first intro to accordion. Perhaps the next one would be a digital one like the Roland!

I am in Seattle, which has Petosa (but they don't seem to carry many B-griffs, and they only have 1 CBA for rent that I think is in C, except it is out and about). I've tried contacting TempoTrend in Canada and Portland Accordion Center in Portland, Oregon, without any response. So the search has turned online...

I saw this Accordiola and am hoping to go see it over the weekend. Having never touched (or seen up close?) an accordion in person, I'm not too sure what my checklist should be.

Listing description:

ACCORDIOLA GIOCONDA Good Condition Chromatic B- System Bayan Accordion. Made in Italy 120 Bass Buttons. Treble side 5 switches 3 Sets of Reeds, 2 Dry Tune same as Bayan and one is Wet tune Deep Musette. Bass side 4 sets of reeds all are dry tune. This accordion has French 3/3 Bass System. 3 Rows notes - 3 Rows Chords.
Accordion has some scratches most on top of bass side. Please see pictures well before purchase. Comes with Original Case.

Year: 1985

There is a picture of the model sticker which says: ACCORDIOLA CAMERANO Mod. G10C (I think), Ser 26 No 1145

I was hoping to find a better video of the sound than the one provided but can't seem to find any information on this instrument.

Questions:
1) How does "2 dry tune, 1 wet tune deep musette" translate into reed listings? LMM?
2) Does the pricing seem reasonable for this model, assuming the condition is good?

I was also looking at a couple of models on Liberty Bellows, but I saw some recent threads on here about being dissatisfied with their products/service, especially when shipped across the Mississippi... Their videos also aren't very useful for hearing bass/sound of the instrument Too much noodling in the same small range on treble!

Current checklist/questions list for the seller
- what's the weight
- when was it last serviced/tuned
- how frequently was it played in recent years (e.g. has it been in storage for the past ten years)
- can the seller please play the instrument, even a simple song on it
- List from this video by Moshe Zuchter

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
1. Sound a. Pleasing? b. The songs you want to play sound good on it? c. Is there buzzing? May mean a broken, bent, or out of tune reed Bring a friend, or ask seller to play a song for you. If purchasing online, ask seller to record the sound of the accordion
2. Press all the Right-Hand and Left-Hand keys a. Push and pull the accordion while playing all the keys b. Stuck keys? c. Broken keys?
3. Registers + Voices a. Check to make sure they all work, Right and Left Hands
4. Smell a. Check for a moldy smell
5. Bellows a. Bellows should hold air well b. No rips, no rust, no tears c. Leaks - Ends of bellows ($40 gasket), middle of bellows ($200 for new bellows) d. If purchasing online, ask seller for pictures of the bellows + video of any air leaks
6. Straps a. Make sure they are in good condition so you can start playing right away b. Leather repair shop can repair broken straps, or buy new straps for $20 - $100+
7. Size + Weight a. Wear the instrument, don't just hold it b. Size and weight are typically determined by the # of buttons on the left-hand c. 6 buttons across on the left-hand multiplied by the # of rows d. Go for at least 4 buttons across on the left-hand e. The more buttons, the more versatility

 

[Glug]

"Treble side 5 switches 3 Sets of Reeds, 2 Dry Tune" means LMM

"one is Wet tune Deep Musette" sounds like it's a 'very wet' MM, but you want to know 'how many cents' - see this

 

[lordzedd]

As far as dealers go, I also never heard back from Tempo Trend. Next nearest major dealer that I know of would be Smythe's in the Bay Area. He's got one baby bayan and one Weltmeister 602 on the website, but I am confident he could order you something. I think he even has contacts with Tula if you wanted a new bayan from them. If you wanted high end, BelloBasso is in WA. All other places I have found with consistent used bayan inventory (including some cheap converters) are in Ukraine or Russia.

Regarding the Accordiola, the seller is a player himself, so I think you have a bit less to worry about than a seller with an attic find. The bass setup is French Bass, which is a bit different than the standard Stradella. See this thread:

3/3 french bass pros and cons?

My head is spinning a bit from reading up on this. I am considering a very nice accordion, but feel I will miss the diminished row. I have read that the 7ths on this system will do for diminished of the next row up because they omit the fundamental instead of the 5th (which regular stradella...

www.accordionists.info

Can't say much about pricing,

 

[Ffingers]

Hullo.
Welcome to the mysteries of the squeezebox ;-)
I'm in a part of the world which is geographically opposed to yourself, but the difficulty in finding a good, well cared for B griff instrument is like a search for hens' teeth.
But good luck with your efforts.

 

[godgi]

could be a beautiful instrument. i think c system has more instructional options if u are a beginner. just a personal opinion.
where are y goung to get the fingering info for b system.
godgie

 

[godgi]

dont over worry about tuning etc. 95per of what i play is on a single m reed or l at the middle oictave.
godgie

 

[godgi]

the french base system is 3/3 otherr dystem is 2/4 both are either or either but as a resale in the future it might be more difficukt to shift a 3/3.

 

[JerryPH]

Can others please check pics 7-8 and tell me that I am wrong? It looks like a nice dose of surface mold, and for me at that price, would be a huge deal breaker, because if it is like that outside, it will likely be 10 times worse inside.

If going to see it, and the smell of mold is prominent, consider cutting the price by 50-60 percent or possibly even pass on it.

 

[Tom]

I see what you're seeing Jerry. Oddly enough, it doesn't show up on photos 3 and 4 that also show the sides of the accordion. Maybe (hopefully) just a light effect?

Anyway, worth checking on and best of luck to you, Aris!

 

[Aris Q]

could be a beautiful instrument. i think c system has more instructional options if u are a beginner. just a personal opinion.
where are y goung to get the fingering info for b system.
godgie

I enjoy a good challenge Besides looking for resources, I currently plan on pressing buttons to see how things sound and the ease of moving around.

As far as dealers go, I also never heard back from Tempo Trend. Next nearest major dealer that I know of would be Smythe's in the Bay Area. He's got one baby bayan and one Weltmeister 602 on the website, but I am confident he could order you something. I think he even has contacts with Tula if you wanted a new bayan from them. If you wanted high end, BelloBasso is in WA. All other places I have found with consistent used bayan inventory (including some cheap converters) are in Ukraine or Russia.

Regarding the Accordiola, the seller is a player himself, so I think you have a bit less to worry about than a seller with an attic find. The bass setup is French Bass, which is a bit different than the standard Stradella. See this thread:

3/3 french bass pros and cons?

My head is spinning a bit from reading up on this. I am considering a very nice accordion, but feel I will miss the diminished row. I have read that the 7ths on this system will do for diminished of the next row up because they omit the fundamental instead of the 5th (which regular stradella...

www.accordionists.info

Can't say much about pricing,

Ah, I hadn't thought about asking a shop to order something for me since it seemed like a custom order would require a bit more experience/knowledge with what I wanted. BelloBasso is perhaps a wee bit too high end for a starting beginner

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'll be extra mindful of any mold.

 

[Ben-jammin]

I think its just the reflection of the textured wall surface. But worth investigating all the same.

 

[Siegmund]

Welcome. I also opted for the B system (and had to have an instrument shipped to me, with mixed results.)

For B system, it may be worth giving Tempo Trend a second try - perhaps even making a day trip to Victoria to visit in person - as they do have B-system players up there including one of their pros they like to feature in their videos. (They didn't return my emails either.) I've also seen a couple of B instruments privately sold by people from BC this past year.

I did not find working out my own fingerings to be a huge obstacle. I started with a mix of downloading Russian books that use the B system but on only 3 rows, and using the C-system Anzaghi method in English and adjusting fingerings as necessary.
It may or may not have helped that I came from violin, not piano, so am not particularly anxious to find piano-like fingerings for everything. I am taking copious notes, so that perhaps one day there can be a B system book in English