Help identifying older Titano model and vintage

[Tom in Minnesota]

I am new here and new to the accordion but I do play several other instruments, guitar, banjo, bass viola, and most things with strings. I can play a bit of piano and have an old Wurlitzer organ I enjoy fiddling with. I was given this Titano by a good friend with the challenge to learn to play it. I have to admit the left hand is still a mystery to me but I am working on it. I have no idea what I have here or what it's capabilites are, and I am hoping this form group can help me out. Thanks for reading this and any comments you may have.

Tom in Minnesota

 

[craigd]

That's an interesting looking titano. I'd guess later 1940s. I don't think I've seen that grill style on a titano before, seen something similar on Hohners. Does it say anywhere whether it's made in Italy or in the states? It doesn't look like a Victoria made accordion to me. I'm guessing it has at least three sets of reeds in it on the right hand side, lmm or lmh, you'd figure that out by pressing the register switches which have been made to look like piano keys, again something of never seen on a titano but have seen elsewhere. Hard to say from that picture what the left hand register options are, there may only be two. Overall I think it's a good accordion, and appears to be in decent condition, but I can't smell it or hear it and mustiness and tuning issues are pretty common among st such old accordions.

 

[Tom in Minnesota]

Craig, Thanks so much for that information. It was a lot more than I knew before. Do you think I should have someone restore it? If so, who? is it worth trying to restore? Thanks again!

 

[Ben-jammin]

I would expect it to have at least 3 sets of treble reeds from the amount of registers on the right hand. This came from a period before register designs were standardized so it is more likely to be more reed combination options than provided for with unique registers so it might even be a 4 reed model. I have a high regard for Titano which is a Defner brand. Even their export quality reed student instruments are excellent. I would recommend taking it to an accordion technician for a check up because it’s at that age it could require various amounts of attention to perform as well as it can. They can also tell you its configuration (double octave or musette). It’s probably a very capable model in proper tune and working order.

 

[Tom in Minnesota]

Ben, do you have any recommendations for an accordion technician in the Minneapolis area by any chance? Thanks!

 

[Ben-jammin]

As far as the left hand later Titano models did sometimes come with a converter mechanism to switch from Stradella arrangement to quint freebass. This model would pre date that so it would be Stradella bass. Bass charts are available on a simple google search. Palmer - Hughes (which had a commercial relationship with Titano) course is decent to progressively work through the left hand. For many music types you play repeated left hand patterns based on music style and the harmonic chord.

 

[Tom in Minnesota]

Thanks again Ben, that is very helpful. As a lifelong guitar player, I am well used to using my left hand, but the positioning is totally different with an accordion. I will definitely google Stradella bass charts and look for a beginner Palmer Hughes tutorial online. Thanks for this!

 

[Dingo40]

I have to admit the left hand is still a mystery to me but I am working on it.

Welcome, Tom!
A thing that worked for me with the basses during the orientation period was to play while seated in front of my wife's dressing table mirror so I could clearly see the baseboard in the mirror while reaching for the buttons.
It helped me to establish the geometry and distances involved.
Later, once the pattern becomes internalised, the mirror won't be needed.
You could find this Palmer and Hughes publication helpful in breaking the ice:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Palmer-Hughes-Accordion-Course-Adventures-Bassland-ebook/dp/B004NSUTFQ

 

[Tom]

Ben, do you have any recommendations for an accordion technician in the Minneapolis area by any chance? Thanks!

Welcome Tom! You could try Dan Turpening (Accordion Shoppe) in the Thorpe Building (did real good work for me). Or Ken Mahler in St. Paul (Accordion Heaven). Also, there is a new guy who has showed up on this forum, Ryan Charles Cihlar, but I don’t have a shop name. Good luck to you! Tom in Wisconsin.

 

[Tom in Minnesota]

Tom,

Thanks so much, that is super helpful information.

Dingo,

I am definitively going to try the mirror trick! Thanks!

Tom