Help me identify this used serenelli

[Tiago]

So I bought this used serenelli , it has a lot of work to do in it... dust ... the bass part is chaotic ... and even there are some missing screews and even two notes missing in one Reed... I hope to put him working some day. Any idea of wich year it should been produced?

 

[debra]

Judjing from the waterfall keyboard and register style this looks like 1950's or earlier.

 

[Tiago]

Thank you my friend.

 

[JIM D.]

Mid 1940 to mid 1950 judged by the waterfall keys & grill design.

 

[Tiago]

So I never saw registers with musical keys can you help to identify the configuration of the treble side, LMMH?

 

[Dingo40]

Hi Tiago,
I'm open to correction by members (eg, Paul and Jim D), but to me it looks as if you have three treble reeds only: L, M & H.
These are arranged as HL (organ), L (Basoon), H (Picolo), MH (Clarinet), HML (Master) and ML (Bandoneon), with several ( including Organ & Basoon) repeated: a common practice.?
Obviously, if there are actually four reeds, I'm well out!?

 

[Tiago]

Hey Dingo maybe with a picture from the inside is easier. I have no expertise with accordions but it seems to me 2 of each kind......

 

[Glug]

I think I can see 21 reed plates on one row, I'm guessing half of the rows have 20 plates.
So that's 164 reed plates, or 328 reeds.
Which is the correct number for LMMH or LMMM with 41 keys.

It also seems to have 15 register switches which would be a lot for LMH, 9-11 is 'normal' for LMMH.
But there could easily be repeats at the ends.

If you can do photos of the note motif all the way from left to right it would be easier to tell.

Alternatively you can take the reed blocks out and see what the switches do to the register slides.

 

[Dingo40]

Tiago,
Thanks for the picture of the inside.
Clearly, this instrument has 4 sets of treble reeds, and my earlier estimate is way off!, sorry?

 

[Tiago]

Tiago,
Thanks for the picture of the inside.
Clearly, this instrument has 4 sets of treble reeds, and my earlier estimate is way off!, sorry?

No problem, thanks for your help my friend.

 

[Tiago]

I think I can see 21 reed plates on one row, I'm guessing half of the rows have 20 plates.
So that's 164 reed plates, or 328 reeds.
Which is the correct number for LMMH or LMMM with 41 keys.

It also seems to have 15 register switches which would be a lot for LMH, 9-11 is 'normal' for LMMH.
But there could easily be repeats at the ends.

If you can do photos of the note motif all the way from left to right it would be easier to tell.

Alternatively you can take the reed blocks out and see what the switches do to the register slides.

Thank you Glug, yes they are 15 registers. So here I took 5 pictures showing 3 in each picture... from left to right or up to down if the box was in my leap...

 

[Glug]

I think it's using approximately the same notation as a late 50s Scandalli:



On that there are 4 dots which are L,M,M+,H from bottom to top of each switch.

That would make your switches

LH, M, H,
L, MH, LM,
LMH, LMM+H, M+H,
MM+H, LM+H, LMM+,
MM+, LM+, LH

Which is an unsually large selection of registers but does make sense, it even has master in the middle.

 

[JIM D.]

Glug, Your similarity is right on,

 

[nagant27]

Once you remove the blocks, maybe grab a few pix of the reeds and post them. We can try to figure if they are hand made or what not, and the quality. That’s always a good interesting discussion. Serenelli made sone very good instruments.

 

[Tiago]

The part of the bass is in a really bad shape so I took off yesterday to try to figure the functioning of the bass side (7 buttons).. the beewax is old ... two notes ln the smallest reed of the bass side "unglued". I have them in a small plastic bag. I will send the pictures I arrive at home.

 

[Tiago]

Here are the pictures of the loosen notes of the smallest reed of the bass side.

 

[JIM D.]

Machine made but in fine condition.

 

[JIM D.]

I should mention that commercial (machine made) reeds "are in no way inferior" to hand fitted or hand made reeds. The quality depends
on the maker. Some of todays machine made reeds are made with modern C&C machines with tolerances that rival many brands of
hand made reeds produced in the past.

 

[Tiago]

So I'm planning to take this accordion to the repairman to ask for his opinion and the potential costs. If you guys can give some advice it would be nice.
My history:
So I started to play maybe 3 months ago or less in a 48 bass 34 keys Bai-le that I bought from a neighbor, she told that was in the case for the last 20 and some years... it needs some valves replacement and some tuning maybe, or it's only dust and he valves... I was in doubt to send it to tune... and loose the days without any accordion to practice... or to seling it as it was and paying the difference to change for one tuned..... than I started to watch tons of videos of repairmans and started to look for another ocasion accordion I found this serenelli in bad shape but hopping to put it to work again as I would not have the money to buy one accordion with 4 voices new.... all of its keys of the piano side are working with some noise I think it's the dust in the pads as I cleaned a ton of the dust from the exterior... the bellows has no bad smell or apparent flaws... not much pressure but I think is caused by the pads dust.... all registers in both sides keys and bass working an both metal tables are closing and opening properly internally... the bigger problems... as you saw the wax of the bass reeds is "outdated"... the part of the bottom where are the feet has no screws or pins to close, so I just putted a soft tape to test it without having to hold with my hand I have no idea if new screws or pins will hold it .... the collums of the bass and counter bass are working properly... the other 4 are a mess. I opened and saw that the wood that is outside holding the bass mechanism "unglued" that is causing the problem in the 4 exterior columns of the bass... judging with my eyes impression I have one maybe two "buttons stems" that are not straight anymore. And last the button to take off the air of the bellows is broken.
So I would like to ask do you think that worth to repair it?

 

[JIM D.]

With the age and condition of you box and the condition of your bass machine, I'm afraid this advice will also apply to yours ----

PRE