Help with Giulietti 120 Bass Patent 549210

[Neapolitan Nights]

Thank you for accepting me to Accordion forum.
I just acquired a rather rare Giuletti 120 bass accordion with Patent 549210 just below grille. I may be wrong but think only people who can help knew Alvaro Bartolini who was issued patent 09/10/1956 in Rome. The person I purchased accordion from shared his thought that the reeds are fantastic but they had to be installed in a wood block then fitted in accordion. Accordingly, the reed blocks AND giving the great reeds a resonance sound by making both a treble and a bass chamber sets it in a class by itself. He believes Giuletti and friends bought some of these reeds along with Guerrini and Petosa (and a few others), and designed and built the reed blocks for this accordion. Goes without saying, Giuletti did not make the reeds…. just the blocks and grille and then put his trademark treble clef on the grille along with patent number to show the proper recognition to Bartolini and Guerrini.

 

[TonyChicago]

That guanteed for life thing...wasn't that a Stradovox moniker? I'm not sold on the fact that you have a Giulietti.

 

[Neapolitan Nights]

That guanteed for life thing...wasn't that a Stradovox moniker? I'm not sold on the fact that you have a Giulietti.

I will ask the man I purchased it from. Here are more photos if it helps. I will research the Guaranteed. I have not seen that in any instrument. Thank you for taking the time to respond sir.

 

[TonyChicago]

Let's hope others chime in. In the meantime, I can 100% assure you that Stradavox used the Guaranteed for Life slogan on the back spot. Not sure that Giulietti didn't do it as well.

I've attached a picture of two different Stradavoxs. The switches are very similar as well.

 

[Ventura]

your pics with the grille cover off reveal a key detail

you see the two extended aluminum arms that are screwed on
with pivots .. those are lifters for two naturals that were repositioned
with the accidentals

this is done as a compromise for various reasons (like simply
allowing for a more compact keyboard)

but this is seldom if ever done on a professional design,
except for, perhaps, a compact stroller

the compromise causes a mismatch in the location of the note as
instead of all the naturals flowing one after the other out of the
same reedblock, reedline, and relative position as sound exits the grille,
those two notes come from radically different positions (the accidental reedblock)

this also causes a compromise in the key travel and feel of those two notes.
obviously, that is detrimental to the overall smoothness of the keyboard.

because of this clue, i would also say it is highly likely this keyboard
is a single pivot rod design, as it is also unlikely to be a professional model.

also noted that the key-action is round aluminum rods with
pallets that are fixed (no articulation) which dates this as and older design

bear in mind that particularly in the early days of Giulietti, he acquired
accordion bare-bones units from whatever source he could afford or had
opportunity to access at a given moment in time.. it was decades before
the company became a powerhouse that could move the market
with their innovations or purchasing power

also, the very best, rarest Giulietti's had reeds made in house..

so unfortunately, just because an accordion looks unusual compared to
the models that he made famous and that are well known by their looks,
that does not mean they are "rare" at all

certainly, it could still be a nice accordion and fun to play,
at a reasonable price

if indeed it was sourced from Stradavox, they built some fine instruments
and did supply bodies to several American re-branded importers, as
well as under the Strad name. They also were known for some unusual
tone chamber builds..

 

[TonyChicago]

your pics with the grille cover off reveal a key detail

you see the two extended aluminum arms that are screwed on
with pivots .. those are lifters for two naturals that were repositioned
with the accidentals

this is done as a compromise for various reasons (like simply
allowing for a more compact keyboard)

but this is seldom if ever done on a professional design,
except for, perhaps, a compact stroller

the compromise causes a mismatch in the location of the note as
instead of all the naturals flowing one after the other out of the
same reedblock, reedline, and relative position as sound exits the grille,
those two notes come from radically different positions (the accidental reedblock)

this also causes a compromise in the key travel and feel of those two notes.
obviously, that is detrimental to the overall smoothness of the keyboard.

because of this clue, i would also say it is highly likely this keyboard
is a single pivot rod design, as it is also unlikely to be a professional model.

also noted that the key-action is round aluminum rods with
pallets that are fixed (no articulation) which dates this as and older design

bear in mind that particularly in the early days of Giulietti, he acquired
accordion bare-bones units from whatever source he could afford or had
opportunity to access at a given moment in time.. it was decades before
the company became a powerhouse that could move the market
with their innovations or purchasing power

also, the very best, rarest Giulietti's had reeds made in house..

so unfortunately, just because an accordion looks unusual compared to
the models that he made famous and that are well known by their looks,
that does not mean they are "rare" at all

certainly, it could still be a nice accordion and fun to play,
at a reasonable price

Thanks for helping out.

 

[Neapolitan Nights]

Thank you TonyChicago and Ventura. I have a lot to learn.

 

[TonyChicago]

Thank you TonyChicago and Ventura. I have a lot to learn.

You're welcome. Please keep me in the loop. I'd like to know how this pans out.

 

[Ventura]

Thank you TonyChicago and Ventura. I have a lot to learn.

hmmm.. a lot to learn.. perhaps i should explain the pivot rods comment

if you look at the outside of the keyboard edge,
(bottom.. opposite the side your chin faces)
you will see a small bubble of plastic or metal with a tiny screw or two
holding it on.. under this cover you will see one or two silver metal tips
protruding through the wood

this/these are the tips of the pivot rods that run the entire length
of the keyboard, and which provides each key with a strong pivot point.

because the white keys are longer and more extended than the black keys,
there is a better evenness to the touch of the action overall if they have separate
pivot points, which is why virtually all professional accordions are designed with
dual pivot rods

a single pivot rod is the standard on student and intermediate and
also often the look-alike accordions we have discussed in other threads, as it is
much less expensive to build this way.