info on accordion - how i am ?

[nadav_ktm]

hello,

i recived an accordion from a driend
some can tell me the brand of it ? and what year is it ?
and what is the value of it ?

thanks in advance

 

[debra]

hello,

i recived an accordion from a driend
some can tell me the brand of it ? and what year is it ?
and what is the value of it ?

thanks in advance

We tend to use the term accordion for chromatic instruments (with piano or button keyboard).
This instrument, I think it reads firotti, looks like it is diatonic (same button produces different note on push versus pull).
Same family of instruments in the sense that sound is generated through the same technique, but not really an accordion.
Some of our experts here deal with diatonic and chromatic instruments and may be able to tell you more about this one.

 

[Geronimo]

I think "Firotti" is one of the former East German pseudo brands. This is a smaller diatonic "club harmonica" with just 8 basses. In olden times they were used for Jazz. They are heavier than typical melodeons, hardly more versatile, they don't have the strong basses of smaller Styrian harmonicas, nobody uses them for their original purpose anymore, and this instrument was of average quality when new.

In short, even in perfect condition you'll not find anybody interested in it. You can try seeing whether you can practice to get to the state of showing a few pieces off yourself (it's good for basic songs like Xmas stuff), but other than that its main purpose will be decoration or a party talking piece.

 

[Tom]

According to Accordionlinks.com:

"Fritz Rockstroh was a manufacturer of accordions from Georgenthal, Germany, founded in 1920, and still around in the 1960s. They produced the Ferroti brand."

If this is indeed the brand origin of your accordion, then I think you could assume that it is from the "mid 1900s."

As far as value, it would definetly depend in the quality of the istrument. Does everything work? Is it clean, no smells, case in good shape, etc.?

Here, in my part of the USA, in good condition this accordion would probably be worth $100 - $150. I have no idea of its value in Europe or wherever....

By the way, in the USA, all of these "free reed" instruments are called "accordions," with regional variations for type. Here, this type of (probably diatonic) button accordion would be called a "concertina."

 

[JeffJetton]

By the way, in the USA, all of these free reed instruments are called accordions, with regional variations for type. Here, this type of (probably diatonic) button accordion would be called a concertina.

I thought concertina was (even in the States) reserved for free reed instruments where the buttons traveled in the same direction as the bellows, rather than perpendicular to them as we see here?

 

[triskel]

hello,

i recived an accordion from a driend
some can tell me the brand of it ? and what year is it ?
and what is the value of it ?

Hello nadav_ktm,

The instrument you have received from your friend is a Club Model accordion, a type of accordion that was strongly promoted in the 1930s by the German manufacturers Hohner (as a cheaper option to the piano accordion) for use in accordion club orchestras.

They are almost always in the keys of C/F ( = C on the outside row, and F on the middle one), with a partial inside row of accidentals, or Bb/Eb (to play with brass instruments), and (though all the other buttons play a different note on opening and closing the bellows) the centre button of the middle row plays the same note on both draw and press (to facilitate chording). Here is a link to a fingering chart for such an instrument: C/F 30 button Club Model

As has been stated, Firotti was the brand of Fritz Rockstroh from Georgenthal, which was in the Soviet Zone of Germany (after World War 2) that became the GDR (German Democratic Republic). I cant give you a precise date for it, but circa 1960 would seem a reasonable estimate.

However, instruments made in the former GDR were more noted for cheapness than quality, whilst the generation(s) that played the Club Model accordion in the way it was intended to be used are rapidly dying out these days, meaning that supply far exceeds demand and even very high quality ones can be bought for relatively low prices, so the suggested $100 - $150 sounds not unreasonable..

 

[Tom]

By the way, in the USA, all of these free reed instruments are called accordions, with regional variations for type. Here, this type of (probably diatonic) button accordion would be called a concertina.

I thought concertina was (even in the States) reserved for free reed instruments where the buttons traveled in the same direction as the bellows, rather than perpendicular to them as we see here?

Hi Jeff,

I can only speak for my region (upper Midwest.). What you refer to includes the Chemnitzer and the smaller, octagonal concertinas. While these may be properly called concertinas, all small button boxes (melodeons, organetti) are also called concertinas. Its confusing, to be sure, but doesnt seem to bother anyone. Chromatic button accordions are never seen around here, so people would probably variously call them accordions or concertinas.