Iorio help?

[trek4fr]

Can anyone help me identify what model Iorio this might be. It is a full-size accordion with 3/5 reeds in it. It says made in Italy, and it says Iorio, but I see no model number. It is in very good condition. It sounds and plays well but it is quite heavy. BTW, I dont see any Accorgan or Elka electronics in this. All it has is condenser mics behind the front grille and attached to the bass reed blocks. Interestingly, it has a covered up slot for a palm master bar, but no palm master there.

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/Iorio-03_zpst5jwpnxa.jpg>

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/Iorio-02_zpsyjcunvbi.jpg>

 

[RodionGork]

I have no answer, but I just wonder how similar some features of the design are to accordion mentioned in the neighbor topic

https://s29.postimg.org/d2euqf5nr/00707_84e_WET6s5bd_1200x900.jpg>

See, funny trebble switches with both marks and text labels, and bass switches of the same chrome-like plastic, it seems. The white fabric behind grille looks also quite similar.

Where they all came from? (Could it be some underground factory with multiple unknown brands?)

 

[trek4fr]

Your post made me laugh in a good way, RodionGork. Iorio is a well-known brand here in the States. Don't know how well it is known in Europe. But the company built their fame and fortune, as I understand it, on combining organ features into an accordion, known as the Accorgan (or it's more affectionate name -- the Boat Anchor). The bass switches are metal on this model, sir. But I've seen few "just acoustic" models, so I thought that perhaps someone here might know something about this.

BTW, this forum is a wonderful source of accordion information and help. I don't think we have anything like it in the States.

 

[trek4fr]

It also has a RHYTHM IN 1/4" jack that routes via cable through the accordion to the bass mechanism. Opening up the bass, it seems this function was designed as a make/break connector to tell an external rhythm box or drum machine when to play, probably for a snare as the mechanism is keyed to the chord buttons alone. Interesting box. Too bad the company is gone now.

 

[RodionGork]

Your post made me laugh in a good way, RodionGork. Iorio is a well-known brand here in the States

Thats good! Please excuse my ignorance

Thanks for this information. Ive checked ebay for these well-known accordions... 17 results, and of them few are about real devices
So probably you are right and it really is somewhat less known outside US.

I dont think we have anything like it in the States.

There is https://www.reddit.com/r/Accordion and it seems there were at least few people with some knowledge of Iorio...

Or perhaps it is possible to contact someone with similar model directly to ask. e.g.:


But this one seems to be with 4 reed sets in treble (and fewer bass switches) - or am I wrong again?

 

[JIM D.]

The Iorio in your pic' is an Italian product imported in the late 60's early 70's by SYN-CORDION Musical Instrument Corp. 32-71 Stienway St. Astoria N.Y. USA. (later called BELL-DouVox Corp.)
This Iorio was offered in a "Three Star Model" and a "Four Star Model" with options of Black or White and 18" or 19 1/2" keyboards. Both models had three sets of treble reeds and five sets of bass reeds. The "Three Star" model had 7 treble tone selectors with 7 shifts and the reeds were machine made.
The "Four Star" model had 7 treble tone selectors with 9 shifts and all reeds were hand made.
The box in your pic' is a "F-Four Star Professional Model" and the original list price with case and straps was $1,100.00 USD. This one looks like it has the at the time an optional pickup package installed that was called M. S-32-4 Stereo and was a priced at $128.00 installed.
These Iorio models were of robust construction and many are still in use today.
Looks like somewhere down the line someone removed the palm switch and never replaced it. If you care to replace it, send me a PM as I have many 50 to 70's Iorio parts in my shop.
The box in your pic' , in good shape, cleaned & tuned, with good case & straps, can fetch between $1250.00 and $1500.00 USD today.

 

[trek4fr]

Thanks for your helpful information, Jim. :tup:

The pickups in this model still work. It has 4 small mics fastened to the inside of the front grille. And then it has 2 large circular mics fastened to the middle bass reed block. I don't know as *I* would call it "stereo" (L + R) but the controls on the front work for Treble Volume and Tone on one side and then Bass Volume and Tone on the other side. The 1/4" output jack is 3 conductor, as most "stereo" jacks would be. The RHYTHM IN is simply a 2-conductor 1/4" jack.

There is a metal "plate" under the keys, Jim, that the belly-pad fastens to. When I remove it, there is just a big open space. Someone at some point had taped a piece of paper in the cavity that said, "Money Hole." Busted me up! But I see no swivel lever or mounting mechanism to put a palm switch in. It indeed may have been removed at some point. Whoever did it did a good job because the narrow plastic plate that covers where the palm bar would be is countersunk down into the accordion and, would you believe, riveted in. No screws. Interesting beast.

I'll post some pictures later today, Jim, of the "Money Hole" and the palm master plate. It isn't something that I absolutely have to have, but this accordion is mint inside and out and it might be worth restoring it to factory. Palm master does come in handy.

The guy that sold it to me said it was too heavy for him. It weighs in at 26.5 pounds (12 kilos). It is heavy compared to my 18 pound 72-bass. But it is just so darn beautiful and plays and sounds so nice. I want to keep it. But I've said that before about other accordions. :lol:

Thanks again for all the helpful info.

 

[trek4fr]

Thanks for the links, RodionGork. This is definitely a 3/5. LMH on the treble. 5 reeds on the bass. I don't know if it is Chambered or not. Sometimes I can spot those easily. Sometimes not.

Man, if this accordion could talk. I would love to know who has owned it, where it has been, the kinds of music it has played, and who it has entertained or brought some joy to.

 

[trek4fr]

As promised, Jim, here are a few more photos.

The first is a picture of the underside of the keyboard with the aluminum plate removed. This is what was labeled the Money Hole. As you can see, there doesnt appear to be any residuals of the Palm Master switch there.

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/MoneyHole1_zpsr3n3lmwl.jpg>

The next picture is another shot of the underside of the keyboard. Again, I would expect to see a rod coming down from the treble select switches that the Palm Master would connect to in order to shift all the reeds open. But there is no rod and no hole. This whole compartment is sealed.

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/MoneyHole2_zpsvi15at2s.jpg>

The next picture shows the internal (backside) of where the Palm Master should be. There are two slots there, each about 2 long, that go through the wood to the covered plate, but nothing else.

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/BackPalm_zpskckbosnb.jpg>

And last is a front-edge shot of the plate on the front of the keyboard that covers where the Palm Master should have been (if this particular accordion was ever made or sold with one). Sorry the picture isnt well-defined. Hard to photograph black. BTW, I thought, at first, that the plate covering where the Palm Master would be was riveted, but its not. It is just there. No screws. So it may be glued in place or snapped in place. But my philosophy is, if it aint broke, dont fix it.

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/FrontPalm_zpskspkoxda.jpg>

 

[trek4fr]

Lastly, Jim, here are two pictures of the reeds, treble and bass:

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/Iorio-31_zpsdedtoxfa.jpg>

http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/bill0689/Iorio-29_zpsdgjo7isz.jpg>

Thanks again for any further help you (or anyone else) can give me on this.

Regards,
Bill

 

[JIM D.]

Thanks for the new Pic's;
This one never had a palm switch for master. What is missing is an electronic board that was triggered by the treble keys and sent a wired signal to a tone generator. This is a late model of Accorgan (accordion-organ) that used an acoustic model accordion with switches to trigger a tone generator or midi. Somewhere down the line the old electronics failed, and this box had the electronic boards removed and converted to a useful acoustic box. If you remove the bass plate you will see the electronic plate has also been removed. Still a hearty made acoustic with plenty of volume. :tup:

 

[trek4fr]

Thanks for the helpful info, Jim.

I agree with you that this box never had a Palm Master.

I'm a bit perplexed in that if this was a deconverted Accorgan, having had the electronic guts ripped out, one would think that the accordion would still have that nomenclature (all of the Accorgans I've seen say Accorgan on them) and all of the jacks associated therewith.

Nevertheless, as you say, this is still a very hearty-made accordion and I don't have all of that extra weight that the Accorgans had.

It is a strange accordion but it sounds, plays, and looks good!

Thanks again!

Regards,
Bill

 

[Zevy]

<FONT font=Garamond><SIZE size=125>I frequented the Iorio - SynCordion shop in Englewood, NJ quite often. I purchased one of their electronic accordions (Syntara, which actually was an Elka brand machine built around a stock SEM accordion). I used that for a long time, and then I would stop by to service my amplifiers as they had a very nice and quite capable repairman by the name of Dave. They had many acoustic accordions as well, and this model may have been one of them. The only correction to my friend Jim Ds post would be that Iorio and Duovox were two separate entities. Duovox was made by Bell. The owners were Lou Lazarro and Aldo Mencaccini. Iorio was owned by - guess who - the Iorio family; Al and his son Ken. Ken unfortunately predeceased his father. Al died a few years ago.

 

[trek4fr]

Thanks for the interesting info, Zevy. I just concluded a Facebook conversation with Joe De Clemente who is somehow related to the Iorio's of NY. He, too, said that this accordion looks like a 4Star model built in the late '60's. He also said that it might have been a prototype built on the 4Star box to transition to the Accorgan. That might explain why it does not say "Accorgan" on it, nor would it have a model number. I find it interesting that something like this could float around out there for so long. I've sometimes come across these "deconverted" accordion/organs that would have all the electronics removed, the flipper switches removed, and a plate put across the grille to turn them into strictly acoustic instruments. They're usually pretty good accordions, despite having a somewhat "Frankenstein" appearance. Mine, OTOH, looks just like an acoustic, except for the lack of the Palm Master. Weird. But I like it!

 

[Zevy]

<FONT font=Garamond><SIZE size=125>Hey Bill -
I cant stress this enough: The main thing is the sound, feel and overall response of the accordion. If it appeals to you, all the rest doesnt matter.
Good luck!

 

[Eddy Yates]

Accordion Gallery has this Iorio for sale. Thoughts?

http://www.accordiongallery.com/iorio-magnatera