Missing part and value

[CathyR]

Hello, I have an accordion in a box that is in very good condition except for a piece missing. I will post photos as I know nothing about this instrument. The accordion is a Universal, says made in Italy serial number 78.

I’m looking to sell this item but would like to know more about it, try to locate the missing piece and have an idea what it is worth. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Ben-jammin]

Volume and tone knobs can be purchased from any vender that sells parts to repair musical instrument amplifiers.Those knobs would be so the accordion could connect to an amplifier to make it louder. The microphones most commonly used in accordions at the time this was built didn’t have a long lifespan and may have succumbed to old age.

The notation on the selector switch implies this has two sets of reeds in the treble side, instead of more desirable 3,4 or 5 sets. It’s Italian built and would have been oriented for a student accordionist. In good condition this will outperform most of the Chinese accordions on the market.

Exterior condition may be very good, but the exterior of an unplayed accordion will usually look fine long after interior parts have degraded to make the accordion unusable as a musical instrument. Notes go out of tune and some stop sounding altogether and the accordion becomes more inefficient with air. The reed wax becomes brittle and reeds start falling out. The 650$ price seems pretty steep for an accordion of that age and specification but might be inline with high retail if sold by a reputable store that can assure a buyer that the accordion has been professionally serviced and is 100% ready to play condition.

The best thing to do is get someone knowledgeable to play and possibly disassemble/inspect the instrument to provide you with an accurate health assessment of the instrument. The value could range from $75 from a relic sold as decor to several hundred dollars if generally playable.

 

[Ventura]

agreed.. it looks like plenty of mold spots in close-ups though..

sure sometimes alcohol will wipe it all off,
sometimes it has penetrated the material..

 

[debra]

Such accordions are not very good news. This is a 2 voice model (LM configuration, so no tremolo), old and not in pristine condition. Such accordions go for may 500 after complete overhaul, which will cost more than 500 in repairs. So sadly, there is little to no money to be made on an accordion like this. Still it could make a beginner happy, or a beginner in accordion repair, for maybe 150 to 200... For the true value of such an accordion the condition of everything, especially the inside, is key.