New Scandalli Super VI Extreme Comparison

[danp76]

Has anyone compared the new Scandalli Super VI Extreme to the M-series VI? I'm curious how good of a job Scandalli has done in terms of build quality and sound. I would image they both have their pros and cons. My guess is the originals have better reeds and the new ones have quieter mechanics.

 

[Walker]

Sorry - I am a year late. But in my defence, I only joined in December.

I owned an M series. And I have played a number of Scandalli Super VI Extreme accordions.

Both are excellent.

The new Super VI Extreme - is one of the very best new accordions you can buy.
The old Super VI (M series) - is one of the very best accordions ever made.

I like converter free bass instruments these days so would not invest several thousand pounds on a stradella only instrument. But if I were looking for a stradella instrument, I think Scandalli is still up there.

 

[debra]

Hard to compare, because Scandalli has had a complex history. The phrase "how good of a job Scandalli has done" is a bit odd because Scandalli founded Farfisa, which then became Menghini, and then and then... So while Scandalli remained in existence as a brand name the actual manufacturing is probably very detached from what it was in the 60s. Of course the same holds true for other legendary names.
Something that was quite unique about the old Scandalli was an octave decoupler. Normally a Stradella bass is made such that the base notes open a pallet for the large base reeds and a pallet for reeds used for chords. This implies that you cannot have just the lowest bass reeds in the base notes. But the old Scandalli had a "decoupler" switch that made it possible to have just the lowest reeds on the base notes. Newer accordions no longer have that. (But a convertor accordion always gives you that possibility.)

 

[Walker]

Yes, comparison is difficult. Different instruments from different times.

However, actually the new Scandalli Super VI Extreme does have the same bass decoupler, just like the original.