Scandalli Keyboard length

[Richard]

Hello all, I have regularly played a piano accordion with a keyboard length of 19 1/4”. I was able to develope some extended chords that I think embellished my playing. I luckily acquired a georgeous sounding Scandalli VI “N” model from the early ‘60’s. The best sound ever! My problem is the keyboard length is 19 7/16”.
now my hand cannot comfortably reach the chords I once was able to. My question is, is the Scandalli keyboard length standard, or possibly a special order? I know it is what it is, but just curious! Thanks

 

[Pipemajor]

Hello all, I have regularly played a piano accordion with a keyboard length of 19 1/4”. I was able to develope some extended chords that I think embellished my playing. I luckily acquired a georgeous sounding Scandalli VI “N” model from the early ‘60’s. The best sound ever! My problem is the keyboard length is 19 7/16”.
now my hand cannot comfortably reach the chords I once was able to. My question is, is the Scandalli keyboard length standard, or possibly a special order? I know it is what it is, but just curious! Thanks

Got to be a mistake here somewhere. Surely 3/16ths is unnoticeable?

 

[Scuromondo]

Hello all, I have regularly played a piano accordion with a keyboard length of 19 1/4”. I was able to develope some extended chords that I think embellished my playing. I luckily acquired a georgeous sounding Scandalli VI “N” model from the early ‘60’s. The best sound ever! My problem is the keyboard length is 19 7/16”.
now my hand cannot comfortably reach the chords I once was able to. My question is, is the Scandalli keyboard length standard, or possibly a special order? I know it is what it is, but just curious! Thanks

To the best of my knowledge 19 1/4” is considered “standard” but variations anywhere between 19” and 19 1/2” are not uncommon, and I have seen new accordions with 18 1/2” keyboards make no mention of that fact—that is, not highlight it as being a compressed or narrower width—in their specifications.

 

[Richard]

Got to be a mistake here somewhere. Surely 3/16ths is unnoticeable?

Thanks for your reply, with my smaller hands 3/16 just pushes the extended chords to be hard to hit cleanly. An example, C chord inversion: bass side, C. Treble side E/ Bb/ D/ A. A really nice sound, but not achievable consistently on the Scandalli! I guess maybe hand stretches would help, but with the rich sound of this accordion, maybe settle for a smaller interval and let the beautiful sound compensate. Thanks a lot for your replies.

 

[Ventura]

my friend Gil Miller had also, as a youth, absorbed as muscle memory his
original Excelsior Keyboard, which was an oldie for sure, and which in
later years their keyboard length also changed a tiny bit

and it threw him off for years as he had progressed far enough by
his second Excelsior to not looking at his keys at all

so you are not the first to experience this...

you (your brain and muscle memory) will adjust in time

ps: Gil was the fella who had a big MOOG and a Crumar Orchestrator
hard wired to his CG-V Cordovox and gigged with it for decades

 

[JIM D.]

The 19 3/4 to 19 7/16 keyboard should not affect your hand stretch The depth of the white keys might be your problem.

 

[Richard]

my friend Gil Miller had also, as a youth, absorbed as muscle memory his
original Excelsior Keyboard, which was an oldie for sure, and which in
later years their keyboard length also changed a tiny bit

and it threw him off for years as he had progressed far enough by
his second Excelsior to not looking at his keys at all

so you are not the first to experience this...

you (your brain and muscle memory) will adjust in time

ps: Gil was the fella who had a big MOOG and a Crumar Orchestrator
hard wired to his CG-V Cordovox and gigged with it for decades

Nice! I appreciate your experience and wisdom! Thank you