Side by side comparison of machine, tipo a mano, and a mano reeds?

[Ffingers]

"And, yes, people are weird. (Me included, and proud of it!)"

My manta: "May the gods of Heaven and Earth and the Mighty Seas preserve me from Normality."

 

[jozz]

once the reed starts swinging, what difference in output can we expect, given the material, mounting: plate and chamber/block and instrument are identical?

this has to be almost 0

I would rather have an experiment with different reed brands in identical mounting/instrument

 

[EMan]

I just finished researching and purchasing a new accordion ( Bugari 288 Gold, plus). During the looking, I talked with a number of "informed" people who suggested that the sound difference between "tipo a mano" and "a mano" reeds was almost unnoticeable. I ended up the 288 which has hand made reeds, so I guess I'll never know how the "tipo a mano" reeds play.

Unfortunately, trying to compare identical accordions with different reeds, particularly in the US, would be very difficult if not down right impossible. There is just not enough inventory to have two such similar accordions in the same place at the same time.....maybe at the factory in Castelfidardo ! Hey good reason to go to Castelfidardo !

 

[Walker]

Today visiting Stocco I discovered there is a type they call "super a mano" but I don't know what does it mean, sorry!

Yes, Ric this is correct. There are a number of accordion manufacturers choosing special/artisan reeds for their top instruments. They are starting to look back at what the likes of Dallape did in-house back in the 1950s, to improve their instruments. When I visited Stocco a few years ago they were using Artigiana Voci Turbo reeds on their S model. The reed tongues are shaped on both sides.

Pigini, also use Turbo reeds on their Nova & Caruso lines, and the Super King uses bayan reed plates on the low octave.

Scandalli specifies 'artisan' on their Super VI Extreme & Extreme Plus models, amongst others. Some of the freebass models, are using the Russian type bayan plates throughout the instrument.

Petosa uses Voci Armoniche Blue Star reeds on their AM1100 and top converters.

Siwa & Figli even have their own proprietory reeds and assemble them with patented rivet head technology etc.

I understand some accordion makers are redesigning their reedblocks to optimise the reed performance... It's good to see all the lovely factories in Castelfidardo finding their mojo again after they misplaced it in the late 1970s and 1980s. Just in time, as I doubt there will be many Russian accordions imported by the west any time soon.​