The end of my search... it's done! :D

[JerryPH]

Just out of curiosity... How did you handle customs upon arrival in Montreal? It could have been trivial or it could have been quite a bit of trouble. Just like to know how that goes in general and how it went in your case. (In case you smuggled the accordion into the country you might not want to tell that in a public forum of course!)

I was ready and knew there was no duty, but they sent me to "secondary" anyway. I always play it 100% legal, but if someone wants to make a mistake, I won't argue it.

Anything free reed and anything coming in from the EU is duty free. Accordions were supposed to be taxed at 15%, he showed me then said "oops, I am going to forget the tax... you know, people make mistakes here all the time...".

The reason THAT happened is a story unto itself... he did that for me because we connected before I even got to the counter or even knew he would be the agent I would get.

As I am waiting in line, a CBA agent dropped his extendable baton, this guy turned around and said "use the force Luke!" I had to crack up, and he saw me chuckling. When I came to his counter, I asked him where he was from becuase his accent was NOT French. He said "most definitely not French, I am from Yorkshire..." and we spent an easy 2-3 minutes chatting as he verified that accordions were duty free. That's when he said that he was about to do the "mistake" and not even charge me the local taxes. Super nice guy.

Seriously, if I wrote all the small stories of my trip, I could write a small book... LOL.

Soon after I received my Morino Artiste X S I removed the register sliders under the keyboard (that many people don't like) and made chin switches, reusing the internal mechanism of these registers. I also added two more.

I wonder if there is room in my Gola for a few chin switches? That would be a very cool modification to do one day!

 

[saundersbp]

As a side @JerryPH and @saundersbp
What was price of extra seat in comparison to your own seats

The extra seats were just the same price as the human seats, buts it's Ryanair out of school holidays so very cheap. We did pay extra to get 4 seats together so Matt and I could keep an eye on our Italian guests.

 

[petch]

Also important for anyone thinking of flying with an accordion on a seat that I hadn't thought of at the time is to book a window seat. This is a health and safety thing so you're not blocking anyone in, which makes sense, but had never crossed my mind. Luckily my teacher has experience flying with his accordion and told me to pay the extra fee to reserve a specific seat

 

[EuroFolker]

I am kind of disappointed in you. Collecting the fancy accordion in Europe should have been a mere excuse to visit the red lights district.

 

[JerryPH]

I am kind of disappointed in you. Collecting the fancy accordion in Europe should have been a mere excuse to visit the red lights district.

And what notion gave you the idea I did not go??
Did you know there is a prostitution museum there?? hahaha

Kidding aside, there was just no time.

 

[debra]

The extra seats were just the same price as the human seats, buts it's Ryanair out of school holidays so very cheap. We did pay extra to get 4 seats together so Matt and I could keep an eye on our Italian guests.

If you pay the same for the extra seat you are getting ripped off. The airline is not supposed to charge you for the airport tax for the extra seat, so you should only pay the real "airfare" without tax. You just pay to use the seat during the flight, but no tax is due as it would be for a person.
For Jerry's flight to Canada of course different rules may apply...

 

[EuroFolker]

And what notion gave you the idea I did not go??
Did you know there is a prostitution museum there?? hahaha

Kidding aside, there was just no time.

Just bugging you. And besides, to us old guys, an expensive accordion / watch / sports car / (insert toy)/ is the ultimate porn anyways

 

[Zevy]

“I don't know, Helmi never even bothered to respond to my request if she had any to sell. Without that simple courtesy, I am kind of put off from even ever visiting there, though who knows what goes on with her. I've been told that she was very eccentric and odd. No matter, I have what was needed in my life!”

This is unfortunate, Jerry, as I found Helmi gracious and approachable, as she showed me around the museum. One never knows what’s going on in another’s life, as to why she did not respond to your inquiry. She is definitely a “character,” which is probably a necessary condition to build a museum as she has, but her heart is in the right place. Anyway, I say this so that you and others are not dissuaded from visiting, as it is so worth it. And the Duluth area is fantastically beautiful, naturally and culturally. Plus I’ll meet you there, maybe after 2026!

Ms. Harrington is running a museum, not a store. I mentioned to her that I would be very much interested if she wanted to part with a particular instrument, but I know that she is not in the business of selling accordions. The museum is her lifetime achievement and she is and should be very proud of it.

 

[Zevy]

Well... I've come to the end of my accordion purchases... there is nothing left that I could possibly want.

This last Thursday I sat on a plane in Montreal, arrived in Frankfurt Friday morning and 2 hours later I was in Amsterdam. Six hours later, I was back in my hotel room with a very pretty guest and ate an amazing supper (first meal in 10 hours). The following morning I hopped on a plan back to Montreal with company.

The supper, a monster schnitzel and 10.5% Pilzner beer:


The guest in my room:


She ended up sitting in the seat beside me on the plane ride home:


And here she is at our table minutes after arriving back home:


I want to give my very special thanks to @jozz who first found the Gola and was a great guy throughout the entire process, supportive and guiding in many ways. I had promised a call, but by the time I ate and got in to my room, I was burned out and crashed. @jozz THANK-YOU for your help, support and finding the Gola in the first place. Without you, I would not have been able to have what I have today on my table this instant.

The next morning was a whirlwind frenzy of getting ready for the trip home, packing the Gola to further protect it, returning the car and the entire ordeal of getting to the airport, going through checking in, security and making it JUST in time for boarding (a total of 5.5 of the most stressful hours of my life... not that the ENTIRE event wasn't putting grey hairs on my already grey hairs, but that ranks as one of the most intense days of my life... lol).

Would I ever do anything like that again? No, I really don't think so. Was it worth it? ABSO-freaking-LUTELY. This is a bucket list item ladies and gents, and I am blessed in have been able to do this.

I am grateful, thankful and incredibly happy. There is an expression out there "don't ever meet your heros, becuase you will be disappointed". There is in no way any disappointment, in fact, every moment I look at, use and hear it, I am in complete awe and can for the FIRST time in my life, understand why it is such an incredible instrument that has (IMHO), no equal.

Oh... just in passing... the red-light district... really... uhhmmm... unique!
Amsterdam is really out there for people that are in to that kind of thing... haha!!!

Congratulations on your new acquisition. I hope it brings you many years of musical satisfaction!

 

[Rosie C]

Well... I've come to the end of my accordion purchases... there is nothing left that I could possibly want.

Congratulations on your new instrument, and on completing such a whirlwind trip. I thought I was a little bit crazy doing a day-trip to London to buy an accordion, and that's only 200 miles by train! Your trip is an inspiration!

 

[JerryPH]

Ms. Harrington is running a museum, not a store. I mentioned to her that I would be very much interested if she wanted to part with a particular instrument, but I know that she is not in the business of selling accordions. The museum is her lifetime achievement and she is and should be very proud of it.

Actually, its not just a museum, its also a repair center for the museum and external customers and they also provide accordion lessons... I don't know if she gives the lessons or has others do it for her. By extension if someone provides lessons, they conceivably could sell accordions. Thats not something that immediately came to me but if someone here had that thought and suggested that I reach out to her, which I did. No biggie.

Oh, they also sell tickets for shows by bringing in people to do concerts, demos and seminars. It is without doubt an awesome place, but its a lot more than just a museum!

 

[Zevy]

Actually, its not just a museum, its also a repair center for the museum and external customers and they also provide accordion lessons... I don't know if she gives the lessons or has others do it for her. By extension if someone provides lessons, they conceivably could sell accordions. Thats not something that immediately came to me but if someone here had that thought and suggested that I reach out to her, which I did. No biggie.

Oh, they also sell tickets for shows by bringing in people to do concerts, demos and seminars. It is without doubt an awesome place, but its a lot more than just a museum!

True and true. I believe she herself teaches (at least when I was there).

 

[JerryPH]

I bet you she is a real taskmaster as a teacher!

 

[Ventura]

if you visit the museum, or attend an event where she brings
the "museum" on the road (like AAA yearly) definitely bring your
new gem with you

no-one has an ear or eye like her when it comes to Gola's handiwork..
she heard me play mine, (i was strolling the Coupe Mondiale luncheon)
and we had a sit-down after, then she gave it a squeeze and assured me
the reeds and sound were genuine and correct.

i hadn't had it for long.. had just finished the treble pad R&R
and the story of the eBay gola with switched reeds was going around
the newsgroup, and it was the first one i had ever touched so
she really helped me understand what i had in my hands..

i also demo'd the "helikon" bass simulation in the F7 for her.. she
was pleasantly suprised

 

[PhiliGol]

Congratulations Jerry for finding a true masterpiece and granting yourself the instrument that - presumably - has been your lifetime dream.

I can perfectly understand all your feelings and emotions as it reminds me my own story few years ago when I brought a 1967 Gola 414 from US back home to Germany. Also had her on the plane in the cabin

Just in case you once want to explore the full 32 sound options offered by 5 sets of reed, here's a little inspiration how I did that on my MORINO V S, which fortunately has slots in the front-grill to insert 3 bass-knobs directly linked to the registers leverage.

and...
never say never - I almost promised my wife to not going for any other accordion after I acquired my Gola.
It turned out that I found another extremely nice piece; admittedly not an addition but a replacement (for the Morino).

Once again congratulations and enjoy many, Manny happy hours.

 

[JerryPH]

Congratulations Jerry for finding a true masterpiece and granting yourself the instrument that - presumably - has been your lifetime dream.
Just in case you once want to explore the full 32 sound options offered by 5 sets of reed, here's a little inspiration how I did that on my MORINO V S, which fortunately has slots in the front-grill to insert 3 bass-knobs directly linked to the registers leverage.

Thank-you!
That design looks brilliant!! The only minor thing I would add is a piece of grill cloth that is attached to the button and keeps the hole covered no matter the position… but that is very inspirational and I could see that working on either my MORINO VI N or Gola. OK I won’t say “never”, but “not for now”.

 

[debra]

...

Just in case you once want to explore the full 32 sound options offered by 5 sets of reed, here's a little inspiration how I did that on my MORINO V S, which fortunately has slots in the front-grill to insert 3 bass-knobs directly linked to the registers leverage.

...

Very nicely done! I added a single such switch, to engage/disengage the third (the low) tremolo reed, so that you have an option for a 2 versus 3 voice tremolo. People very rarely want to use M- M because almost all accordions with a 2 voice tremolo have M M+ as that register. And on all accordions with a choice to engage just M- M+, thus eliminating the M in cassotto, it sounds rather terrible. It's sometimes called "musette vivace". To me it's more a "headache musette"...
I made the switch for a Morino V S and also for my Morino Artiste X S (button accordion with MIII melody bass). Here is the switch on the Morino V S. I don't think Jerry will ever do this with his Gola. Besides not wanting to change anything, the Gola has this sordino that makes it harder to add such a switch.

 

[tcabot]

Just saw this thread - congratulations Jerry! Now you just need to take it to a tuner to put on a nice -25/+25 Scottish musette on it, and you're good to go!

@debra: do you know if a similar musette mod is available on German-built Morinos? The ones with the wooden keyboard comb and griff-mounted register switches?

 

[debra]

@debra: do you know if a similar musette mod is available on German-built Morinos? The ones with the wooden keyboard comb and griff-mounted register switches?

Afaik this mod is not possible with the German-built Morinos, because the register mechanism internally couples the slides for M+ and M-. The later Italian-made ones have 5 slides under the register switches so M+ and M- are really separate except for missing register switches to enable/disable them separately.
I have not actually seen a Morino V M or VI M inside, but I read this from a (no longer existing?) page about the differences between the generations of Morino.

 

[JerryPH]

Just saw this thread - congratulations Jerry! Now you just need to take it to a tuner to put on a nice -25/+25 Scottish musette on it, and you're good to go!

I think we are very safe to say that this will never happen.