What i thisnk are tge best accordions makes and models.

[Roberto145]

When it comes to accordions, some of the most respected makes and models include:

1. **Hohner** - Known for their durability and rich sound, models like the Hohner Bravo and Gola are highly regarded in both diatonic and piano accordions.
2. **Roland** - A leader in digital accordions, the Roland FR-8x offers versatile sound options and modern features for contemporary musicians.
3. **Pigini** - Renowned for their craftsmanship, Pigini accordions like the Mythos and Nova are favored by professional players for their exceptional tone and playability.
4. **Excelsior** - Italian-made Excelsior accordions, such as the 960 and 940 models, are celebrated for their precision and warm, resonant sound.
5. **Bugari** - Known for their high-quality reeds and elegant design, Bugari models like the Armando Bugari 285/ARS are a top choice for serious performers.

The "best" accordion depends on your playing style, budget, and musical preferences. Whether you're a beginner or a professional, these brands offer excellent options to explore!

 

[Tom]

Welcome Roberto!

“The "best" accordion depends on your playing style, budget, and musical preferences.”

You nailed it right here!

 

[dak]

1. **Hohner** - Known for their durability and rich sound, models like the Hohner Bravo and Gola are highly regarded in both diatonic and piano accordions.

Some chutzpah alright, mentioning Bravo and Gola in one breath as "highly regarded" and claiming their high regard in diatonic accordion circles (there are no diatonic models of either).

Frankly, this looks to me like someone tried out what ChatGPT or similar would produce from a suitable prompt, incompletely digesting the marketing blurb from some company websites and coming up with a confused mashup of soundbites.

 

[Ventura]

yes lets hash this one over again

ad infinitum..

lets see, for Tom the best is Piatanesi.. because they have
delivered for him TWICE now on their promise of damn good
accordion at a damn good price.. i bet he smiles every time
he gives them a squeeze

one of my many "best" accordions is a quint bass LMMH
HM reeds built by Victoria but branded for a private accordion
school in the Midwest USA.. they made this model for Nobel also,
but then again you can't say Nobel are good accordions because
Don Nobel bought and re-branded accordions from literally every
accordion factory in Castlefidardo over the decades
(many only sold him one container because it took forever
to get him to pay for them)

one of my best stroller accordions for Nursing Homes is that
blue Coronet (branded) built by Excelsior.. pro reeds in a
smaller lighter rugged form-factor box a delight to play
with smoooooooth sound and plenty of volume

there are diamonds out there in the rough.. but very few
guaranteed gems exist that you can simply rely upon
"the name" on the box.. the only way to find a true gem
is to put your HANDS upon it and SQUEEZE it and polish
it by playing it and THEN after you have proven it's worth
you might have a leg to stand upon when you start telling
other people what is best

 

[Tom]

Yup, you got me to a T there Ventura. What you say about a smile on the face is so right on. I made Jerry demo his Gola for me yesterday. Way over my budget and desire but have you ever seen anyone happier? Not!

 

[Tom]

Some chutzpah alright, mentioning Bravo and Gola in one breath as "highly regarded" and claiming their high regard in diatonic accordion circles (there are no diatonic models of either).

Frankly, this looks to me like someone tried out what ChatGPT or similar would produce from a suitable prompt, incompletely digesting the marketing blurb from some company websites and coming up with a confused mashup of soundbites.

Pretty much yeah. We have seen how AI still needs serious human curating. I mean, I could AI my face onto Radu’s accordion playing, but what would be the point?

 

[Tom]

Allora, to sum it because I can’t resist, and because rehashing ad infinitum is de rigeur, if not the PURPOSE of Internet forums, let’s say Jerry’s Gola KILLS my Piatanesi in terms of sound, functionality, playability, but in terms of the RATIO of these things to price, they are equally GRAND!!!! Just sayin…..

 

[Ventura]

hey Tom, you have been on our cutting edge for Ai
so tell me if this is possible

i would like to see a photo of a golden era Titano.. say a Cosmopolitan,
but one change

instead of it being black lacquer, could you and Ai make it look
like a Woody ? and more specifically like a Pool Cue Woody
(modeled after and with a nod to the "pool cue" woodwork
inside on the Reedblocks ?

that would be part of an idea i am working on

 

[Tom]

hey Tom, you have been on our cutting edge for Ai
so tell me if this is possible

i would like to see a photo of a golden era Titano.. say a Cosmopolitan,
but one change

instead of it being black lacquer, could you and Ai make it look
like a Woody ? and more specifically like a Pool Cue Woody
(modeled after and with a nod to the "pool cue" woodwork
inside on the Reedblocks ?

that would be part of an idea i am working on

Given enough time, I am sure I could. It would help a lot if you could provide me with pictures of the Cosmopolitan and the “pool cue” color if you have them. If not, it will just take a little more time….. Do you need Doris to be playing it?

 

[Ventura]

Allora,

allora e allora

Tullio di Piscopo

if you want to try and play it, i have the MIDI..
it works well on accordion and is fun to play

 

[debra]

When it comes to accordions, some of the most respected makes and models include:

1. **Hohner** - Known for their durability and rich sound, models like the Hohner Bravo and Gola are highly regarded in both diatonic and piano accordions.
2. **Roland** - A leader in digital accordions, the Roland FR-8x offers versatile sound options and modern features for contemporary musicians.
3. **Pigini** - Renowned for their craftsmanship, Pigini accordions like the Mythos and Nova are favored by professional players for their exceptional tone and playability.
4. **Excelsior** - Italian-made Excelsior accordions, such as the 960 and 940 models, are celebrated for their precision and warm, resonant sound.
5. **Bugari** - Known for their high-quality reeds and elegant design, Bugari models like the Armando Bugari 285/ARS are a top choice for serious performers.

The "best" accordion depends on your playing style, budget, and musical preferences. Whether you're a beginner or a professional, these brands offer excellent options to explore!

Just some important comments:
1. Hohner started out as a German accordion maker and delivered some good accordions in the first half of the 20th century. But it depends on the models. A beginner model is never quite as good as the top end. But from around 1960 onwards the production started to be outsourced for certain models. Some student models show signs of being manufactured by Delicia (the register style is a clear sign), The Morino line was outsourced to Excelsior in Italy. The Gola began to resemble Italian construction more and more (although some will insist that up to this day everything is done in Trossingen, Germany). Around the turn of the (21st) century all lower end models began to be produced in China, including the Bravo and Amica series, and the Morino production moved from Excelsior to Pigini (when Pigini took over Excelsior entirely). Today Hohner is mostly regarded as the German company that tries to sell Chinese quality at German prices... Anything below Morino and Gola is of suspect quality now.
2. Roland, I won't comment except to say that they never made accordions, only accordion-shaped digital instruments.
3. Pigini is probably the largest European accordion manufacturer. They make everything from plastic junk beginner accordions to the beloved Sirius and Nova models. You can't say that all Pigini accordions are excellent, but most are pretty good. The lowest end... you get what you pay for.
4. Excelsior used to make very good accordions. Excelsior was bought by Pigini and now Pigini makes everything with an Excelsior label on it. So you cannot expect to still be able a tru equivalent to the 960 and 940 models. It's a legacy of yesteryear, gone forever.
5. Bugari makes excellent accordions. They are robust, have great sound and are very reliable. Even the cheapest Bugari is a reliable beginner accordion. Bugari does not make toys that don't last very long and break easily. I have owned a 285/ARS for several years. It is a great workhorse (among the non-convertor instruments).
In the list of respected companies I would add at least Beltuna. They are the most innovative company, founded about 35 years ago or thereabout and they produce very nice sounding accordions and novel technology like the solenoid bass mechanism and register mechanisms... but time will tell whether these new technologies will still work like new in 60 years (like you can expect from a 60-year old Hohner Gola or Scandalli Super VI).

 

[Ventura]

there was a period when one of the cool hidden easter eggs
inside a high end Titano.. whether this was from Faithe's
fertile and artistic mind (consider the feather motif grilles still
imitated by the new Scandalli's and of course the Rock n Roll models)
or Victoria, some models had reedblocks made from different
type wood sandwiches that when hewn down had the alternating gradual
wood-look of a high-end wooden pool cue

i am imagining a full size woody accordion using that kind of woodcraft..
and i would like it to be identical to a Cosmo or other Victoria/Titano
from the golden age (because of a point i intend to eventually make)

 

[Tom]

allora e allora

Tullio di Piscopo

if you want to try and play it, i have the MIDI..
it works well on accordion and is fun to play

Oh yeah, I immediately picture the line dancers at the Ballo Liscio in Ancona.

 

[Ventura]

you may have Doris showing it off, like they do on
the Price is Right

 

[Tom]

AI is fun for making shiny baubles but unfortunately the technology brings adverse climate effects and the typical efficiency in transferring wealth from the lower classes to the oligarchs. I’m not sure how long I am gonna keep at it and retain my ethics…. Just sayin’

 

[Walker]

@Ventura - Siwa & Figli like using the 'billiard cue' style reed blocks too. Enjoy!

 

[Ventura]

yes, the tri-color is the look i am imagining..

just picture that look on a Woody ! even if only the front plane
next to the bellows

 

[Thomas N]

Well I love my 25-year old Excelsior 960. I love my 1980's era Excelsior 930. And I love my Roland FR-8X.

I don't know if I've ever even played a top-end accordion like the ones discussed on this forum. I might go "meh" and I might think "whoa, I've been missing out!".

Come to think about it, I even really liked my Cordovox right up until I sold it. I've had the pleasure of really liking all of the accordions I've had.

 

[Tom]

Is this the one we’re talking about?

 

[JerryPH]

5. **Bugari** - Known for their high-quality reeds and elegant design, Bugari models like the Armando Bugari 285/ARS are a top choice for serious performers.

Actually... I believe that the reed maker Bugari and the accordion maker Bugari are not necessarily the same company.