Which accordion i should buy?

[wauhti]

I noticed two accordions that looked good. Both are button accordions.
Which accordion i should buy? Both are 550€ (653$)
And what models they are?

 

[debra]

The Menghini is a 2 voice accordion (looks like LM, but not entirely sure from the small picture) and the Titano is 3 voice (LMM). That makes the Titano considerably more versatile. Without any more information than these two small pictures I would suggest the Titano is more useful.

 

[wauhti]

The Menghini is a 2 voice accordion (looks like LM, but not entirely sure from the small picture) and the Titano is 3 voice (LMM). That makes the Titano considerably more versatile. Without any more information than these two small pictures I would suggest the Titano is more useful.

Alright. So I choose Titano.
Titano's voicerange is A-G

 

[wauhti]

The Menghini is a 2 voice accordion (looks like LM, but not entirely sure from the small picture) and the Titano is 3 voice (LMM). That makes the Titano considerably more versatile. Without any more information than these two small pictures I would suggest the Titano is more useful.

But do you know about what model these are? I would Put more pictures there if it helps to recognise

 

[wauhti]

 

[wauhti]

 

[debra]

I do not know about Titano and Menghini model names and there complete specifications.
And whether they are worth the asking price is even harder to say as that depends entirely on the condition inside. An accordion can look completely pristine and still be all rusted inside, with curled-up leathers... and an accordion that looks like a beater may be pristine on the inside...

 

[wauhti]

I do not know about Titano and Menghini model names and there complete specifications.
And whether they are worth the asking price is even harder to say as that depends entirely on the condition inside. An accordion can look completely pristine and still be all rusted inside, with curled-up leathers... and an accordion that looks like a beater may be pristine on the inside...

I know the look can be deceiving, so I’m going to test it where it’s sold. How can I identify an accordion that plays from all sound ranges?

 

[wauhti]

Here is a quote from the seller of the Titano accordion
"I bought an accordion used 10 years ago and my son has played it a bit. I don't know how old an accordion it is. The accordion straps were renewed a few years ago except for the bass side. The accordion is made for younger players"

 

[JIM D.]

The Titano in your pic's is made by Victoria of Italy. It's a 60's to mid 70's 3/4 reed accordion. This one was also made in a PA model
and sold here in the US as a "Titano Standard". My pick would be the Titano (Victoria) because of the build quality.
Now before deciding on the Titano observe the bass buttons for cracks as some of these older translucent buttons were of an inferior
plastic that in time will split & crumble and be costly to replace.

 

[wauhti]

The Titano in your pic's is made by Victoria of Italy. It's a 60's to mid 70's 3/4 reed accordion. This one was also made in a PA model
and sold here in the US as a "Titano Standard". My pick would be the Titano (Victoria) because of the build quality.
Now before deciding on the Titano observe the bass buttons for cracks as some of these older translucent buttons were of an inferior
plastic that in time will split & crumble and be costly to replace.

And what about Menghini?
It is sold by an 86-year old man who wants to sell an accordion because it’s too hard for him to learn these days. According to him, there has been only one owner and he thinks the sounds are in good shape.

 

[debra]

And what about Menghini?
It is sold by an 86-year old man who wants to sell an accordion because it’s too hard for him to learn these days. According to him, there has been only one owner and he thinks the sounds are in good shape.

I'd rate Menghini a bit below the Victoria-made Titano, but it's still a good quality accordion. The problem is that it is just a 2-voice instrument and you would quickly find that limiting. An accordion with LMM is more versatile than one with just LM or just MM. From the low-res picture I would guess this one is LM which implies that you won't be getting any tremolo, so typical of accordion sound.

 

[oldbayan]

Now before deciding on the Titano observe the bass buttons for cracks as some of these older translucent buttons were of an inferior
plastic that in time will split & crumble and be costly to replace.

Good advice! If you see cracks and patterns in the bass buttons that is trouble! I had that issue on an old Paolo Soprani of the same era and had to replace all the 120 buttons; it was a major job. The buttons were just desintegrating. I posted pictures about my restoration work.

 

[NickC]

At first I was going to advise that these use the Finnish layout, then I noticed that you are in Finland, so that would make sense. If I saw the Titano at that price and it was standard C system, personally, I would purchase it.

 

[wauhti]

What about this accordion? This would be for sale for 700€ (823$)

 

[debra]

What about this accordion? This would be for sale for 700€ (823$)

It's a Bugari Champion Cassotto, an older one but should still be good unless it has seen problems like water damage...
You should be aware that such an instrument typically sells for between 2.000 and 3.000 (depends a bit on age), so if you can get it for 700 you should really investigate whether it is legit. When it is, make sure you can get it serviced by a professional. It is worth it.

 

[wauhti]

It's a Bugari Champion Cassotto, an older one but should still be good unless it has seen problems like water damage...
You should be aware that such an instrument typically sells for between 2.000 and 3.000 (depends a bit on age), so if you can get it for 700 you should really investigate whether it is legit. When it is, make sure you can get it serviced by a professional. It is worth it.

According to the seller, it has even been played in concerts.

 

[wauhti]

It's a Bugari Champion Cassotto, an older one but should still be good unless it has seen problems like water damage...
You should be aware that such an instrument typically sells for between 2.000 and 3.000 (depends a bit on age), so if you can get it for 700 you should really investigate whether it is legit. When it is, make sure you can get it serviced by a professional. It is worth it.

How does water damage show up on that accordion? Does a lot of moisture accumulate inside the accordion?

 

[debra]

How does water damage show up on that accordion? Does a lot of moisture accumulate inside the accordion?

The only way to tell whether an accordion is in good condition is to look inside. Accordions can look beautiful on the outside and have rusted reeds and curled-up leathers on the inside, but likewise an accordion can look beat-up on the outside and be in pristine condition on the inside. There is just no way to tell from the outside. Even an accordion with rusted reeds can sound fine (but will go out of tune sooner rather than later)...
I am just a bit concerned because of the price. It sounds too good to be true for this instrument, and more often than not when it sounds too good to be true it's actually not true...

 

[JIM D.]

That price also concerns me. From what I can see in these pictures the bass buttons might just be of a translucent plastic.
Some Italian firms in the 60's thru 70's used these plastic buttons without knowledge of their longevity. These plastic buttons
now at lest 50 years old become brittle & crack. Many owners are reluctant to correct this situation by replacing the button tops
as the cost of parts & extensive labor are high in all cases.