Accordions

[PAT A RALPH]

Accordion repair,

Last night I located a broken wire on a mike system in a MIDI retrofited
Cordovox Model 251A

Monday, I picked up a professional model full size that just needs the dust
cleaned off the reeds so they all respond properly, basic tuning seems
"close"

Ken Gerler

----- Original Message -----
From: robert goodale <rrg@nevada.edu>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2000 8:02 PM
Subject: Re: Accordions


Kristinn Leifsson wrote:

> >Accordion techs are actually in serious demand, (hey, there's another
> >enterprise for you folks!).  I looked and tried a real beauty at the NAMM
> show
> >that I am seriously considering buying.  Cost: $4000.00.  Actually not a
bad
> >price.  All I have to do is sell my piano so I can afford it!
>
> Hey Rob,
>
> I´m actually going to study accordion tuning this summer in Finland.
> Many people think that $4000 is a lot of money for a "squeezebox" but you
> should hear the accordions we´re selling here for twelve-thousand dollars.
> They´re top of the line Italian concert instruments for serious CLASSICAL
> players.

Off topic, but who cares...

Boxes can get pretty pricey, especially when you get into things like double
tone
chambers and MIDI.  A drawback of those kinds of goodies though is the
weight of
the instrument goes up in a hurry.  In my opinion, (as I think most would
agree),
the only accordion worth owning is made in Italy.  For some reason building
these
instruments has become a beloved passion for the Italians and not just a
business.  They have the technology and craftsmanship as good as it gets.
The
one I am looking at is a Tombolini model 900 and is made in Castefidardo,
Italy.

Many people think that an accordion is something you can pick up for less
than
$100 at a yard sale or pawn shop.  This is not unlike buying an old junk
upright
the same way and thinking you just got a treasure.  After about 20-25 years
the
wax the reeds are set into dries and goes bad.  The tuning also lasts about
the
same amount of time.  Thus once a box gets about that age it is due a reed
overhaul.  This can range anywhere from $500 to $800 and even higher
depending on
the instrument.  There are only a hand full of accordion techs in the
country and
they are as busy as they can possibly be.  The instrument has experienced a
boom
in renewed popularity and tech work for them is in high demand.  I have a
friend
who graduated in the last class of the last accordion tech school in the
country
a number of years ago.  Unfortunately he got burned out on box repair.  Now
he is
a full time piano technician!!!

Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV