I hope everyone gets a chance to watch these videos. I purchased an accordion which hadn't been played for (many) years. For lack of funds, I had to completely overhaul it and had zero experience doing so. All said and done, it turned out great but I have to be honest... it was a steep learning curve 😂 Looking back I'm very glad I took on the project but it was a solid month of desperately wanting to play instead of repair. Like always Ronen... wonderful and helpful video!
Me and my friend were talking about accordion music. She started showing me accordion songs she knows, and they all sounded really happy. She was like ”yeah! I understand so well why you want an accordion :)” Then I send her a few Finnish accordion songs. Melancholic like most of our songs are. And she just goes ”oh...oh. that’s... different” and I just started laughing. I grew up listening to old finnish songs so that kind of accordion music is close to my heart and I am currently trying to find a cheap accordion. My parents refuse to buy me used russian accordions for about 40€ so I guess I have to find something else that costs something under 600€. I already found one that I like. I just hope my parents will buy it, considering it’s a new one and not used.
My favorite Accordion, a Soprani, was bought from Liberty Bellows when I was in Philadelphia. It's best to try out the instrument in-person before buying, even if you don't know how to play it, just to make sure the size, weight, and basic mechanics are right for you. And don't overpay for a used instrument ($700-$1500). Some features I look for are: light key action (for staccato), shallow keys (for glissando), tight but easy to open bellows, musette option, and loud (just sounds better and some are not as loud).
Your new-to-you accordion looks great Ro. I played accordion for many years when I was young, but when I moved from home I left my accordion behind, so I didn't play again for over 20 years. One day we were talking about musical instruments and how I missed playing accordion (but couldn't afford a new one) when a friend suggested looking online for a used one. I don't know why that never occurred to me! I found a fellow (online) who doesn't play but loves accordions and collects them. He must have had 50 accordions at his house. I bought a "brand new" full size Excalibur accordion from him for $300. It's a Chinese accordion but it sounds great, the bellows are super tight and it has new, well padded shoulder and bass straps. I couldn't be happier with my purchase either! Now I'm always checking the online sites for deals on used accordions!
I bought an attic find Hohner Atlantic for 400 €. It sounded okay but had alot to fix (untight valves, some dead reeds) but I managed to bring it back in a playable condition for no money. Plus it was a great experience to get to understand how an accordion works.
A person who knew I played accordion called me before the garage sale, letting me know their friend was trying to sell her accordion. When I showed up to the garage sale, I was the only one who had shown interest, so she let it go for very little.
Bought my first accordion for almost $400 and when I got it all the bass keys were smashed down and there was no sound except for like 3 keys so I sent it back and got my money and then I never got an accordion ever again
I've had mine for about 3 weeks now. I'm good friends with the owner of the local music shop in a small town of about 4000 people. He got one in and he said he'd sell it to me for 100 dollars. I knew it was a good price, but I really wasn't interested in it at all, but I'd still mess around on it because I was the only one who even wanted to attempt to play it. After three or four days of me playing on it in the store, he said he'd sell it to me for $50 (USD), which I assume is what he actually paid for it. I started researching accordion prices and realized how incredibly good of a deal it was. I also watched your video of what to look for in a used accordion. So I told him I was definitely interested in buying it but I wanted to take it home for a few days and make sure that everything worked or mostly worked. Some piano notes were out of tune, but few enough and slightly enough and high enough on the register that it was a minor issue. Plus you can compensate by playing the more-in-tune note on the push, for example. One of the four bass register buttons made all of the bass chords not work, and the three remaining bass registers sounded identical. I actually fixed that recently....... I opened up the bellows and saw in the slider mechanism two copper(?) plates each with a hole that were obviously supposed to be seated in an adjacent slider arm with a pin/rivet sticking up. It not only restored the bass chords for that register button, but I likewise learned that that register button is bass+mid, that the adjacent middle register button is mid+high, and the two outer registers are both masters. I prefer mid+high, because the bass low register steals so much air/volume from the dynamic mix, also the bass register is noticeably more tiring to play (because lower pitches physically take more energy to create, like playing a tuba vs a flute). As for the accordion itself, it is a Francini "made in Italy", either 1950s or 1960s by the black design and "chrome" plastic grill decor. Full size 120 bass, weighs 32 pounds (14.5 kg) effectively making it heavy as a tuba lol. It had one strap, just a 1-inch cotton band with a metal "D" ring at the bottom and a metal clip at the top and a primitive "dual D ring" adjustable loop at the top. I didn't even know that two straps were needed until I did research. So then I recalled that I had a new-in-package extra additional strap for my violin case, so I put that on and it works great. By the way a really good hack for an accordion strap is a padded strap for a laptop bag, satchel, duffle bag, etc, provided that the clips are small enough to fit into the loops of the accordion. Back to the accordion, I already mentioned the (unlabeled) bass register buttons, and it has 7 labeled treble register buttons: violoncello (low+one mid), viola (low), violino (one mid), organo (master)(low+two mids+high), oboe (2 mids), saxalto (low+high), and flauto (high). I use organo (master) because it gets the greatest volume (isn't drowned out by the bass), and also because if ALL of the treble reed blocks are in use then the sour notes hopefully sound more "musette" rather than outright sour, LOL. I cannot find a single picture of this exact model, effectively making it rare 😎 I know perfectly well that "just because it's rare doesn't mean it's worth a lot" as i leaned from the show Pawn Stars. For example, my vintage Harmony limited edition Stella "Heritage Series" parlor guitar serial number 192 is also rare, because I can only find close models, and it was a good deal at $50, but even with rarity and good condition it's probably worth up to $300 on a good day. I'd like to think my $50 accordion is perhaps worth $500. I welcome your ballpark estimate appraisal about it. It was absolutely a good investment, not just momentarily, but for musical growth. I initially started on organ when I was nearly 6, then at 11 I dropped off and played guitar, then in college got seriously into piano. So my main challenge for the accordion is not musically but the totally unique playing technique. What I love is that the piano accordion is the "violin of pianos" as I think of it. You work the bellows, as like a violin bow, to create both pitch and volume. You can sustain, decay, and crescendo. You reach one extremity of the bellows or bow and you have to turn around and go back. The piano is a percussion instrument and the accordion is not. The accordion is like a portable pump organ but more like a harmonica on steroids. It's a wind instrument but you don't blow into it with your mouth like even bagpipes. The whole squeeze box family is really a unique breed!
I have my grandmother's old accordion. Its a corelli and i need to have some repairs done on it and some keys unstuck but my real problem is how narrow the keys are.
It is probably a ladies accordion, which has narrower keys. Ive played a few over the years and got used to the key width, but yeah, you find yourself unintentionally hitting multiple keys sometimes ☺️
I bought an accordian hoping to learn to play,but it weighs a ton and it strains my neck shoulders and back.....try it for weight before you buy....even balanced on my knee I cant handle it.
Local shop Knapp's is the only place for accordion around Elmira, NY. Found an as-is Verini-Bros from 1951full 120 base. It's beautiful, only needed new straps $350. Sweet deal and I think I want a mic for it next. Any suggestions? I'd love an internal but don't want to drill a hole in it! I play with a few noisy amped guitars at shul.
Am releasing a video about amplifying accordions. There are a few options. Internal is great for being able to move around (e.g. dancing in shul), but it's an expensive option.
Got a 60 year old Italo-American accordion on craigslist for $165 they meant to type 265 but let me have it for $165 it's in excellent condition. Yay me.
I have an accordion and i have no idea how much it is worth, its paolo soprani junior 3 in great condition that i bought for really cheap in a garage sale, i could tell it was worth good money I just dont know how much
Sorry Asim, I don't sell accordions, but you can check out my other videos on my channel re buying your first accordion. Thank you. Good luck in your search
Oops! Meant 4'10"..not 5'10". What size accordion do you suggest? Us $500 a fair price for a good used accordion? I would be new at playing one. Thank you,Ursula Walsh
Hi,Error made. I am 4'10". Not 5'10". I would.like help in ordering a good used accordion. Wi you help me, please? Is $400 or $500 a fair price to purchase one ?? If white,red or blue are the colors that I like. If none are available I would accept black. Thank you,Ursula
The accordion is all about voices, look for italian a mano and void the rust.... thats the only thing that can not be repaired, the rest does not matter at all... a proper workshop can turn any garbage into a practically new instrument usually for less than 500 euro.
@@moshezuchter Prague, Czech Rep. I have two recent excellent experiences with Delicia. They are kind of special since the company manufactures new accordions too, so that makes them able to repair things the others may not deal with. They are also not the cheapest (to Czech terms at least), but the result is worth it IMO.
Check for similar accordions for sale on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local listings to get a sense of price. If there's a local accordion shop that would be your best bet.
Bellows tight??For 100 % ??? Mustn,t there be a slight "leaking"lest the bellows won't be blocking after playing a staccato note???? How do I see that.? And...is--while pressing- a light hissing not always audible at moments without playing a note???Of course a slighter hissing than while using the "exit valve"????? So you must be able to SLOWLY squeeze the bellows empty, without opening a key(bass or treble)this in order to prevent blocking which causes over-pressure with the result of causing REAL leaking?? And,as for taking apart the bellows,by removing the edge pins......to make sure,that the same pins will return into the same holes,to prevent for leaking??????
I would never buy a girl accordion, stick with the 19 inch or more keyboard with a double tone chamber for a more deep powerful sound, I have played girl size accordions and have a very hard time playing triplets on them as the keys are not the standard with for my fingers.
My first accordion was a lady's size accordion. I didn't know about the different sized keys, so I actually had a difficult time adjusting to a full-size accordion. Going back now took some adjustment, but I'm used to the smaller key size. I agree with you, though, especially for someone with larger fingers, the larger key size may be a must.
Every accordion repair man is named Martin.
Lol
I hope everyone gets a chance to watch these videos. I purchased an accordion which hadn't been played for (many) years. For lack of funds, I had to completely overhaul it and had zero experience doing so. All said and done, it turned out great but I have to be honest... it was a steep learning curve 😂 Looking back I'm very glad I took on the project but it was a solid month of desperately wanting to play instead of repair. Like always Ronen... wonderful and helpful video!
Me and my friend were talking about accordion music. She started showing me accordion songs she knows, and they all sounded really happy. She was like ”yeah! I understand so well why you want an accordion :)”
Then I send her a few Finnish accordion songs. Melancholic like most of our songs are. And she just goes ”oh...oh. that’s... different” and I just started laughing.
I grew up listening to old finnish songs so that kind of accordion music is close to my heart and I am currently trying to find a cheap accordion. My parents refuse to buy me used russian accordions for about 40€ so I guess I have to find something else that costs something under 600€. I already found one that I like. I just hope my parents will buy it, considering it’s a new one and not used.
Good luck with your accordion purchase!
Thank you. Very helpful.
Got my first accordion today(was 150 bucks) and it’s great
Congrats!!@!
My favorite Accordion, a Soprani, was bought from Liberty Bellows when I was in Philadelphia. It's best to try out the instrument in-person before buying, even if you don't know how to play it, just to make sure the size, weight, and basic mechanics are right for you. And don't overpay for a used instrument ($700-$1500). Some features I look for are: light key action (for staccato), shallow keys (for glissando), tight but easy to open bellows, musette option, and loud (just sounds better and some are not as loud).
Good points!
Your new-to-you accordion looks great Ro. I played accordion for many years when I was young, but when I moved from home I left my accordion behind, so I didn't play again for over 20 years. One day we were talking about musical instruments and how I missed playing accordion (but couldn't afford a new one) when a friend suggested looking online for a used one. I don't know why that never occurred to me! I found a fellow (online) who doesn't play but loves accordions and collects them. He must have had 50 accordions at his house. I bought a "brand new" full size Excalibur accordion from him for $300. It's a Chinese accordion but it sounds great, the bellows are super tight and it has new, well padded shoulder and bass straps. I couldn't be happier with my purchase either! Now I'm always checking the online sites for deals on used accordions!
Great story! Lovely what you can find online :)
I bought an attic find Hohner Atlantic for 400 €. It sounded okay but had alot to fix (untight valves, some dead reeds) but I managed to bring it back in a playable condition for no money. Plus it was a great experience to get to understand how an accordion works.
Lovely!!
How did you find such a nice keyboard at a garage sale?? Guess I better try to do it myself
A person who knew I played accordion called me before the garage sale, letting me know their friend was trying to sell her accordion. When I showed up to the garage sale, I was the only one who had shown interest, so she let it go for very little.
Where did you get your accordion? Any great stories? Share below!
Bought my first accordion for almost $400 and when I got it all the bass keys were smashed down and there was no sound except for like 3 keys so I sent it back and got my money and then I never got an accordion ever again
@@aidan8092 ouch!
Moshe Zuchter which is why I’m reluctant to even buy one
I stumbled upon one in an antique shop. $350 in near perfect condition (except the straps...)
I've had mine for about 3 weeks now. I'm good friends with the owner of the local music shop in a small town of about 4000 people. He got one in and he said he'd sell it to me for 100 dollars. I knew it was a good price, but I really wasn't interested in it at all, but I'd still mess around on it because I was the only one who even wanted to attempt to play it. After three or four days of me playing on it in the store, he said he'd sell it to me for $50 (USD), which I assume is what he actually paid for it. I started researching accordion prices and realized how incredibly good of a deal it was. I also watched your video of what to look for in a used accordion. So I told him I was definitely interested in buying it but I wanted to take it home for a few days and make sure that everything worked or mostly worked. Some piano notes were out of tune, but few enough and slightly enough and high enough on the register that it was a minor issue. Plus you can compensate by playing the more-in-tune note on the push, for example. One of the four bass register buttons made all of the bass chords not work, and the three remaining bass registers sounded identical. I actually fixed that recently....... I opened up the bellows and saw in the slider mechanism two copper(?) plates each with a hole that were obviously supposed to be seated in an adjacent slider arm with a pin/rivet sticking up. It not only restored the bass chords for that register button, but I likewise learned that that register button is bass+mid, that the adjacent middle register button is mid+high, and the two outer registers are both masters. I prefer mid+high, because the bass low register steals so much air/volume from the dynamic mix, also the bass register is noticeably more tiring to play (because lower pitches physically take more energy to create, like playing a tuba vs a flute).
As for the accordion itself, it is a Francini "made in Italy", either 1950s or 1960s by the black design and "chrome" plastic grill decor. Full size 120 bass, weighs 32 pounds (14.5 kg) effectively making it heavy as a tuba lol. It had one strap, just a 1-inch cotton band with a metal "D" ring at the bottom and a metal clip at the top and a primitive "dual D ring" adjustable loop at the top. I didn't even know that two straps were needed until I did research. So then I recalled that I had a new-in-package extra additional strap for my violin case, so I put that on and it works great. By the way a really good hack for an accordion strap is a padded strap for a laptop bag, satchel, duffle bag, etc, provided that the clips are small enough to fit into the loops of the accordion. Back to the accordion, I already mentioned the (unlabeled) bass register buttons, and it has 7 labeled treble register buttons: violoncello (low+one mid), viola (low), violino (one mid), organo (master)(low+two mids+high), oboe (2 mids), saxalto (low+high), and flauto (high). I use organo (master) because it gets the greatest volume (isn't drowned out by the bass), and also because if ALL of the treble reed blocks are in use then the sour notes hopefully sound more "musette" rather than outright sour, LOL.
I cannot find a single picture of this exact model, effectively making it rare 😎 I know perfectly well that "just because it's rare doesn't mean it's worth a lot" as i leaned from the show Pawn Stars. For example, my vintage Harmony limited edition Stella "Heritage Series" parlor guitar serial number 192 is also rare, because I can only find close models, and it was a good deal at $50, but even with rarity and good condition it's probably worth up to $300 on a good day. I'd like to think my $50 accordion is perhaps worth $500. I welcome your ballpark estimate appraisal about it.
It was absolutely a good investment, not just momentarily, but for musical growth. I initially started on organ when I was nearly 6, then at 11 I dropped off and played guitar, then in college got seriously into piano. So my main challenge for the accordion is not musically but the totally unique playing technique. What I love is that the piano accordion is the "violin of pianos" as I think of it. You work the bellows, as like a violin bow, to create both pitch and volume. You can sustain, decay, and crescendo. You reach one extremity of the bellows or bow and you have to turn around and go back. The piano is a percussion instrument and the accordion is not. The accordion is like a portable pump organ but more like a harmonica on steroids. It's a wind instrument but you don't blow into it with your mouth like even bagpipes. The whole squeeze box family is really a unique breed!
I have my grandmother's old accordion. Its a corelli and i need to have some repairs done on it and some keys unstuck but my real problem is how narrow the keys are.
It is probably a ladies accordion, which has narrower keys. Ive played a few over the years and got used to the key width, but yeah, you find yourself unintentionally hitting multiple keys sometimes ☺️
I bought an accordian hoping to learn to play,but it weighs a ton and it strains my neck shoulders and back.....try it for weight before you buy....even balanced on my knee I cant handle it.
Local shop Knapp's is the only place for accordion around Elmira, NY. Found an as-is Verini-Bros from 1951full 120 base. It's beautiful, only needed new straps $350. Sweet deal and I think I want a mic for it next. Any suggestions? I'd love an internal but don't want to drill a hole in it! I play with a few noisy amped guitars at shul.
hmm 350 dollars for new straps, why to much, just got new straps for my box only 60 dollars.
if you want a mic, take the box to a accordion repair shop and get condenser mics put in, they are expensive but the sound is wonderful.
Am releasing a video about amplifying accordions. There are a few options. Internal is great for being able to move around (e.g. dancing in shul), but it's an expensive option.
Got a 60 year old Italo-American accordion on craigslist for $165 they meant to type 265 but let me have it for $165 it's in excellent condition. Yay me.
That's awesome! Congrats!
@Gabriel Mondragon well it works. good enough for me.
Congratulations !!!. You mede good presentations of the both accordions. How much does 4:45 that red accordion cost ?
You'll need to ask Martin at Tempo Trend Music, as I don't sell accordions 😄
Trying to learn the accordion should I start with a diatonic 2 row melodeon?
Maybe here you'll find the answer: "7 types of accordions" ua-cam.com/video/nlpJEtWit58/v-deo.html ; )
do you want to sell this accordion ?
I have an accordion and i have no idea how much it is worth, its paolo soprani junior 3 in great condition that i bought for really cheap in a garage sale, i could tell it was worth good money I just dont know how much
Have you seen what others are selling it for? Looking at sold items on eBay may help...
I want to purchase your accordion please send details of accordion .
@@moshezuchter Dear , Freind I want purchase Paolo safrani accordion but what way.please inform me details. Thank you.
@@asimdey8927 Hello my friend, how could we get in touch so that i can give you some details about the accordion?
@@asimdey8927 My friend if you would like to see my accordion, please contact me anytime
$20???? I’ve been looking for one for years and I can’t find one under $700
It depends a lot on availability and your location, as well as the quality of the instrument 😄
Freind, I lived in India I want to purchase this accordion please send details of accordion and with considerable price delivery at India Thanks.
Sorry Asim, I don't sell accordions, but you can check out my other videos on my channel re buying your first accordion. Thank you. Good luck in your search
It looks and sounds like your bellows are not tight, as you are talking you have to constantly tighten the accordion? Nice buy though!
How I bought Accordion from your shop or through you I am from Indian
Hi, I don't sell accordions, I just teach it :)
Check out Tempo Trend Music or other online shops.
Hi,Can I buy an accordion from you?? I am short ,5'10" senior. I do not know if I should get a 60 base or less. Ursula
"
Hi Ursula, I don't sell accordions, I just teach 🤗 try Martin at Tempo Trend Music, or Liberty Bellows
Oops! Meant 4'10"..not 5'10". What size accordion do you suggest? Us $500 a fair price for a good used accordion? I would be new at playing one. Thank you,Ursula Walsh
Meant is $500 acceptable for a good used accordion?
@@ursulawalsh3558 It depends on the accordion :) If everything works, then yes! If things are broken, then even a $100 accordion may not be worth it.
Hi,Error made. I am 4'10". Not 5'10". I would.like help in ordering a good used accordion. Wi you help me, please? Is $400 or $500 a fair price to purchase one ?? If white,red or blue are the colors that I like. If none are available I would accept black. Thank you,Ursula
The accordion is all about voices, look for italian a mano and void the rust.... thats the only thing that can not be repaired, the rest does not matter at all... a proper workshop can turn any garbage into a practically new instrument usually for less than 500 euro.
👍 whereabouts in the world are you located? Do you have a shop you can recommend?
@@moshezuchter Prague, Czech Rep. I have two recent excellent experiences with Delicia. They are kind of special since the company manufactures new accordions too, so that makes them able to repair things the others may not deal with. They are also not the cheapest (to Czech terms at least), but the result is worth it IMO.
Awesome. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully people in and around Prague can have their accordion fixed there (or bought new, as you mention).
How to sell my aunt accordion its to much old I think its 1976
Check for similar accordions for sale on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local listings to get a sense of price. If there's a local accordion shop that would be your best bet.
Bellows tight??For 100 % ??? Mustn,t there be a slight "leaking"lest the bellows won't be blocking after playing a staccato note????
How do I see that.? And...is--while pressing- a light hissing not always audible at moments without playing a note???Of course a slighter hissing than while using the "exit valve"????? So you must be able to SLOWLY squeeze the bellows empty, without opening a key(bass or treble)this in order to prevent blocking which causes over-pressure with the result of causing REAL leaking??
And,as for taking apart the bellows,by removing the edge pins......to make sure,that the same pins will return into the same holes,to prevent for leaking??????
Addition........Is the exit valve adjustable for this procedure?
I would never buy a girl accordion, stick with the 19 inch or more keyboard with a double tone chamber for a more deep powerful sound, I have played girl size accordions and have a very hard time playing triplets on them as the keys are not the standard with for my fingers.
My first accordion was a lady's size accordion. I didn't know about the different sized keys, so I actually had a difficult time adjusting to a full-size accordion. Going back now took some adjustment, but I'm used to the smaller key size. I agree with you, though, especially for someone with larger fingers, the larger key size may be a must.
What is your email?
Ronen@accordionlove.com
yes it's a ladies accordion ...