Casali accordion

Subject: RE: Casali accordion
From: Bernard
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 05:10 PM

Mo, I could take a look at it for you if you like.

Subject: RE: Casali accordion
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 04:57 PM

Well it may well be worth restoring to some - at least to get it playing - the case repairs to the buckling, etc are another matter and best lest to someone who can handle those.

I don't care what the boxes LOOK like, it's what they SOUND like.

"When you press the top row buttons you often get a chord. And the right hand keys often play more than one note."
It seems that it may require some internal tune up work on reeds and mechanisms, which should not cost all that much. The strap repair is trivial. It's possible from your description that the keyboard side is a dual reed, and some individual reeds need work. And the same for the bass side.

Shipping costs depend on weight.

If you can give some basic measurements in the 3 dimensions, with weight, someone may find it useful to consider rescuing a basically good instrument - saw one a while ago, but it was a full 120 bass, a full 120 bass (with multiple registers) can be heavy in the older machines, thought they often have a lovely tone due to all that weight of wood.

Subject: RE: Casali accordion
From: Mo the caller
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 08:19 AM

It's 80 bass, nearly 3 octaves G -E but full size keys so it feels big compared to my Weltmeister. No switches.
When you press the top row buttons you often get a chord. And the right hand keys often play more than one note. No top strap to hold the bellows closed, just 2 holes, but theres less of a draft now I've stick tape over them.
Don't know how to put pictures here, but I've now managed to email some to a friend who says it wouldn't be worth the work needed to put it in order.

It has a very pretty front, like black fretwork with white bits on, but it has buckled, like receding gums, so that the black keys don't go all the way.

This is in England, I doubt if it's worth shipping. Not sure what the owner plans to do with it, I was asked what I thought of it, and I hadn't enough knowledge to back up my first reaction.

Subject: RE: Casali accordion
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 06:14 PM

It'd be nice to have some pics, and/or a list of what buttons/switches, number of octaves, etc. I might be interested (I'm in Australia though), especially if it is a smaller one (not a full 120 bass, etc).

The cardboard cases were still around in the 1960s when I went to school :-) The squarish deep ones are often also used as hatboxes.

Subject: RE: Casali accordion
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 01:00 PM

Hello Mo,

I have one of those! Had it for ever. It works a treat for me. Perhaps your friend's will once again with a little love and attention.

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Casali accordion
From: Mo the caller
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 12:55 PM

This is a piano accordion, amd looking at it's case I am reminded of the cardboard suitcases we used in the forties, so it's ancient.

Subject: RE: Casali accordion
From: Lester
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 11:56 AM

John Kirkpatrick used to pay a B/C/C# Casali button accordion so he had a good one.

Subject: Casali accordion
From: Mo the caller
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 11:13 AM

A friend has a battered old instrument in a battered cardboard case.
Says Casali Verona Italia on it. Very unresponsive action, full of clicks, squeaks and wheezes.
Was it ever any good, does anyone know?