"some accordionists who tune their instruments to A=443 because they want them to stand out more over the rest of the band "

Thia is facetious and really incorrect.

Piano Accordions were manufactured by some makers to pitches apparently above 440 (up to 445/6) for a good musical reason.

Indeed a real Piano Accordion (according to information passed on to me by makers and classically trained accordion tuners - including those who have trained in Italy and the USA) is not even tuned to "A=anything consistent" across the whole range! This is because the upper and lower parts of the range are 'bent'!!!! This is to make the sound more harmonious and 'rich' - partly due to the problems inherent with 'even tempered tuning' :-) Indeed, different reed banks in the same instrument are often properly 'offtuned' from each other AND A=440 for a richer sound. This is the 'chorus effect' and IS intentional by the designer/maker. "Self-taught know-all" tuners often misinterpret this as 'wrong' and attempt to retune an instrument to all reed banks 'spot on A=440'- thereby killing the original 'tone quality'!

Some people think that this intentional 'mistuning' means that some instruments are A=440+ - depending on which reed bank they have 'measured.

Now it IS true that some instruments ARE SOLD in A=440+ 'base tuning' - this is because as said that 'it makes the instrument stand out' - but much care should be taken before ASS-U-MEing that this is a general statement about ALL or indeed MOST accordions!



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