question about Scandalli

Jack · April 2008

For all the accordion experts out there:

What can you tell me about a Scandalli accordion with the following information on it?

Silvana II
N427/54

Additionally, it seems to have a pickup, and appears to be in great condition. The seller says it dates to the fifties, but the condition is SO good that it's hard to believe. If anyone has anything to say about the playability, reputation, or value, I'd be interested.

thanks,
Jack.

brandoneon · April 2008

Hi Jack,

This is an older model, as Scandalli doesn't appear to make it anymore. I'm guessing it's a student (beginner) model based on other Silvana models I saw on the web. Scandalli accordions are made in Italy, and they make pro models too ... like their Super series. N427/54 is sort of a cryptic name and I'm guessing refers to the serial number, since the numbers themselves don't mean anything to an accordionist. Maybe the 54 is 1954?

When you say the condition is good, are you basing it on photos from an on-line bid or have you actually seen (and played/heard) the instrument? I would reserve some caution against buying sight unseen: an accordion can look cosmetically fine on the outside, but inside might be a different story ... even if a (naive) seller tells you all the buttons work, etc.

An accordion from the 50s could certainly still be playable today, but it would be a miracle if it was in top condition (regarding tuning, keyboard action, and bellows compression). I suppose it really comes down to what your intentions are for such an instrument - to play around with, or to use for gigs.

Just to give you a sense of what most accordions consist of, your standard piano accordion has 41 piano keys and 120 bass buttons, with 4 sets of treble reeds and 5 sets of bass reeds. In a student model the reeds would probably be machine made, and there will be no tone chamber (something that mellows the tone of 2 sets of reeds - good for jazz). You can also find accordions with fewer piano keys and bass buttons, and these instruments also have fewer reed sets - limiting your choice of sound combinations. Higher quality instruments will have hand-made reeds (that sound nicer) with a tone chamber.

Check out this website: they always seem to have interesting looking used accordions. For instance, there is a Scandalli with hand made reeds and musette tuning for a little over $1k.
http://acclab.com/accordionlab/mall/preown/index.htm
If you need help navigating through the confusing world of accordion features, send me a PM!

Best,
Brandon

Jack · April 2008

Hi Brandon,

It's a local secondhand shop that has it...they're asking $500. I might check it out with a knowledgeable accordionist friend...they at least knew enough not to keep it in the front window, but beyond they're aren't instrument dealers by any means. Thanks for the advice!

Will you be at Django in June this year?

best,
Jack.