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[TomB-R]

I'm interested in collecting a bit of information on one-and-a half-row instruments. (Having searched here without much luck, it may be that my searching is faulty, or people are just not much interested!)

I'm inclined to leave the Organetto on one side because I'm interested in 1.5-ers for the British/Irish/Northern European/US music I play, and see the organetto as a specialised tool for its own genre in Italian music, but I know some here have them and enjoy playing them.


There seem to have been quite a few 1.5-ers in the American D/C# style, as discussed in this fascinating thread
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,9187.0.html
For quicker access there's this Joe Derrane comeback clip.  Joe starts playing a big square-buttoned Walters 1.5 at about 2m 14s in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVEXNj95Ls4

There's the very ingenious Bouchard system with four buttons on the half row sharing two pallets and reed sets. Great demo clip at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWKObgmI7gU

It may be that no one is much interested! Given that three voices can be fitted into a Tommy size box, why accept the limitations of a 1.5?

I guess two routes to a 1.5 come to mind,
- from a one-row, trying to keep the essence of one-row-ness but with a bit more versatility, (but is that compromising the essential one-row-ness?)
- from a half-step layout, but aiming to keep things compact.
Either way I guess the motivation is going to be a balance between a multi-reed sound (four and more,) compactness, and versatility.

I've been having some fun playing my four voice Amatona while restricting use of the "other" row to simulate a 1.5.

Anyone else with interest or info?
Tom

[The Blues Viking]

And then there's the Italian "organetto" boxes which generally have 9+4 treble buttons and 2 or 4 bass buttons.

TBV

[911377brian]

You can certainly play English 'traditional' music on an Organetto. My Giustozzi, purchased from Rees recently does it in spades. Only drawback was the 'spare' row was made up of accidentals which I couldn't get my head around. These have been changed  to reversals, G/A   B/D   G/F# by Mike Rowbottom. I can't say they fall easily to my fingers either, but I'm persevering. The box is in D ....

[911377brian]

Should have mentioned that it came with second button start; Mike changed it to 3rd.....

[pgroff]

Hi Tom and all,

I mentioned a couple of other types of 1 + a partial row boxes in this thread, aside from the organettos and the D/C# ones:
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,14971.0.html

For example, the brass-reeded Tombo D#/E and the Louis Miller C/(B, almost) shown below.

PG

[Mike Averill]

It may be that no one is much interested! Given that three voices can be fitted into a Tommy size box, why accept the limitations of a 1.5?

So you can have 4 plus voices.
So you can have all the pallets in one row to give more even voicing.

[pgroff]

It may be that no one is much interested! Given that three voices can be fitted into a Tommy size box, why accept the limitations of a 1.5?

So you can have 4 plus voices.
So you can have all the pallets in one row to give more even voicing.

Exactly. See photos attached below for a 13 key X 8 voices Baldoni and a 15 key X 6 voices unlabeled box -- each with huge voicing, compact size, and a great open sound from all the pallets in a single row.  The Butti shown here is also 13 keys X 8 voices:
http://www.tedmcgraw.com/Butti.html

Even with fewer sets of reeds, for reasons of size, weight, and cost, the "one melody row plus a partial row" boxes can hit a useful compromise for many styles of music.  . .  having many of the virtues of (various styles of) one-row box but expanded musical versatility for other keys, modes, accidentals etc.  See links below for a small selection of examples from many periods and styles:

http://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/img_db/bcbdm/MF020/1/l/28_dsc_0051.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ML-xCnL9CVg/UgzyhE7e3TI/AAAAAAAABzQ/AXRw3kS5XO4/s1600/033.JPG
http://www.tedmcgraw.com/Walters_Pre_50s_files/WaltersMcDonough.jpg
http://www.massmemories.net/images_mmrs/3.105.3.jpg
http://www.accordeon101.com/asset/image/melodeon-poly-jcb.gif
http://www.rogermillington.com/steam/15NotesBig.jpg

PG

[TomB-R]

Thanks very much for the links Paul, interesting to see the 1.5 row "one row" style boxes as an alternative to the wonderful American D/C#s. Sorry that I forgot to link to that recent "History of the D/C#" discussion.

Quite agree that that tremendous multi-reed sound in a reasonably sized package is a good reason for a 1.5!
Apologies if I've missed it, and you've shared loads of information already, but do you know of any recentish recordings on that style of box?  (The recordings from 78s are great, but....)

As mentioned above, I'm "researching" the layout by seeing what I can do restricting use of the second row on my four voice box.
Interesting to see the 1.1 row boxes - I guess even just one C nat button on a D box opens up an awful lot of tunes.
Cheers,
Tom

(While I'm at it, apologies and thanks to Theo for moving this discussion - I was taking "Instrument makes and models" too narrowly.)

[Lars]

Danny O'Mahony plays a couple of tracks on Tom Carmody's old 17 button (10+7) Iorio on his album "In Retrospect", and Anders Trabjerg plays some tracks on his 13 button (10+3) Baldoni-Bartoli on the album "In Ireland" by 'The Great Danes'. Apart from that, I don't think many recent recordings of these 1-1/2 row boxes are around. Lovely boxes though, and I love the flexibility the extra 3 buttons give me on my 13 key 6 voice, while still keeping the 'melodeon'-feel to it.

[pgroff]

Hi Tom,

Lars seems to have been too modest to link to his playing on the 1.3 box that he just built himself!

For years I was lucky to hear Jack Conroy's playing on his 15-key 1949 Walters, one of the best examples of such a box that I know.  Unfortunately I don't see him as often since I moved to Florida in 2003, but he's still playing mighty music (though mostly on the 1-row box these days) and I still hope he'll make a recording.

Edited because I see that you already mentioned some of the "recent" videos I linked!

PG

[gettabettabox]

yep, on a single D row melodeon, a solitary button giving a C on the draw would be enough for me....it just looks a bit lonely out there?!
I am avoiding the trap of suggesting what should be on the push! - depends what other systems you worship.

[TomB-R]

Hi Tom,

Lars seems to have been too modest to link to his playing on the 1.3 box that he just built himself!

For years I was lucky to hear Jack Conroy's playing on his 15-key 1949 Walters, one of the best examples of such a box that I know.  Unfortunately I don't see him as often since I moved to Florida in 2003, but he's still playing mighty music (though mostly on the 1-row box these days) and I still hope he'll make a recording.

Edited because I see that you already mentioned some of the "recent" videos I linked!

PG

Ref Lars' fine one row, I hope he won't mind if I do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBwZlDCSveY&list=UUTzbvZ6RrzVpVn6n0c3J-ug

His video of the Baldoni Bartoli for sale is great for The Sound, and the playing, though in current context, it's a one-row.

I listened to the Great Danes tracks that are on myspace and thoroughly enjoyed them. Thanks Lars.
https://myspace.com/greatdanesmusic
The CD doesn't seem obtainable though.

[Lars]

No, I don't mind, I just don't think it shows much of the scope of the extra buttons. Besides, it's dormant, as the reedmaker STILL havent supplied the reeds... The ones used in the video was borrowed from other boxes without fine tuning.

I had thought of 11 buttons, with a G#/C, but decided that for a prototype, I might as well go full blast. The idea of just having at least the C in the right place (from D/C# perspective) is a very good idea in my opinion.

The Great Danes cd is very nice, and displays the use of 5 different accordions (if your ears can hear the difference;)).