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[lefthandsqueezer]

Hello All. I think I need to call on the collective wisdom of the forum. I am about to order a new box and as ever those lovely people at Castagnari have agreed to make me a left hander (have read elsewhere some folks saying Castagnari are difficult to deal with. I must say in my experience they have always been very helpful). I have the quotes for two instruments having not yet decided. One is the Lilly and the other is a Tommy, but where I need the advice is this. The quotes ask, Tonality: at your choice and Tuning: at your choice. Tuning is not a problem, that will be DG but tonality? How would I best explain, I don't want anything special just the most common choice used in English traditional music. If I was a normal right hander I would just walk into a dealer and buy a box off the shelf. So to boil it down I suppose I am asking what is the most common tuning for Castagnari's used in the English tradition.
Does that all make sense. I hope so.

[mselic]

My guess is that "Tonality" actually refers to which key(s) the instrument is in, and "Tuning" refers to what degree of tremolo is desired.  "Tonality" would therefore be easy to describe, whereas "Tuning" is open to interpretation depending on which descriptors (dry, swing, americano, etc) you use as they mean different things to different people.  It is easier to give exact numbers in cents, Hertz, beats-per-second, but even that can be open to different interpretation. Best to let others here chime in on that front.  I could be wrong, but this is my understanding of the terms you've used.

[Lester]

My guess is that "Tonality" actually refers to which key(s) the instrument is in, and "Tuning" refers to what degree of tremolo is desired.  "Tonality" would therefore be easy to describe, whereas "Tuning" is open to interpretation depending on which descriptors (dry, swing, americano, etc) you use as they mean different things to different people.  It is easier to give exact numbers in cents, Hertz, beats-per-second, but even that can be open to different interpretation. Best to let others here chime in on that front.  I could be wrong, but this is my understanding of the terms you've used.

That would be my understanding of the terms as well

[Sage Herb]

My guess is that "Tonality" actually refers to which key(s) the instrument is in, and "Tuning" refers to what degree of tremolo is desired.  "Tonality" would therefore be easy to describe, whereas "Tuning" is open to interpretation depending on which descriptors (dry, swing, americano, etc) you use as they mean different things to different people.  It is easier to give exact numbers in cents, Hertz, beats-per-second, but even that can be open to different interpretation. Best to let others here chime in on that front.  I could be wrong, but this is my understanding of the terms you've used.

That would be my understanding of the terms as well

On the one occasion that I obtained a box from an Italian manufacturer (Beltuna, not Castgnari) the term 'tonality' definitely referred the keys of the instrument.

Cheers
Steve

[Theo]

Tonality is definitely the word that Castagnari use to describe the pitch of the instrument, DG in your case. You could also specify A=440.  For the Lilly that's all you need to say because it's a single reed box so there is no tremolo.
For the Tommy you also need to specify the tuning. Castagnari describe their standard factory tuning as "swing" that is what you will find on just about every new Castagnari on a dealers shelf.  As to what might be the most common with players of English trad it's probably the makers default - so Castagnari swing, Saltarelle a stronger swing, Hohner wet, all are popular choices. If you play for Morris a wetter tuning is more audible, otherwise it's what you prefer.

[Lester]

As a small aside they may well refer to the D/G tonality as Re/Sol

[lefthandsqueezer]

Thanks for the help everyone. I think that about clears it up. I had done a little digging but just wanted to be sure before getting back to Casta. Best to get these things right and avoid an costly mistake.
Cheers.

[Steve C.]

Please be clear with Castagnari about your button layout, particularly the treble.

[lefthandsqueezer]

Yes they made me a left handed Handry a few years back and I was careful to send a diagram of the layout. Regret selling that now.

[Chris Ryall]

My mori came with wrong notes, and my organetto was tuned wet as a ducks bum. Unplayable in english (morris) but totally à la mode in Calabria.

So take nothing for granted. A good dealer should sort all this out for you and will commonly give a better deal than for an off the shelf box. Hobgoblin refused to cut their margin, which was why I went direct. but I saved around 40%.

Be sure that you PAY before 2019. Brexit is likely to add 15% to imported EU kit under old "British" tarrifs. And the possibly more likely "world trade rules" duty … is worse. 🙄

The best way to order from these people is at the Ch.d'Ars festival, central France, around July 14. You might even choose a different maker …

[lefthandsqueezer]

Well 5 or 6 years back when the Handry arrived it was fine, no complaints at all. As for the saving of dealing direct I noticed it was a lot cheaper. The Lilly for example having just looked online from Hob Gob is £1,339. Direct from maker £1,068 + £66 for a case. OK, not a massive saving but still a saving and of course you don't have the support you would get from a dealer. In my case though I,m impressed because there must be additional work for them to make lefties but in all three of my cases they have not charged any extra. These models are the Handry, Lilly and Benny. All those years ago my original enquiry was for a left handed Mory but for some reason they said it was not possible, often wondered why. Anybody?

[pete /acorn]

You have not included carriage,and bank charges for money transfer

[Chris Ryall]

I picked mine up in Recanati, and paid cash (Lire in those days). The trip over there cost money too, of course, but was also a pleasant holiday.

I'd re-iterate that a good honest importer is insurance against strange foreign ways, and thta most charge less than Hobgoblin

[lefthandsqueezer]

To be fair to the dealers I guess ordering direct is a lot more hassle and if I wasn't a Kack handed lefty then I wouldn't have these issues. Maybe I should ask Pete at Acorn to help me out. After all the dealers have an established relationship with the makers. You are also right, Hob Gob do seem to be pricey.

[Thrupenny Bit]

It's that classic thing - if in the event of something going wrong with an order then the dealers sort it out at their expense, which would save you an awful lot of too-ing and fro-ing. They also know things about tuning/tonality etc as mentioned, as they have to sort this all the time for their stock. I'm sure Pete would help out.
The only time I'd go directly to Castagnari was if I happened to be holidaying in Italy and paid them a visit ( made a pilgrimage! ) and to be fair I'd like to have a look at the temple of delight!
Q

[Lyra]

It does seem there are dealers, and then there are Melodeon Dealers - bit of a special breed in my experience, well worth the fourpence extra.

[Steve_freereeder]

To be fair to the dealers I guess ordering direct is a lot more hassle and if I wasn't a Kack handed lefty then I wouldn't have these issues. Maybe I should ask Pete at Acorn to help me out (1). After all the dealers have an established relationship with the makers. You are also right, Hob Gob do seem to be pricey (2).

(1) Yes - Pete (Acorn Instruments) or Rees (Wesson Accordions) are both trusted and respected Castagnari dealers in the UK. They're the chaps to do the business with. They will look after you.

(2) Always have been. (Sorry Pip but it's true.)

[Steve C.]

"Tis a stingy man who spends the most".

[pipives]

To be fair to the dealers I guess ordering direct is a lot more hassle and if I wasn't a Kack handed lefty then I wouldn't have these issues. Maybe I should ask Pete at Acorn to help me out (1). After all the dealers have an established relationship with the makers. You are also right, Hob Gob do seem to be pricey (2).

(1) Yes - Pete (Acorn Instruments) or Rees (Wesson Accordions) are both trusted and respected Castagnari dealers in the UK. They're the chaps to do the business with. They will look after you.

(2) Always have been. (Sorry Pip but it's true.)

(2)............... I don't set the prices............... I just drive the van for them, honest Guv'