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Author Topic: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?  (Read 3009 times)

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Stiamh

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"Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« on: July 20, 2017, 09:11:49 PM »

I'm looking for a starter piano accordion for my son and have an opportunity to buy one of these (not this one). Does anybody know anything about them? Made in China? Any good? Thanks in advance for any info.


http://www.musiquegagne.com/en/chromatic-piano-accordions/etui-1

TomBom

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2017, 09:32:51 PM »

It looks like a Weltmeister.
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playandteach

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2017, 10:23:35 PM »

How old is your son - this might be quite a weight. Where are you based, as there might be some cheap accordions I could source - through a music rental scheme closing down?
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Stiamh

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2017, 10:50:37 PM »

How old is your son - this might be quite a weight. Where are you based, as there might be some cheap accordions I could source - through a music rental scheme closing down?

Thanks P&T - but we live in Quebec (see profile!). 

I don't think weight will be an issue. He's 15. We are looking for a starter piano accordion but he's not starting in music. Plays piano well and can find his way around a diatonic, but recently we were in a house where a Saltarelle Clifden was lying around and on trying it he realized that with his piano chops he could do a lot more, and more easily, with a PA.


george garside

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2017, 11:56:30 PM »

I agree it looks like a weltmeister  of the sort that was made in the then East Germany  and of not brilliant quality so to speak!  After reunification of Germany aand access to better material for reeds etc the quality improved considerably.  however could be fine as a starter box provided the price is right but the one in the advert seems to be on the expensive side  to me
george
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Stiamh

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2017, 12:29:31 AM »

Weltmeister... The ad says made in Germany, and so does on I found on a eBay ad for the same model. At least not Chinese, then. 

Is it really expensive, George? Less than £370 at the current exchange rate, barely enough to buy an aging Erica... Since the reunification of Germany was 27 years ago there's some chance the box I am looking at is from the post-DDR era. It's also on offer for a bit less. 
« Last Edit: July 21, 2017, 12:31:57 AM by Stiamh »
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george garside

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2017, 12:37:31 AM »

there are several on uk ebay  of the 60 bass version that looks more or less the same and in nice condition on buy now offer  for around £200 from Bulgaria so I would think the Canadian equivelant of around £200 would be the price to pay ???

george
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Stiamh

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2017, 01:52:26 AM »

Thanks...

Rog

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2017, 08:47:57 AM »

I restore/sell little PAs, when I have them (serious dyed in the wool PA players tend to be quite sniffy about small PAs). The best budget two octave PA with some stradella bass would be a Hohner Student (with various bass layouts). They are light weight, sound bright and wonderful and significantly better than the Chinese offerings, which tend to be heavier and don't sound so good. Also beware taking a punt on eBay unless you are buying from a restorer or shop (offering guarantees). Pretty much without exception all the PAs I've bought online have needed some work or other to sort them out. On occasion I've actually had to scrap them. In terms of bang for buck, a restored old (say) Hohner Verdi I or II or Student, or Settimio Soprani or something similar, will be streets ahead of a Chinese box and probably be cheaper in the long run.
...I don't have any restored at the moment, but the Students do come up every now and then. However if I was looking for a first accordion for someone of your son's age and ability I'd go for a 35 key instrument...you get the two octaves plus the few notes south of C, plus stradella that  covers all 12 notes plus a counterbass row. Modern Weltmeister 35 key instruments are really quite nice, though you'll have to pay a bit more for them.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2017, 01:47:07 PM by RogerT »
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Theo

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triskel

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2017, 02:13:20 PM »

Is it really expensive, George? Less than £370 at the current exchange rate, barely enough to buy an aging Erica...

Yes, but there's a glut of secondhand PAs available, and a shortage of people looking to buy them, especially in smaller sizes. PA players tend to buy new, whilst we'd have much more value on some of the older models.

Quote
Since the reunification of Germany was 27 years ago there's some chance the box I am looking at is from the post-DDR era. It's also on offer for a bit less.

If it's in that same, angular, shape then it's a DDR model - the post-DDR ones are much more rounded.

Anyway, if you're looking for that (button box) kind of size, you could get a very clean-looking Paolo Soprani (though only 24-bass) for virtually half the price from Italy at the moment: Fisarmonica castelfidardo "Paolo Soprani". Or I've got a white 1940's one (same grille/era as Sonny Brogan's old grey box that Paddy O'Brien plays) of the same specification that I might sell.

Otherwise, reasonably-priced 48-bass Paolo Soprani ones do turn up occasionally...

Grape Ape

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #11 on: July 21, 2017, 05:23:41 PM »

I have an as new Hohner Student that looks much nicer than the one pictured that I would be willing to sell at a reasonable price- or trade for the right melodeon- sounds and looks great and located in the US.
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george garside

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Re: "Tempo" brand piano accordion - any experience?
« Reply #12 on: July 21, 2017, 07:35:34 PM »

the hohner student 48 bass is one I often recommend for beginners. Plenty usually  readily available secondhand

george
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