Melodeon.net Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome to the new melodeon.net forum

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: A couple of Preciosa's  (Read 3349 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Jozz

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 97
  • Greetings from the Netherlands!
    • Stichting Bon Artz
A couple of Preciosa's
« on: February 12, 2018, 01:01:40 PM »

Hello I'd like to share my only experience so far in the world of melodeons, which I'm trying to expand. Recently, I was invited to go over some instruments of a man who was retiring from his musical adventures. I came to see a couple of traveller's piano accordions, as I am a PA player but ended up also with these two mini's, which are absolutely stunning and cute at the same time.

I was hesitant as I have no experience with push pull and diatonic buttons, but now my girlfriend and I have decided to try and create some sort of street theatre show with them. She got the dark brown one and I got the lighter tan one, marked "Juwel".

We are learning from this forum and will try to post some milestones once we get going. I can improvise on these things with 3/4 and 4/4 tunes, but I guess the trick is to push pull more and try to follow writing.

I gained some info from Theo, and I guess they are quite old, so it's very nice to give these a second life. They were very well maintained and tuned to A=432. The dark brown one has a bit harsher tune (more over-tones), and the tan one if more mellow (the reason why I choose it).

On this recording, first is the dark brown, second the tan one:
https://instaud.io/1LSh

Logged
Stichting Bon Artz - We present and support authentic music and small-scale performance arts.

AirTime

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 979
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2018, 04:02:40 PM »

Nice! I suppose the smaller box (dark brown) is a Preciosa, the other one some variant of a Lilliput.  Obviously, restored as they have modern valves. They sound great!
Logged
1920's BbEb Hohner; 1920's  AD Koch; 1910 (?) One-row Hohner in D,  1910's GCB Maga Ercole; ; AD 1950's Pistelli, CF Sandpiper, CF Preciosa, BbEb Preciosa.

tirpous

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1085
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2018, 04:32:08 PM »

Quote
I suppose the smaller box (dark brown) is a Preciosa, the other one some variant of a Lilliput.

I don't know.  The Liliput usually has standing treble blocks while the configuration seen in both boxes here is typical of Preciosas.  From the 2nd picture, I notice the dark brown seems to have a more elaborate bass end with 4 notes per chord (vs 3) and maybe more voices to each bass note as well.
Logged

Theo

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13727
  • Hohner Club Too
    • The Box Place
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2018, 04:34:05 PM »

Definitely both Preciosa.  And the photos show that the reeds all have new valves and wax, so all they need is to be played.  Street music seems like a great new life for them.
Logged
Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

Proprietor of The Box Place for melodeon and concertina sales and service.
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for stock updates.

Fred

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 719
  • G/C Pariselle, D/G Loffet & maybe too many Hohners
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2018, 07:21:28 PM »

Lovely boxes, I especially like the looks of the dark brown one. Both sound great!

Definitely looking forward to read about/ hear your progress!
Logged

AirTime

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 979
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2018, 11:42:09 PM »

Quote
I suppose the smaller box (dark brown) is a Preciosa, the other one some variant of a Lilliput.

I don't know.  The Liliput usually has standing treble blocks while the configuration seen in both boxes here is typical of Preciosas.  From the 2nd picture, I notice the dark brown seems to have a more elaborate bass end with 4 notes per chord (vs 3) and maybe more voices to each bass note as well.

Yes - I see that now.  I just looked at the first photo which (deceptively) seems to show that the brown box is smaller than the other one.
Logged
1920's BbEb Hohner; 1920's  AD Koch; 1910 (?) One-row Hohner in D,  1910's GCB Maga Ercole; ; AD 1950's Pistelli, CF Sandpiper, CF Preciosa, BbEb Preciosa.

Jozz

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 97
  • Greetings from the Netherlands!
    • Stichting Bon Artz
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2018, 08:09:59 AM »

They have the same dimensions, although the dark brown one has far rounder edges and corners.

He also had a blue one, very much like the tan one, but it was in slightly bad shape.

I had thought about overhauling them, maybe even convert them to another key, as I was worried about the 432 tuning anyway. But then my girlfriend got totally psyched over this dark brown one, we decided to keep them both "original", and only play them together without other instruments. Funny is that one has real shoulder straps and she is quite small so it looks very fitting.
Logged
Stichting Bon Artz - We present and support authentic music and small-scale performance arts.

Jozz

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 97
  • Greetings from the Netherlands!
    • Stichting Bon Artz
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2018, 04:59:37 PM »

small question:

Is it possible to easily remove the top reed "block" without having to break wax and re-apply it?
Logged
Stichting Bon Artz - We present and support authentic music and small-scale performance arts.

hickory-wind

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 569
  • Lives in NY USA near the Erie Canal
    • Bellingers' Button Boxes
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2018, 06:13:21 PM »

Yes-
One slotted screw at each end of the upper reedbank. Remove and the whole upper part lifts out. No wax involved.

Pics show before and after.

   Scott

BellingersButtonBoxes.com
Logged
too many boxes...please buy one, or two, or

Winston Smith

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 3769
  • AKA Edward Jennings
    • "Our Luxor B&B" Luxor life, slice by slice.
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2018, 07:21:45 PM »

May I slide a bit off topic here, please, and ask what function the wire across the box has, the one with the single screw attachment?
Logged
At last, broken and resigned to accept conformity.
Oh, how I LOVE Big Brother!

malcolmbebb

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2609
  • In dampest Dorset, on the soggy south coast.
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2018, 07:25:41 PM »

Never having seen inside one, I'm guessing it's part of the internal bellows clip.  8)
Logged
Dino BPII.
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire."

Lester

  • MADman
  • Mods and volunteers
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9107
  • Hohners'R'me
    • Lester's Melodeon Emporium and Tune-a-Rama
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2018, 07:27:40 PM »

Never having seen inside one, I'm guessing it's part of the internal bellows clip.  8)
Correct, go to the top of the class and collect the pencils

Winston Smith

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 3769
  • AKA Edward Jennings
    • "Our Luxor B&B" Luxor life, slice by slice.
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2018, 07:34:35 PM »

Isn't education a wonderful thing? Thank you both.
Logged
At last, broken and resigned to accept conformity.
Oh, how I LOVE Big Brother!

Jozz

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 97
  • Greetings from the Netherlands!
    • Stichting Bon Artz
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2018, 08:36:38 PM »

Yes-
One slotted screw at each end of the upper reedbank. Remove and the whole upper part lifts out. No wax involved.

Pics show before and after.

   Scott

Thanks, this got me where I wanted to be  (:) I was just a bit too careful.

Now, although I fixed the main issue (using too much air), I'm failing too find the last problem, which is sort of a high pitch metal like sound played along a pull of the inner row C. It plays both reeds, but one has an issue I guess.

Any ideas? Could it be a loose reed tongue?

Logged
Stichting Bon Artz - We present and support authentic music and small-scale performance arts.

Jozz

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 97
  • Greetings from the Netherlands!
    • Stichting Bon Artz
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2018, 02:15:46 PM »

I have made one of them wireless  :||:

Well, I simply put a Philips dynamic capsule on top of the bass chord reed. I wondered if the sound from the treble reeds would be OK, and they are reasonable once one applies a bit of EQ. I struggled with the basses being too loud so I ended up putting a cardoid PG57 capsule in there that made a better job of it.

I choose a black locking nut in the bass grille, so it doesn't detract much of the classic looks of the instrument. On the inside I have two connectors to be able to replace or service parts.

Then coupled with my stageclix, EQ and low cut from the vocoder I was fairly happy with it too be able to have total freedom and still be heard!
Logged
Stichting Bon Artz - We present and support authentic music and small-scale performance arts.

Jozz

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 97
  • Greetings from the Netherlands!
    • Stichting Bon Artz
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2018, 02:17:37 PM »

More pics
Logged
Stichting Bon Artz - We present and support authentic music and small-scale performance arts.

Jozz

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 97
  • Greetings from the Netherlands!
    • Stichting Bon Artz
Re: A couple of Preciosa's
« Reply #16 on: March 09, 2018, 02:36:56 PM »

The insides
Logged
Stichting Bon Artz - We present and support authentic music and small-scale performance arts.
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 


Melodeon.net - (c) Theo Gibb; Clive Williams 2010. The access and use of this website and forum featuring these terms and conditions constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal