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Author Topic: Was there any special reason for it  (Read 7887 times)

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Ellie

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2009, 01:07:29 PM »

Quote from: sandy
p.s. there will be christmas lights on them next !!

Keithypete.

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2009, 01:27:23 PM »

I think "90% of piano accordions" is a serious overstatement, but most of the decoration you're talking about was done in the 1930s when the piano accordion became very fashionable (my own father was on the verge of buying one, when certain events got in the way of his ambitions in 1939... ), and ostentatiously expensive and "flashy" ones were very popular, whilst diatonic accordions would have been seen by many at that time as old-fashioned, cheap and musically limited.

Mind you, nevertheless they did make some De Luxe versions of them, like these:

     

     


Love these!They are gorgeous, but IF they sounded naff - then not so cool. But apparently they sound pretty damn fine. ;DThe Hohhnner seems almost plain next to the other three.


So am I the only one that doesn't like the glitter? :(

I think it's a girly thing, but I did think that if I was to buy a Bling Baffetti I would drill out the "jewels" and insert LEDs and drive them from a sound spectrum analyser, that is not girly it's geek.


Would a sound spectrum analyser to drive these these lights fit in-board? Sounds pretty groovy Dad.
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LDbosca

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #22 on: November 27, 2009, 02:01:55 PM »

So am I the only one that doesn't like the glitter? :(

Definitely with you on this one. I don't think the accordion/melodeon (let's not get into THAT!) is taken seriously enough and I don't think having something that's shiny colourful and gaudy like a toy help our instrument to be taken seriously. I'm also not a fan of very wet tuning for a similar reason - it appeals to people who like "accordiony" music but IMHO (consider that a disclaimer before you start laying into me ;)) isn't useful for playing any other type of music on the instrument (classical etc. - I'm learning a bourree from a Bach flute partita and I wouldn't like to hear it on a wet-tuned box) I think older, flashier instruments and wet tunings remind people of an old stereotype of the accordion that I personally am trying to get away from. Of course, many people do still like this sound.

Most musical instruments are relatively plain (clarinets, pianos, yadayadayada) and that's the way I like them. I think my favourite boxes appearance wise are Gaillards - plain, simple and timeless.

ps - I also don't want people to be distracted from my playing by anything shiny!! :D

Luke

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #23 on: November 27, 2009, 02:05:16 PM »

I think "90% of piano accordions" is a serious overstatement, but most of the decoration you're talking about was done in the 1930s when the piano accordion became very fashionable (my own father was on the verge of buying one, when certain events got in the way of his ambitions in 1939... ), and ostentatiously expensive and "flashy" ones were very popular, whilst diatonic accordions would have been seen by many at that time as old-fashioned, cheap and musically limited.

Mind you, nevertheless they did make some De Luxe versions of them, like these:

     

     



WOW! PIMP MY BOX DUDE!


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melod-ian

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #24 on: November 27, 2009, 02:12:16 PM »

Quote
p.s. there will be Christmas lights on them next !!
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GbH

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #25 on: November 27, 2009, 03:17:25 PM »


Definitely with you on this one. I don't think the accordion/melodeon (let's not get into THAT!) is taken seriously enough and I don't think having something that's shiny colourful and gaudy like a toy help our instrument to be taken seriously....

Hmm, interesting.  I guess my opinion is quite the opposite in this respect.  I actually like the fact that people don't always take the instrument seriously - that they think it's some sort of novelty object rather than a 'proper' instrument like a piano or violin.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2009, 04:04:32 PM by GbH »
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RGF

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #26 on: November 27, 2009, 04:11:33 PM »

Yes, I quite agree with GbH.  As a lad in the late 50's, everyone in the accordion community here were falling over each other trying to have this all taken seriously -- huge, dark color (mostly black) instruments, very plain looking, and the musical thrust was largely towards jazz and pop standards, etc.  Now I have a small PA with red bellows and some glittery designs on it, I'm playing schottisches, and it's so liberating to kind of toss seriousness out the window!  :D

When I first got this instrument, I asked a friend if he thought it might be perhaps a bit over-the-top, and he replied, "Nah, not at all. Your instrument should reflect the part of you that doesn't get out much!"

Bob
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Howard Jones

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #27 on: November 27, 2009, 04:37:57 PM »

When Hohner Ericas only came in red mother-of-lavatory-seat, hardly anyone in the UK would touch them - they were naff .  Then they started to make them in black, and everyone fell over themselves to get one - black was cool.

Robert Tromp

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #28 on: November 27, 2009, 05:40:16 PM »

So am I the only one that doesn't like the glitter? :(
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #29 on: November 27, 2009, 11:42:55 PM »

A certain member of this forum (you know who you are) decorates his box with fairy lights every Christmas and has done for  number of years now  ...... .. .. .  >:E
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My other melodeon's a fiddle, but one of my Hohners has six strings! I also play a very red Hawkins Bazaar in C and a generic Klingenthaler spoon bass in F.!! My other pets (played) are gobirons - Hohner Marine Band in C, Hohner Tremolo in D and a Chinese Thingy Tremolo in G.

GbH

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #30 on: November 28, 2009, 12:16:56 AM »

A certain member of this forum (you know who you are) decorates his box with fairy lights every Christmas and has done for  number of years now  ...... .. .. .  >:E

Ah, but I think the laws of taste and acceptability magically change at Christmas, so maybe that's not such a major crime.  I've not really got started with seasonal stuff on my box, but I'll admit to previously covering my baritone with little white lights.  In fact, maybe it's time to dig them out again...
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Ollie

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #31 on: November 28, 2009, 12:17:50 AM »

A certain member of this forum (you know who you are) decorates his box with fairy lights every Christmas and has done for  number of years now  ...... .. .. .  >:E

*facepalm*
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #32 on: November 28, 2009, 04:42:02 PM »

No, Ollie it isn't you.  8)
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I'm a Yorkie!
My other melodeon's a fiddle, but one of my Hohners has six strings! I also play a very red Hawkins Bazaar in C and a generic Klingenthaler spoon bass in F.!! My other pets (played) are gobirons - Hohner Marine Band in C, Hohner Tremolo in D and a Chinese Thingy Tremolo in G.

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Rob2Hook

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Re: Was there any special reason for it
« Reply #34 on: November 30, 2009, 07:12:23 PM »

Ooh - AAh!

Devil's advocate, eh Derek?  Would HEMM be embarassed if I bought that for Christmas, I wonder?

Rob2
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