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Author Topic: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?  (Read 3730 times)

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Skipy

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Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« on: September 03, 2008, 04:38:45 PM »

Just a little confused (not that it takes much  ;) ), I appreciate that a flat keyboard is flat and a stepped keyboard is stepped but what do we mean by traditional, open or closed keyboard?

I understand that my keyboard has mushroom buttons that do not recess into the keyboard unlike (some) hohners and that some keyboard layouts have their buttons closer together, is this it or something entirley different?

Thanks in advance

Skipy
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Dazbo

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2008, 04:56:27 PM »

I'd say traditional and open is basically the same thing - stepped and open.  Open keyboards show the lever that the button is fixed to (Castagnari Tommy, Dino Baffetti Black Pearl etc), closed you only see the button (Hohner Pokerwork etc)
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Darren

Skipy

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2008, 09:14:40 AM »

Thanks Darren,

That makes sense now, I was certainly barking up the one tree wasn't I? ........ Open Keyboard = Mushroom Buttons, Closed Keyboard = Recessed Buttons, Traditional Layout = Buttons standard distance apart rather than closer together like the Tommy?

Now you can see why I asked the question  ;D ;D

Skipy
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Falseknight

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2008, 09:29:38 AM »

To muddy the waters further:

Traditional is almost a synonym for usual.  When I started playing for the first time in the early 80s, the usual melodeon was a Hohner - Pokerwork or Erica.  Cheap end was covered by Delicia and there were some (expensive) Paulo Sopranis about.  All these shared a common concept - a closed right hand finger board set at a slight angle to the bodies with the bottoms sticking through the same amount - meaning that compared to a plane paralle to the bellows axis, the buttons were on two levels - stepped!  From MY standpoint, this is a traditional layout.
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Lester

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2008, 09:49:06 AM »

Not sure the use of "Traditional" is of any use in this discussion. As discussed above keyboards have varied through the years and there are a number of different styles none of which can be called "traditional".

Theo

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2008, 11:45:20 AM »

Not sure the use of "Traditional" is of any use in this discussion. As discussed above keyboards have varied through the years and there are a number of different styles none of which can be called "traditional".

Lester you've saved me making the same point.  I'd add though that its sometimes helpful to use traditional if its qualified eg, "traditional open" keyboard would be generally understood to mean the kind with wooden levers found on many Italian boxes, and "traditional Hohner" keyboard would be generally understood to mean a flat type with built in percussion.
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triskel

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2008, 02:19:22 PM »

I'd add though that its sometimes helpful to use traditional if its qualified eg, "traditional open" keyboard would be generally understood to mean the kind with wooden levers found on many Italian boxes, and "traditional Hohner" keyboard would be generally understood to mean a flat type with built in percussion.

That reminds me of something I've been intendng to add to the "pokerwork history" thread: I have a wonderfully complete Hohner catalogue from around 1929-30 (that has lots of different pokerwork models in it) and describes "Our latest invention (patent applied for) The Hohner keyboard and simplified bass mechanism", whilst throughout the catalogue different models are described as having the "Hohner keyboard" or an "open keyboard", though nowhere does it name the "traditional"  ::) flat closed keyboard with wooden action, still to be found on many of the models to be seen...

Skipy

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2008, 04:01:45 PM »

Not sure the use of "Traditional" is of any use in this discussion.............

I fear the 'traditional' quote in my original query originted (and hence contributed towards my confusion) from the Castagnari website (www.castagnari.com/accordeons) where they list "The Classic Accordions with Traditional Keyboard" and "Modern Accordions with Closed Keyboard".

Oh, how I love that website, I dribble, drool and dream of owning a Dinn III or Kriss III....... One day, one day  ::)
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Rob2Hook

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Re: Open/Closed/Flat/Stepped/Traditional Keyboard?
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2008, 02:36:28 PM »

If you order a Castagnari today, you can still dream for at least another year  ;D.

If that's what you want, then bite the bullet and pay up.  You won't regret it!  I have a second hand Nik, which persuaded me of the value of a good box, a Trilly (heavy, but beautiful), a S/H Lilly (cute in maple) and a S/H Max (deafening).  Of course, I don't have a bank balance...  Only the Trilly was special ordered new from the factory and took forever to arrive!
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