accordina tone
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Is anyone familiar with the accordina?
I only know it from the internet having never handled or heard one in person. To my ears most of the recordings/videos I’ve heard the instrument seems to have a richness and complexity beyond any melodica.
I haven’t seen much on their construction or air-flow, I’m guessing wood and metal?
From a photo on this site it looks like individual reeds?
http://www.josephcarrel.com/#!nos-ateliersIf you are saying to yourself: why don’t you just get one and play it?-point taken.
However at this stage in my life I don’t really want to learn another fingering and I don’t know any reason a melodica shouldn’t sound like this?Hi kevin
I have an original accordina from the 30s, and I also had a replica made by Marcel Dreux in France. I later sold this, as I only needed one, and the original has panels on the sides which you can manipulate for a wah wah effect.
Accordinas are virtually identical to the Claviettas, and were made by the same man, André Borel. The Accordina uses buttons, the Clavietta uses keys. The reeds are the same in both, they were originally made of stainless Swedish steel.
I suggest you get hold of an accordina!
I have really thought of getting an accordina but I am waiting for that darn new Vibrandoneon to go into production and see what they cost. I have heard these for a while now and love the way they sound. Troy I know I would like one do you think I should look for an older one or are the new ones fine. I have seen them range from $1500.00 USD to about $3900 USD, what is a fair price for thess and what should I look for. The only melodicas I have left on the wish list is a Vibrandoneon BB and a 25 key Clavietta.
Melodica-MeHi to you all,
there seem to be built two different accordinas, one by Joseph Carrel who sells for example on ebay.de and ships worldwide (costs 1100€), one built by Claude Labourdette which seems to be the successor of André Borel (costs 2480€).
http://www.accordina-labourdette.com
I didn’t play one myself but both of them really sound great; but what seems to be very interesting, Claude Labourdette claims having innovated the Accordina in a way that has been discussed several times on melodicaworld (better keyboard action, better airflow, improved air/water tightness…)
Unfortunately these are things that can only be proved by a player who plays such an instrument for a longer time (who would have thought that for example the old Vibrandoneon would have such flaws!).Ok, so let me ask everyone. Are we considering the accordina a melodica?
Troy, let me ask you a couple of things?
Can you form chords, or does the design only allow for playing one note at a time.
How do you think the tone compares to the Clavietta? Identical or can you hear a difference?I’d say yes, it is a melodica, the notes are pruduced just the same way, there is only the difference between buttons and keys, but you would still call a button accordion an accordion, wouldn’t you?
BTW, I found a third manufacturer of accordinas:
Greetings, Quetscher
And of course Marcel Dreux, whom I bought my first Accordina from: http://www.accordinas.com/index.php?lg=1&rbq=0
kevin, yes the tone is the same as a Clavietta. There may be a difference in expression though – it’s hard to tell. There’s some professional standard jazz accordina videos out there, in which the accordina sounds fantastic and full of character, but no jazz Clavietta recordings to compare with.
You can play as many notes as you want, just like a melodica.
Oscar, the old ones are beautiful, but very rarely come up for sale. Bizarrely though, they sell for much less than a replica! I found my original one on ebay, and it was around £350 if I remember right. It looks like it’s been restored at some point as well.
I’ve visited Claude Labourdette in Paris a few times, as he’s been working on an improved version of the Clavietta. I’ve played the prototype, and it’s very high quality. I’m not sure when this will go into production, as he’s very busy making accordinas.
Troy, I am jealous, you seam to have the in on all the cool new stuff and get to play them too. Does the accordina have the same issues as the Clavietta, softer volume, leaks. I really like what I have heard with the accordina, I may have to find a nice jazz piece that works well with the Clavietta and try to record it. In some of the recordings I have heard of the accordina, I hear a lot of clicking of the buttons, is this normal for most accordina models? I just recorded another song with the Monsters of Melodica and you will hear a lot of key noise, primarily because in order to get the dynamics of the piece I have to play soft and the microphone picks up the key noise (by the way it’s the Hammond 44 original) it fades after I start playing louder, is this the same for the accordina. What music do you play with your accordina.
Melodica-MeWell, mine doesn’t leak, but I’m sure the same possibilities will be there with old seals etc. It seems to be about the same volume. The clicks tend to be at the end of a note – an abrupt cut off as you release the key. You get this to a certain extent with the Clavietta, but they’re more pronounced on my Accordina.
I don’t play my Accordina any more. I never quite got the hang of the button system. But it was the sound of the Accordina that really sparked my interest in melodicas.
I did play some in this track. It’s not lead, but it adds nicely to the texture…
Troy, sounds great. I took out my Clavietta to see if I could hear the click but got distracted and forgot all about it lol. Anyways I really like it and I may give in and get one in the future.
Melodica-MeHello everybody! i am an accordina ‘s maker in France .
The sound is very different accordina melodica and varies by manufacturer. After that depends on what you want to play. You can listen to “Valsa Sem Nome” in accordina Carrel : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxzv4qTKJXg
Joseph.Bonjour et bienvenu Joseph, it’s great to have a person like you in the forum!
I have a few questions:
Like most of us I come from a keyed instrument (which in my case is the piano accordion), and I think that only few melodica players are able to play button system (or it would take a huge effort to really learn it). Did you ever think of building a keyed accordina? I’m sure this would get you many new buyers because apart from the vintage claviettas there exists no key accordina! And the sound of the accordina is so special that it can’t be compared to any other melodica.
Or (that was a point of discussion here at another forum) would it be possible to build an accordina with Janko-System (or Beyreuther or 6:6, there exist different names)? But this melodica would have to be bigger to guarantee a similar range, and perhaps that would be a problem…
Some accordinas have a possibility to create a WahWah-effect. Does yours have that possibility, too?
That’s all for the moment. I’m looking forward to your answers.
Greetings, Quetscher
Thank you! It is a pleasure!
Yes, I understand that one is accustomed to playing with piano keys.
So I worked for 3 years to manufacture and market a special pianist accordina! Should be available for sale at the end of the month.With same sound very hot as my accordinas . But it will be much lengther (44 notes). I would come post pictures on the forum.
Joseph.Hello Joseph, it is a great honor to have you on the forum. Your accordinas are beautiful sounding instruments. I have been interested in buying one for a while. I would like to ask you a question regarding the keyboard, can you tell me what causes the clicking effect at the end of the release of a button or in the clavietta the key when released. Is there a way to reduce this or is it a normal effect.
Thank you
Melodica-Me
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