The new "Ballone Burini" Vibrandoneon
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Just discovered this site, and I’m really excited about this news.
I have more questions than are probably appropriate for a single post, but here goes.
(I’m also sending these to Ballone Burini directly, but expect that this forum will provide quicker response.)1) What is the reputation of Ballone Burini as an instrument maker? I’m not familiar with them. How do they compare to Victoria in quality and craftsmanship?
2) The Info page at http://www.balloneburini.com/prodotti.php?id=121 refers to 49 and 37 key “P” and “B” models (I assume meaning ‘piano’ and ‘button’ respectively) but also BW and PW. Does this refer to a ‘wooden’ model?
3) “440,441,442” tunings. I’m not familiar with this option in free reed instruments. Why would one choose one over the others? Advantages?
4) Is it likely that they can produce a Bandoneon ‘tremolo’ (they offer ‘other’)
5) Is their order form linked from the Vibrandoneon page just a generic form that applies to all of their accordions, and if so are there options that they don’t offer for Vibrandoneons?
6) Any word on prices?
7) any word on when it will be available?Again, this is really exciting news. I’ve been treating my VB600 MkII like a Stradivarius because its irreplaceable (which I should probably do anyway) 🙂
Looking forward to participating in this forum!
Hello Jerry, welcome to the forum. In reading Ballone Burini’s website they have been around since 1920 but are fairly new to the Vibrandoneon. The Victoria Vibrandoneon that you have is the true Vibrandoneon, Ballone Burini purchased the rights to the name “Vibrandoneon” the Vibrandoneon that they are selling is the revamped Eolina with the Vibrandoneon name on it. They offer a Plastic model and a wood model with button and piano keys, I personally am interested in the plastic version with the larger keyboard. I have the original Vibrandoneon with (2) valves all wood and have issues with the moisture as I am sure you have with yours since they all do. They were to release the Vibrandoneon BB, in February but have only released the picture I posted a couple of months ago. No cost as of yet, and no release date has been given. I have sent several email but no response, hopefully this is not how they do business once the product is out. The tuning of 440, 441 and 442 is common in accordions some like to tune a bit higher when performing with other instruments, I have all my Melodions and Melodicas and Vibrandoneon’s tuned 440 for recording, since I am usually added after the track has been recorded so I need to be in tune with the track. Where are you located.
Melodica-MeThanks! I live just north of San Francisco.
I think the smaller wooden model would be my choice, but I have a lot to learn before spending what will no doubt be quite a bit of money. Still, it will be nice having a backup instrument.
I’m not in a rush, so ideally, when we visit Italy in the summer of next year for our daughter’s graduation present, I could swing by the Bruni factory to pick it up.
Hopefully they will incorporate some of the recommendations from this thread.
I don’t play long enough stretches to have noticed problems with moisture taking my Vibrandoneon out of tune. Have you had that issue?
I really want the goose neck tube with the built in spit valve. Having to unscrew the ‘s’ shaped on and discreetly drain is an annoyance.
I’m looking for a tiny enclosed fan that I can connect to one of the air vent holes to push more air through for drying. May have to fabricate one myself somehow.All I know is that the Vibrandoneon is in a class by itself when it comes to quality of sound. All others sound like toys, while the Victoria sounds fully like an accordion.
Please post any updates you hear from the new manufacturer as you get them.
thanks for the welcome!
This one is lovely…
Welcome Jerry,
I will try to answer as many of your questions from your first post as I can.
1. As Melodica-me already said, BB is an established manufacturer of accordions, maybe not as known as Victoria but nevertheless high quality. I have been surfing many german accordion forums but unfortunately there is no head-to-head comparison between Victoria and BB. There are some complaints about the loud bass mechanics of the Victoria accordions, and some people don’t like the bass sound of the BB’S, but that seems to be complaining about first world problems…
2. Actually the “W” refers to a wooden model. I’m very curious if they will also build the big models with a metal case, that’s what I hope just like Melodica-me.
3. There’s everything said by Melodica-me; I personally prefer a higher tuning, but there have been many discussions about that topic on the forum.
4. As far as I understood they will build instruments with two sets of reeds, one for blowing, one for sucking, which can’t be used simultaneously, but I may be wrong…
5. Let me have a guess: you can choose the tuning and maybe the kind of wood for the Vibrandoneon, everything else seems to be reserved for accordions.
6. The old big Eolina cost about 2.200,-€; I have been offered a simple version of the Eolina (resembling the little “new” Vibrandoneon) some two years ago for about 1500,-€. So this may be the price range.
7. A german retailer says fall 2014 on his homepage, but honestly I don’t think that’s reliable.Greetings, Quetscher
Excellent, a Californian with a Vibrandoneon, I work in Pasadena and live in the Hacienda Heights. I will actually be in Oakland on May 17th for my nieces Graduation from Mills Collage. If you have not opened your Vibrandoneon in a while, when you do you will find a bit of a surprise as moisture stays in the wood and may start to create mold, thats why you want to air it out when you can. I just had mine serviced and well it was not pretty, after several months of not opening it. You can have a Brass instrument repair shop install a spit valve if you really need one. I usually just pull it off slightly and blow into a towel not as bad as just blowing spit out and have a musician you have never met before kinda look at you down his nose. Do you perform with your Vibrandoneon much?
Melodica-Me
Yeah, I do the Satchmo towel bit.
I’m ordering a couple of miniature laptop fans, and opening mine up to see how much room I have to install. Thinking that if I drill a couple of very tiny holes through the case (that the insulated wires would seal) I can attach a battery or even a usb connector to the fan from the outside, and just flip on the fan to blow air across the reeds down to the vent holes.
I’m just ramping my playing back up. Approaching retirement, and will have the luxury of being able to just play for fun. Probably woodshed at Berkeley Jazz school to get my chops back together and to meet some people. Not having to make $$ is an artistically liberating place to be coming from.
That’s the theory anyway. 🙂
Maybe even do a little recording with my Vibrandoneon and Chapman Stick.Wow you are brave, but the use of lap top fans dose sound interesting. I had a friend who played the Chapman Stick in the 70’s who past away last year his name was David Torres, he was the keyboard player for Poncho Sanchez latin jazz group. Very interesting instrument. The new chapman rail is very cool. what is your main instrument.
Guitar all my life. Went to G.I.T. in LA in the 80’s
Studied piano with John Novello in LA as well
Stick off and on since mid 80’s, now use a non standard tuning for that as well. (I don’t do anything the easy way.)
Really want to focus on Vibrandoneon to get away from the ‘one man band’ syndrome (as you do with guitar, piano and Stick.
I want to play a simpler instrument in a group context.Welcome to the forum Jerry!
That topic on tuning is here: https://melodicaworld.com/forums/topic/tuning-standard/
So, getting back to the original subject, can anyone who’s heard both the Vibrandoneon and the Eolina compare them? I’m betting that the new instrument will sound more like the Eolina, so I’m curious to see how they compare.
Actually this is the Vibrandoneon BB by Ballone Burini with pick up installed and delay effects pedal and echo.
Melodica-Me
My understanding is that the unit played on the video “former Eolina” will bare the Vibrandoneon name, the same version is duplicated in black plastic. What is not known is how the plastic version will sound, as there is no video or audio out of the plastic version at this time. Hope I did not confuse you.
Melodica-Me
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