This exactly what I'm working on these days, and surprise surprise your video is dated last week, not 10 years ago! The accordion I'm analyzing is an excelsior model 960 with 7 bass registers and 13+1 treble registers. So far what you explain basically is correct. I think I may have a few differences on my accordion (it being a concert model), but for now there is no need to trip over the flowers on the carpet, so to speak, since my objective is to discover the actual potential and limitation of a stradella accordion. Eventually I will delve into the free bass accordions, concertinas, bandoneons, and the like. Interesting post. I will surely look into your previous videos. Thanks.
Wow, Leo! You have a VERY nice accordion! I doubt I'll ever be able to afford one as fine as that. Oddly enough, just today, I watched a few "Art Van Damme" (Excelsior!) videos. When I was a child, I met Art--and Charlie Magnante--at a concert in Newark, New Jersey. I was just a child, but I remember it well, to this day. Thanks for watching my silly videos!
I have an Atlas Century 120 LMMH with 7 treble regs and a single toggle reg switch on bass side. Could you please explain how the toggle switch changes bass side? Thx
Hi JB, Without actually HEARING your reed sets, I would not be able to tell which reed sets are employed with each of the two registers on your bass machine. I can offer this, though: The Atlas Century likely has FIVE reed sets in the bass machine. As such, one of the registers is likely a "Master" register: that is, it would employ ALL five reed sets--Soprano, Alto, Contralto, Tenor, & Bass. The OTHER register--the "softer-sounding" register--might be what some might call a "Soft Tenor" register: that is, it would employ only the Alto and the Tenor reed sets. Again, without actually hearing the accordion, I just can't answer your question precisely. When I listen to Atlas Century accordions on TH-cam, neither of the two bass registers sound exactly like mine, so I assume that the second (softer) register on those accordions is, respectively, something OTHER than the Soft Tenor register. If you want to take the time, you can LISTEN to select BASS and CHORD buttons. If you have great hearing (as I do), you will be able to tell which reed sets are sounding when any given button is pressed. (I use my old Casio keyboard to verify the respective pitches of the tones generated by the bass buttons.) Once you know which EXACT tones are being sounded (e.g., C4, E4, B4), you can refer to the handy "Reed Sets" chart in my videos (or find the ranges online) to determine which reed sets are in play.
Thanks for your prompt reply. More concerned with overall texture and timbre experienced by listener. When switching, I don’t notice a strong difference on bass reed ranks, but I do notice a volume shift between bass and treble sides. I think my toggle switch controls collective bellows air flow through bass side reed ranks. Lowest and highest reeds are still audible after switching.
As I said, you CAN "listen" to your bass side to make a precise determination--if your hearing is good and you have the patience. In 2011, I bought my Atlas LMM for $75, and with tuning and what-not, now have a little over $400 in it. All in all, though, I am EXTREMELY grateful to have that mid-sized beauty--and my little Italo-American! Finding a really nice accordion at a great price is nothing short of a miracle in these modern times.
This exactly what I'm working on these days, and surprise surprise your video is dated last week, not 10 years ago! The accordion I'm analyzing is an excelsior model 960 with 7 bass registers and 13+1 treble registers. So far what you explain basically is correct. I think I may have a few differences on my accordion (it being a concert model), but for now there is no need to trip over the flowers on the carpet, so to speak, since my objective is to discover the actual potential and limitation of a stradella accordion. Eventually I will delve into the free bass accordions, concertinas, bandoneons, and the like. Interesting post. I will surely look into your previous videos. Thanks.
Wow, Leo! You have a VERY nice accordion! I doubt I'll ever be able to afford one as fine as that. Oddly enough, just today, I watched a few "Art Van Damme" (Excelsior!) videos. When I was a child, I met Art--and Charlie Magnante--at a concert in Newark, New Jersey. I was just a child, but I remember it well, to this day. Thanks for watching my silly videos!
I have an Atlas Century 120 LMMH with 7 treble regs and a single toggle reg switch on bass side. Could you please explain how the toggle switch changes bass side? Thx
Hi JB,
Without actually HEARING your reed sets, I would not be able to tell which reed sets are employed with each of the two registers on your bass machine. I can offer this, though:
The Atlas Century likely has FIVE reed sets in the bass machine. As such, one of the registers is likely a "Master" register: that is, it would employ ALL five reed sets--Soprano, Alto, Contralto, Tenor, & Bass. The OTHER register--the "softer-sounding" register--might be what some might call a "Soft Tenor" register: that is, it would employ only the Alto and the Tenor reed sets. Again, without actually hearing the accordion, I just can't answer your question precisely.
When I listen to Atlas Century accordions on TH-cam, neither of the two bass registers sound exactly like mine, so I assume that the second (softer) register on those accordions is, respectively, something OTHER than the Soft Tenor register.
If you want to take the time, you can LISTEN to select BASS and CHORD buttons. If you have great hearing (as I do), you will be able to tell which reed sets are sounding when any given button is pressed. (I use my old Casio keyboard to verify the respective pitches of the tones generated by the bass buttons.)
Once you know which EXACT tones are being sounded (e.g., C4, E4, B4), you can refer to the handy "Reed Sets" chart in my videos (or find the ranges online) to determine which reed sets are in play.
Thanks for your prompt reply. More concerned with overall texture and timbre experienced by listener. When switching, I don’t notice a strong difference on bass reed ranks, but I do notice a volume shift between bass and treble sides. I think my toggle switch controls collective bellows air flow through bass side reed ranks. Lowest and highest reeds are still audible after switching.
As I said, you CAN "listen" to your bass side to make a precise determination--if your hearing is good and you have the patience. In 2011, I bought my Atlas LMM for $75, and with tuning and what-not, now have a little over $400 in it. All in all, though, I am EXTREMELY grateful to have that mid-sized beauty--and my little Italo-American! Finding a really nice accordion at a great price is nothing short of a miracle in these modern times.