Alfred Arnold Accordion

Ingrid Siebert

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Jan 22, 2001, 2:34:14 AM1/22/01

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Hello,
Forgive me if I'm in the wrong group; send me in the right direction if
there's a better place to ask this. My father just gave me an "Alfred
Arnold" Accordion that belonged to his uncle for many years. It's quite
old...I'd like to know more information about it if that's possible; any
ideas? Or is Alfred Arnold a famous accordion player? I know nothing about
any of this.

Here's a link to some polaroids I took.

http://members.home.net/isiebert/gallery/accordion.htm

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Ingrid

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isie...@home.com

Dave Garland

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Jan 22, 2001, 3:41:58 AM1/22/01

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It was a dark and stormy night when "Ingrid Siebert"

<isie...@home.com> wrote:
>. My father just gave me an "Alfred
>Arnold" Accordion that belonged to his uncle for many years. It's quite
>old...I'd like to know more information about it if that's possible; any
>ideas?

Alfred Arnold was a "name brand" maker of a variety of accordion
called "bandoneon". That style of instument is especially favored by
Argentian tango players and composers (e.g. Piazolla).

I'm sure others here will be able to tell you more.

Theodore M. Kloba

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Jan 22, 2001, 5:22:27 PM1/22/01

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Alfred Arnold (often called simply "AA") is not only a name brand, but
the most sought-after make of bandonion.

Here are a couple websites that will give a bit more information:

http://www.prairienet.org/arts/gpe/texts/bando.html

http://home.pacbell.net/gregvoz1/bandoneon.html

http://laue.ethz.ch/cm/band/bandoneon.html

In article <t5sn6t4fb3ds8n1p7...@4ax.com>,

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Joel Mayes

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Jan 22, 2001, 5:51:47 PM1/22/01

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G'day Ingrid,

What you have there is a Bandoneon, which is not really an accordion but
a type of concertina, to learn more about your instrument try
http://www.bandoneons.org they have bandoneon history playing techniques
and fingering charts if your that way enclined.
Or ask you bandoneon info here, I'm sure there's at least a couple of
bandoneonist on this group.

Cheers

Joel

In article <WnRa6.12381$Ah2.2...@news1.frmt1.sfba.home.com>, "Ingrid

srbarete

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Jan 23, 2001, 6:52:40 PM1/23/01

to Ingrid Siebert

Hello Ingrid,

You have Chemnitz style concertina built by Alfred Arnold company, rather than
a bandoneon (bandonion). Concertinas are indeed members of the larger
accordion family.

The button arrangement shown in the Polaroid pictures is that of 4 curved rows
of 6 buttons rather than the typical trapezoidal arrangement of a bandoneon,
which has more rows of buttons with varying numbers of buttons in each row,
relative to one another.

That it is a member of the accordion family is a point of contention by
concertina players who want to dis-associate their instrument from the
"accordion family" umbrella heading. So, you will hear some say what you have
is an accordion instrument and others say it is not. Take your choice. You
will have support and argument for either preference.

Best of luck,
Lynda Griffith,
Certified Accordion Family Instrument Repair Technician
A World of Accordions Museum
Duluth, MN

Ingrid Siebert

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Jan 24, 2001, 2:16:15 AM1/24/01

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Thanks everybody so much for your help. Please keep the information coming
if you're inclined. Also I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I want to
sell it. I didn't say I *didn't* want to sell it, so naturally people will
ask and the inquiries are fine; it's just that it's been in my family for so
long I couldn't bear to part with it. I've informed my father of the history
of the bandoneon, and gave it back to him...he's delighted about the history
of this beautiful old instrument.

Thank you again!
isie...@home.com