Modern Accordian

[gurkm...@gmail.com]

Hi, I have a full size Modern Accordion. How do I find the Manufacturer name? Is there a spot to look for it?

[Ike Milligan]

On 2/11/2018 4:04 PM, gurkm...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi, I have a full size Modern Accordion. How do I find the Manufacturer name? Is there a spot to look for it?
>

Usually there is no way to find that out except by talking to someone
who knows the history of accordion manufacture, and then the answer
might not be definitive. There were never more than a very few factories
which made accordions to be re-branded.

If you post a link to a picture, this would be interesting. You say it
is "full size" but that means different things to different people, and
as far as guessing without a picture, maybe other readers might
pontificate at length, which I would find slightly amusing.

[gurkm...@gmail.com]

I am not sure how to attach a photo to this forum.

[Ike Milligan]

On 2/12/2018 10:06 PM, gurkm...@gmail.com wrote:
> IMG_0261.JPG
>
> IMG_0263.JPG
>
You can't attach a photo to this forum. You would have to host the
photo elsewhere and post a link to it.

[gurkm...@gmail.com]

Hi Ike, I sent you an email.

[Ike Milligan]

On 2/13/2018 3:55 PM, gurkm...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi Ike, I sent you an email.
>

I got an email with the pictures. Owner said it was commissioned by
somebody in Michigan to have Modern line made by Borsini. I think from
what I remember about accordions from Michigan, that must be a successor
to the Michigan tradition of accordions such as General, And Zoppi.

The Detroit area had a fine accordion making culture.

[DoN. Nichols]

On 2018-02-12, gurkm...@gmail.com <gurkm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am not sure how to attach a photo to this forum.

You should not. It is a usenet newsgroup which is not for
binaries, and even if you manage, there are news servers which would
discard it automatically.

Instead, get some web place to put the images, and just post the
URL to get to the images.

Squeeze On,
DoN.

--
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[apadu...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 4:04:21 PM UTC-5, gurkm...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi, I have a full size Modern Accordion. How do I find the Manufacturer name? Is there a spot to look for it?

Modern accordions were made by Borsini who in no longer in buisnes

[apadu...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 4:04:21 PM UTC-5, gurkm...@gmail.com wrote:

[gurkm...@gmail.com]

Thank you for the information.

[gurkm...@gmail.com]

Thank you!

[Len Killick]

Borsini are still in business in Italy, maybe the USA connection has stopped.
http://www.borsiniaccordions.it/?lng=en

[Excelsior960]

On Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 1:00:37 AM UTC-5, Ike wrote:
that must be a successor
> to the Michigan tradition of accordions such as General, And Zoppi.
>
> The Detroit area had a fine accordion making culture.

hi Ike,

some research i did showed General to be specifically linked
to an export company in Italy that was set up specifically
to serve up General (and a few other names) as Private Brands
with principally Morbidioni, and also Minerva plus perhaps
a few more smaller regional factories behind the scenes or as
subcontractors during periods of high demand.
(including CEMEX for a brief oeriod)

GENERALFISA CASTELFIDARDO brand/marketing group active 1952 - 1975

so this was not unlike other cabals like Federfisa, though it appears
they enjoyed a longer period of success

Tonaveri and Spano were also built by Morbidoni.
other brands produced: Lo Duca, La Prima, Dega, Morbidoni, Lesmann organ acc.
Alberto Morbidoni active 1946 - 1999 apprenticeded with Settimo Soprani
The Dega Srl company (their incorporated company name)
was still active in accordion at the moment
Alberto Morbidoni passed away in December 1999, aged 85 years.

there is some brand confusion as Aldo Morbidoni settled in the USA
prior to WW2, eventually importing accordions (mostly from Moreschi)
under the Diamond brand name.. i believe in the NorthWest primarily, and which the Diamond Name was still in use as a rather well respected
Tuner/repairman still had a business in Seattle (who's name i can't
recall at the moment) that had inherited the Diamond USA line

Moreschi, founded in 1910
Giuseppe Moreschi & Figli in Castelfidardo was in operation between
1932 and 1976.. their subsidiary marketing arm was
Alpha Music Castelfidardo (active 1978 - 1998) which owned the
Elena Soprani and Moreschi Brands.
Pasco Italia Castelfidardo acquired the brands @ 1996

the "E. Soprani" name was always a construct to suck
off the fame of Paolo and Settimo, and you may recall they were
the first "brand" to bring the Korean and then Chinese
accordions into Italy, hanging E. Soprani on them, and also
marking them as "made in Italy"

and then finally, the last of the family tree:

Menghini and Morbidoni used identical badges - i believe when
Alberto passed away, the company closed and sold it's assets to Menghini
Morbidoni "Duke" and menghini "Master" are identical models
menghini was in Recanati until it took over the Morbidoni factory in CastleFi
which now houses SEM Suoni Menghini Scandalli Paolo Soprani

one final note: Arnaldo Mengascini and Elio Baldoni, founded Beltuna 1982

ciao

Ventura

[Excelsior960]

ps: i did the research because i ended up with an
interesting General, which i found was identical
to a Tonaveri Ranger.

The Ranger was a lighter weight, high end tone chamber stroller model

[Ike Milligan]

Phil, I have always found General Accordions to be at least above
average, and I had one looking pre-war era that I fixed up and used for
a while. Don't remember what became of it.
Generalfisa was a later incarnation of General, and I think it was also
high quality.

[Alan Polivka]

Paulo Brandoni was the owner or manager of General Accordion Co., in Italy for some time. He'd spend a lot of time at the International Accordion Museum in Castelfidardo. He was old when I met him there about 10 or more years ago, so I don't know if he's still around. His son-in-law has the Bompezzo accordion company.