SOUND
DEMO: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ths1sidmdd3xe7i/AACHjV8L6CEs35VvoM-Vz8UGa?dl=0
This is
one of the last SEM acoustic accordions, custom made in 2009 with
original 1960's Scandalli concert reeds, the reeds you would fine in the
1960's Scandalli Super VI accordions. The accordion was made for a
collector and a friend of mine. I was fortunate to acquire it in 2014.
The accordion was barely played. I enjoyed it for a few years and in May
of 2018 performed a complete reeds voicing and tuning. Meanwhile, I
purchased interchangeable musette reed blocks. This accordion is from my
personal collection. I have been increasingly busy with accordion
restoration work and had not played this particular instrument for
almost a year. Last week I took it from the shelf and enjoyed it a lot.
The tuning holds perfect. It really need to be played regularly,
therefore the opportunity for someone else to love it and play it.
In 2003 SEM was acquired by Menghini. Prior to that Menghini had acquired the Scandalli and Paolo Soprani brands and changed the name of the combined company to Suoni. A few years later there was a restructuring and Paolo Soprani became again independent while Suoni changed the name of the new company to Scadnalli. In 2009 when this particular SEM accordion was built it was identical to the Scandalli Super VI models made at the same time. Since the Scandalli Super VI could sell for higher price because of the brand recognition it didn't make sense to sell acoustic SEM accordions and it was decided to keep the SEM brand only for reedless instruments. This is how this particular SEM (practically a 2009 Scandalli Super VI except for the cosmetic switches and grill design) remained one of the last acoustic models with reeds. While SEM was still an independent entity they produced high quality instruments for other companies like Iorio, Concerto, Imperial, Pietro, etc.
The
accordion I am presenting here features 4/5 sets of hand made
original 1960s Scandalli concert reeds, the same reeds used exclusively
in the Super VI models. The accordion is made of mahogany and has a
single piece mahogany tone chamber. All reed valves are made of genuine
leather. The metal parts throughout (even the internal brackets) have
been gold plated. The mechanics is flawless. The accordion is in tune,
set to 441 Hz with only a few cents added to the out-of-chamber clarinet
reeds for a lovely violin sound. The reeds play easy and deliver a rich
and full tone. Included is a matching quality hard case with internal
padding and protective cover for the keyboard. This is another
special instrument we are happy to offer with the exclusive Accordion
Gallery warranty.
Here is a link to a Dropbox folder where
you can hear sound samples the actual accordion for sale. Please,
use headphones to fully appreciate the tonal quality and character of
the instrument:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ths1sidmdd3xe7i/AACHjV8L6CEs35VvoM-Vz8UGa?dl=0
This
spectacular
showroom model comes with 2 years warranty. It feels great, sounds
fantastic, and looks impressive. We invite you to the Accordion
Gallery to experience the effect of merging the best from the Golden
Age reed making and the modern art of accordion manufacturing. You can
tell the effect of the original 1960's concert reeds by playing this
accordion side by side with the current Scandalli Super VI with new
reeds. If this is not already a tempting offer, consider the
opportunity to perform on an M-series late 1950's Super VI and
mid-1960's N series Super VI accordions with the same reeds featured
in the SEM accordion offered here. I am sure you will bring these
reeds home!
