Slavco Avsenik "Die Besten 101"

[ike milligan]

I've been busking a lot and found Slavco Avsenik "Die Besten 101" on
ebay and was playing through the book. Those arrangements are great for
the street, even though I don't yet presume to sing the German lyrics.

Two young Slovenes visiting the U.S. who were on bikes stopped to
critique my playing whose advice i have attempted to take to heart.

S.A. is probably the most popular accordion player in all of Europe, and
the songs and pieces in that book are fantastic. It's an urtext as far
as phrasing, so I am figuring out the interpretations.

Wonder if anyone reading this has played or bought any of his albums?

[ciao_accordion]

Hohner had a Slavko model... custom Atlantic...

yeah they really liked him... big friendly guy
played the livin' heck out of his box

[ike milligan]

Post by ciao_accordion
Hohner had a Slavko model... custom Atlantic...
yeah they really liked him... big friendly guy
played the livin' heck out of his box

In the picture it looks like an Atlantic. It was selling for close to
$10K a few years back. A guy contacted me about buying one, and at the
same time contacted everyone else, unbeknownst to me trying to get a
better price. It has to be close to $20K now if they still make it.
He wasted a bunch of people's time trying to buy one. Quite an aggravation.

[Excelsior960]

hey Ike

i was poking around, since he just passed away in July a ton of
stuff has been posted up on the internet

the really old photos i see that big old Atlantic, but
apparently they put him into Morino's as soon as they
could make a deal (lol) and he used a 5 reed Morino
then later an Alpine (atlantic styling) upgraded to a
Morino inside i guess so those are the 2 at the museum now

Hohner has a tribute Slavko on the market (retail @# 10,000 Euro)
which isn't bad price for a Morino now... they have been
putting out pretty decent high end boxes last few
new ones i have heard/seen... atlantic is no longer in
their line of course

went out and looked at that CList Atlantic off the
craigslist, but all the meachanicals are jammed up
from corrosion, and when i finally got it loosened up
enough to compress, a lot of the notes sounded funny
(though it looks clean inside) it's an old one too
prolly late 50's...

ciao

Ventura

[ike milligan]

Post by Excelsior960
hey Ike
i was poking around, since he just passed away in July a ton of
stuff has been posted up on the internet
the really old photos i see that big old Atlantic, but
apparently they put him into Morino's as soon as they
could make a deal (lol) and he used a 5 reed Morino
then later an Alpine (atlantic styling) upgraded to a
Morino inside i guess so those are the 2 at the museum now
which isn't bad price for a Morino now... they have been
putting out pretty decent high end boxes last few
new ones i have heard/seen... atlantic is no longer in
their line of course
went out and looked at that CList Atlantic off the
craigslist, but all the meachanicals are jammed up
from corrosion, and when i finally got it loosened up
enough to compress, a lot of the notes sounded funny
(though it looks clean inside) it's an old one too
prolly late 50's...
ciao
Ventura

I missed whatever previous post about the Atlantic you looked at.

As for my shop activities, they are on hold until the weather turns
really bad.
In the storms I just finished up fixing a Hohner Contessa for someone
who sent it without asking me. For a 2-reed octave tuned it sounds
dynamite having the dot-mensur reeds they used in the big ones. Keys are
not all that small, either. But they also put those reeds in some 12 bass.
Studying Meissner as somebody in PA sent me a CD. The accordions sound
like duets.
In other news: Gonna try to make an arrangement of Ievan Polkka.

Didn't know Avsenik had died altho someone said he did.

[Excelsior960]

well the fella called me back couple weeks later
and took my offer, so i ended up with the Atlantic
after all...

it's a model IV deluxe (the gold toned corners n metal stuff)

Turns out apparently the year and a half or so
it lived in the Nephews basement sitting on the concrete
floor was just enough to introduce humidity n condensation
to a mild degree on the Bass side

so all the fat aluminum pieces had that white stuff growing
and the shifting parts had to be cleaned an freed up
(the bellows closing pivot thing too) and (only) the high set
of bass reeds were corroded enough to knock 'm off pitch

the larger reeds are still clean, and the treble side is fine.
the treble Shutter mechanism was not corroded at all

so i got it back to playable, now i'll tweak it.. rather than
try and clean and redo the one bass reedset i will prolly
just switch 'em out with a better set from the stash
(it's less work and will sound better)

this is my first foray into the Atlantic family and i am very
impressed with how they figured out a different way to do
damn near everything when building an accordion ! with the quick
access to almost all components i guess the Euro repair
shops musta loved these, while over here would have seemed like
an area 51 accordion to a guy who fixed Italian boxes
all his life

plus it's lighter weight since almost no wood in the thing, though
i guess it worked against the model in humid conditions

but then i picked up that Dallape again and played it a little
and even in it's wheezy condition it is such a nicer playing
keyboard and sweeter sound than the Atlantic...

i gotta pull the keys and redo the pads soon cause i
really wanna hear that thing sing... that's all it needs now
as i fixed the rest of it last winter.

ciao

Ventura

[ike milligan]

Post by Excelsior960
well the fella called me back couple weeks later
and took my offer, so i ended up with the Atlantic
after all...
it's a model IV deluxe (the gold toned corners n metal stuff)
Turns out apparently the year and a half or so
it lived in the Nephews basement sitting on the concrete
floor was just enough to introduce humidity n condensation
to a mild degree on the Bass side
so all the fat aluminum pieces had that white stuff growing
and the shifting parts had to be cleaned an freed up
(the bellows closing pivot thing too) and (only) the high set
of bass reeds were corroded enough to knock 'm off pitch
the larger reeds are still clean, and the treble side is fine.
the treble Shutter mechanism was not corroded at all
so i got it back to playable, now i'll tweak it.. rather than
try and clean and redo the one bass reedset i will prolly
just switch 'em out with a better set from the stash
(it's less work and will sound better)
this is my first foray into the Atlantic family and i am very
impressed with how they figured out a different way to do
damn near everything when building an accordion ! with the quick
access to almost all components i guess the Euro repair
shops musta loved these, while over here would have seemed like
an area 51 accordion to a guy who fixed Italian boxes
all his life
plus it's lighter weight since almost no wood in the thing, though
i guess it worked against the model in humid conditions
but then i picked up that Dallape again and played it a little
and even in it's wheezy condition it is such a nicer playing
keyboard and sweeter sound than the Atlantic...
i gotta pull the keys and redo the pads soon cause i
really wanna hear that thing sing... that's all it needs now
as i fixed the rest of it last winter.
ciao
Ventura

A couple of cautions. Of course you know that the keys are brittle, so
adjusting the rods has to be done without holding the keys.
If you take off the bass side, and re-tighten the bolts that hold it on
the bellows, too much torque will deform the metal chassis.
When you put the new pads on the treble pallets, you would not press
them on with your fingers, because the places between the little raised
squares will make the pad not flat, but instead lay the pad on a flat
surface and press the pallet onto the back of the pad.

[ciao_accordion]

A couple of cautions...

thanks for the tips

i am being very careful... another weakness of
course is the physical makeup of the reedblocks
themselves... like matchstiks n cardboard
compared to an Italian design

[ike milligan]

Post by ciao_accordion

A couple of cautions...

thanks for the tips
i am being very careful... another weakness of
course is the physical makeup of the reedblocks
themselves... like matchstiks n cardboard
compared to an Italian design

It's not so much being careful as using the right technique and
materials. nobody else will know what we are talking about haha.

I have never had any problem with the cardboard bases on the blocks, but
it seems weird.

[ike milligan]

Post by Excelsior960
well the fella called me back couple weeks later
and took my offer, so i ended up with the Atlantic
after all...
it's a model IV deluxe (the gold toned corners n metal stuff)
Turns out apparently the year and a half or so
it lived in the Nephews basement sitting on the concrete
floor was just enough to introduce humidity n condensation
to a mild degree on the Bass side
so all the fat aluminum pieces had that white stuff growing
and the shifting parts had to be cleaned an freed up
(the bellows closing pivot thing too) and (only) the high set
of bass reeds were corroded enough to knock 'm off pitch
the larger reeds are still clean, and the treble side is fine.
the treble Shutter mechanism was not corroded at all
so i got it back to playable, now i'll tweak it.. rather than
try and clean and redo the one bass reedset i will prolly
just switch 'em out with a better set from the stash
(it's less work and will sound better)
this is my first foray into the Atlantic family and i am very
impressed with how they figured out a different way to do
damn near everything when building an accordion ! with the quick
access to almost all components i guess the Euro repair
shops musta loved these, while over here would have seemed like
an area 51 accordion to a guy who fixed Italian boxes
all his life
plus it's lighter weight since almost no wood in the thing, though
i guess it worked against the model in humid conditions
but then i picked up that Dallape again and played it a little
and even in it's wheezy condition it is such a nicer playing
keyboard and sweeter sound than the Atlantic...
i gotta pull the keys and redo the pads soon cause i
really wanna hear that thing sing... that's all it needs now
as i fixed the rest of it last winter.
ciao
Ventura

Btw I was never too fond of the keyboard action, but maybe I never
adjusted one right. Probably should try again.
I have one probably early model with instead of the window shade mute, a
removable resonator behind the grill. i think one of the valve slides or
fondo is cut not exactly right, because no matter how adjusted, the high
C# leaks the bassoon reed. Haven't decided how to fix that.
Speaking of the switching, that transmission will wear out and get
sloppy because it is plastic against metal, and Hohner Germany
apparently threw away any spare ones when the Taiwanese took over.
Therefore I have a Hohner 3/5 I can't use, tho a machinist offered to
make me a new one out of metal, but I lost the email.

[ike milligan]

Post by Excelsior960
well the fella called me back couple weeks later
and took my offer, so i ended up with the Atlantic
after all...
it's a model IV deluxe (the gold toned corners n metal stuff)
Turns out apparently the year and a half or so
it lived in the Nephews basement sitting on the concrete
floor was just enough to introduce humidity n condensation
to a mild degree on the Bass side
so all the fat aluminum pieces had that white stuff growing
and the shifting parts had to be cleaned an freed up
(the bellows closing pivot thing too) and (only) the high set
of bass reeds were corroded enough to knock 'm off pitch
the larger reeds are still clean, and the treble side is fine.
the treble Shutter mechanism was not corroded at all
so i got it back to playable, now i'll tweak it.. rather than
try and clean and redo the one bass reedset i will prolly
just switch 'em out with a better set from the stash
(it's less work and will sound better)
this is my first foray into the Atlantic family and i am very
impressed with how they figured out a different way to do
damn near everything when building an accordion ! with the quick
access to almost all components i guess the Euro repair
shops musta loved these, while over here would have seemed like
an area 51 accordion to a guy who fixed Italian boxes
all his life
plus it's lighter weight since almost no wood in the thing, though
i guess it worked against the model in humid conditions
but then i picked up that Dallape again and played it a little
and even in it's wheezy condition it is such a nicer playing
keyboard and sweeter sound than the Atlantic...
i gotta pull the keys and redo the pads soon cause i
really wanna hear that thing sing... that's all it needs now
as i fixed the rest of it last winter.
ciao
Ventura

It might have belonged to the same guy who left a message on my
voicemail which I was then in the habit of checking every 2 weeks or so,
describing the problem you describe with it. Oh yeah, I have an Atlantic
IV deluxe which is red.

Idk what to do with all these accordions. I have just called an end to
busking season and starting to seriously work in the shop. Getting a few
repair jobs too. Actually have more than enough to stay busy busy.

[ciao_accordion]

that's a shame they trashed the spares n stuff and
while their new boxes look like the old ones
they sure are different under the skin

that Morino the guy bought new has a reedblock
leak problem in the treble also, and he's been
"playing around" the affected keys for awhile !
He looked inside but it has some kind of shifted
raised panel so he's asked them for a repair manual
so we can understand it before trying to pop the blocks
n look it over.

Andrew (my dentist) did luck into one of the newer
mid-sized Hohners though, and damn if it's not a nice
sounding and playing (and lightweight) squeeze
for the money

it will be fun to see what comes out of your repair shop
this time... you always find cool unique stuff to fix up

ciao

Ventura

[Ike Milligan]

Post by ciao_accordion
that's a shame they trashed the spares n stuff and
while their new boxes look like the old ones
they sure are different under the skin
that Morino the guy bought new has a reedblock
leak problem in the treble also, and he's been
"playing around" the affected keys for awhile !
He looked inside but it has some kind of shifted
raised panel so he's asked them for a repair manual
so we can understand it before trying to pop the blocks
n look it over.
Andrew (my dentist) did luck into one of the newer
mid-sized Hohners though, and damn if it's not a nice
sounding and playing (and lightweight) squeeze
for the money
it will be fun to see what comes out of your repair shop
this time... you always find cool unique stuff to fix up
ciao
Ventura

Had to stop and try to catch up on repairs promised.
All summer busking. Now having to re-do one where someone put leathers
on the reeds with Liquid Nails and got it on the edges of some of the
reeds. Ended up soaking them in mineral Spirits plus acetone and then a
few rust spots from them using leathers that had apparently salt in them.
If glue gets on the reed edge near the rivet it goes all weird higher in
pitch.
Then other jobs come in, and people want junk fixed without doing too
much to it. The temptation is to please them, even though they are
wretches --- by doing more than they can pay for.

[Excelsior960]

oh geez.. liquid nails and salty leathers

can still get the "indian" red gasket shellac,
same fomlula as the old days, and for me
(not patient enough to burn the volatiles off)
it has worked great my whole lifetime

we did use Sally Hanson to hold the adjustment
potentiometers in the Super V Cordovox top octave
generator boards once we tuned them (lol)

yeah i am getting to my winter projects too..
which one to do first though...

hope you and yours are doing well

ciao

Ventura

[Ike Milligan]

Post by Excelsior960
oh geez.. liquid nails and salty leathers
can still get the "indian" red gasket shellac,
same fomlula as the old days, and for me
(not patient enough to burn the volatiles off)
it has worked great my whole lifetime
we did use Sally Hanson to hold the adjustment
potentiometers in the Super V Cordovox top octave
generator boards once we tuned them (lol)
yeah i am getting to my winter projects too..
which one to do first though...
hope you and yours are doing well
ciao
Ventura

i have tried the Indian shellac glue, but it has alcohol and is also
poor quality and the alcohol gets into the leathers.
What I do is use a small jar like a baby food jar and double-boil off
the alcohol from the good quality shellac in a small saucepan. The
resulting honey-consistency brew lasts a long time if the lid is kept
tightly on it when not in use. If it starts to stiffen up, I add shellac
and stir, or a few drops of alcohol. never add more than wouldn't make
the alcohol soak in the leather. If it is not flowing well it won't hold.
Most of the time now, I am only using the leather on the first octave
and a half of the bassoon set and lower, with steel boosters. The rest I
am using plastic reed valves, over-the-rivet hole, which I trim the left
corners off when the top of the reed gets under them.

Speaking of projects, now doing a Mervar for a customer. idk if Mervar
himself put the salty leather lining on the blocks the plates are
nailed down on, but it is etching the reed plates and will have to be
changed. I need a piece of top-grain leather about 0.5 to 1 mm thick
that I can cut into strips for lining the blocks. If it has salt I will
rinse it out in purified or rain water. Meanwhile, The reeds have a lot
of tobacco residue but not any significant rust. On this I will use reed
leathers.
Other projects are in various stages. A CF diatonic that someone thought
I had actually ordered a new bellows, that I had to pay for, when I only
wanted a price quote. It has flat plates not individual reed plates.
Tone was leaking between some of the notes, so the solution seems to be
putting hard wood filler on the edges of the partitions and then sanding
the reed block under the plate flat on glass with sandpaper.
To make the flat surface of the sanding plate, I used strips of
automotive sandpaper, edge-to-edge on spray adhesive, and wiped the
excess off the edges on the glass with mineral spirits.