My first trip to the sacred land of the accordion -
Castelfidardo, Italy
October 26, 2007Dear Accordion Friends,
A long time dream came true for me last week. I visited the Sacred Land of the Accordion, a dream for every accordionist. I had a great time with Ivan Stanojlovic and his family and associates at SIWA & FIGLI. Prior to my visit
I had already played 4 of Ivan's custom made instruments and was very happy with the quality of craftsmanship and tonal characteristics. I am so grateful to SIWA & FIGLI for the invitation and the opportunity to see first hand Ivan's work. Actually, I even got a chance to work with him on the first Super Quattro model. There has been many discussions over what makes
an accordion special, what gives it personality and sound magic. A common perception is that the reeds are the heart and soul of the instrument. I knew the materials - the woods for reed blocks, tone chamber, body - are also important. However, another crucial component is the craftsmanship
of the accordion maker. It was an eye opener for me to realize how many processes and steps there are in the creation of the instrument. It is not
just putting parts together. It takes a lot of knowledge, skills, patience,
and passion to craft an extraordinary accordion. The magic of a legendary accordion can not be described in drawings and procedures. It can only be experienced when you embrace and play the instrument and every chord resonates through your heart and mind...
Meet my Hosts at SIWA & FIGLI
Ivan Stanojlovic (an
artisan and artist in his craft) with his daughter
Ivana (Siwa&Figli's Marketing and Public Relations Director)
Ivana (Siwa&Figli's Marketing and Public Relations Director)
The Art of Making a Fine Accordion and the Birth of a New Legend
I consider myself very fortunate to participate in the completion of the first Siwa Super Quattro accordion. This
model will remain in the history of accordion manufacturing and will soon earn the love and respect of the accordion community. It is practically impossible to achieve this quality in serial production. There are so many steps in the process of building the instrument that if only one is compromised the magic is gone. There are very few people
who are familiar with each single process in accordion making and have the actual hands-on experience. Ivan is
one of them. With more than 25 years experience Ivan combines the intimate knowledge and understanding of
all aspects of the accordion making process with innovative approach and a true passion for his craft. In addition
to being a master accordion craftsman, Ivan is a fine accordionist who shares the love for music and
can feel the subtle nuances in sound and response of the instrument.
| The accordion body is made of naturally aged woods. The interior is varnished and polished. | Only
the finest hand made reeds are used. The first tuning is performed on the provino in the classic Italian tradition. |
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| You've got to love the smell of bees wax and have a steady hand for this type of job. |
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| You've probably heard of a
process called "fine tuning inside the accordion". This used
to be
a regular practice in the 50s and 60s. Now very few people are skilled and patient enough to practice this method. You can't work by the clock under the control of a shift manager and achieve the precision and accuracy of Ivan's work. |
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| Not only are all
reeds tuned to perfection, they all respond to the slightest
bellows
movements, yet keep their clean tone under a sudden burst of air. The dynamic range is not granted with the choice of reeds. The artisan has to enable it by proper setting and adjustment of each individual reed. |
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Quality
Control - Rocky listens attentively and makes sure the
Master
has the tuning right. |
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| The treble switch mechanism is individually adjusted for each accordion. | |
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| The
linkage
rods
for the switch slide are custom made to achieve precise and smooth operation. |
Ivan
carefully
tests the performance of all treble switches before mounting the caps. |
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| The
switch caps are mounted one at a time in perfect alignment with the grill and the other switches. |
The Master personally tests each accordion. |
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| Ivan Stanojlovic is sincerely happy and proud with his masterpiece. |
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| The Accordion Gallery is a
proud owner of the first
Siwa
& Figli Super Quattro Accordion. We invite you to be our guest and experience the magic of this new classic model. With the blessing from the Master and the endorsement of the Accordion Gallery you can be a happy owner of one of the finest instruments ever made. I have no doubts the Super Quattro will soon find its place in the Hall of Fame of Accordion Manufacturing. |
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The Spirit of Castelfidardo
| I took few pictures on the way to the Accordion Museum in Castelfidardo. The town has a unique atmosphere. |
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| The accordion presence is
everywhere. You are looking at a local bakery display. |
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| We enjoyed a magnificent
weather. The deep blue color of the sky is not a photographic trick, it is the reality. |
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| At the entrance of the
Accordion
Museum we were greeted by Paolo Soprani. |
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