I just acquired an Arnold keyboard accordion. I don’t play accordion so I am looking for some answers.
It is red and black plastic with the name ARNOLD in silver plastic and very Art Deco looking.
It has a keyboard on the right side and bass buttons on the left side.
It is in tune and in excellent condition.
Has anyone ever heard of an Arnold accordion? If so, could you give me some history or details? I tried to find info on the net but nothing came up.
Many thanks! Richard
I’ve found that “Alfred Arnold” used to to be a manufacturer of bandoneons (alternate spelling bandonion) and concertinas in Carlsfeld, Germany, set up in 1911 as a rival to his father’s firm, the Ernst Louis Arnold factory which made bandoneons from 1864 to 1964).
Bandoneons look like big square concertinas, and are often called concertinas. They haven’t really caught on in the UK, but are popular in France and Germany, and areas of the US where people from these countries have settled.
I also haven’t found any specific internet references to this name in relation to piano accordions.
Arnold is a surname from Germany, so your accordion may well be of German manufacture, and almost certainly pre-WW2.
If you feel brave, you might try opening it up to see if there are any manufacturer’s marks inside, possibly even a serial number. There is often an ink stamp or brand on the keyboard end, hidden behind the grille there.