Gigantic Accordions

If there was such a thing as a portable grand piano, this would be it’s compliment.

From the October 1937 issue of Popular Science:

“Six persons can play simultaneously on a gigantic accordion exhibited [around 1937] in Germany. Over six feet high, the mammoth musical instrument has a keyboard covering more than ten octaves. Casters at the base facilitate the manipulation of the bellows.”

Fit for an Alaskan brown bear! That is one gigantic squeeze box. Accordions are classified as bellows-driven free reed aerophones. The picture below is of the world’s largest accordion (from Guinness World Records).

The largest playable accordion in the world is 253-cm (99.6-in) tall, 190-cm (74.8-in) wide, and 85-cm (33.4-in) deep, and weighs approximately 200 kg (440 lb). The instrument, built by Giancarlo Francenella (Italy), bears the name “Castelfidardo” after the town in Ancona, Italy, in which it was constructed.

Begun in 2000 and finished in 2001, the giant accordion required over 1,000 hours of labor, and features 45 treble piano keys, 120 bass buttons, and 240 reeds. Built on a 5:1 ratio from the original, the instrument is made of wood (fir, cedar, mahogany, walnut), metals (aluminum, steel), cardboard, cloth, and special varnishes. Guiness World Records

Sources: Modern Mechanix, Guiness World Records, semanal.ning.com