Visit at Mr. Karl Macourek at the last Accordion builder in Vienna.

Really Vienna is not really correct any more, The business is still registered in Vienna and the Phone number is one of Vienna but it is routed to his Home in Lower Austria. Mr. Karl Macourek Senior is at the moment (9.05.2005) 77 Years old and of good health. His son Mr. Karl Macourek Junior is working partly on customers orders and as Pianist. Now to the Talk with Mr. Karl Macourek Senior: I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Karl Macourek for abut two hoers. Mr. Karl Macourek learned as apprentice the building of accordions before the 2^nd world war in Vienna, had to interrupt during the war and cared on after the 2^nd world war at more with other masters changed his workplace a few times and got in contact with different accordion builders in that time. At this time in Vienna there ware still about 20 company’s producing instruments. In the 50es he began to start his own business, later he was the lector and teacher for pupils who learned this profession as apprentices all people learning to build accordions had to go for some time to Vienna every Year to attend this school, so he got in contact to everyone who had since this time learned to build accordions in Austria since this time. He did know many of the old masters of the first generation of accordion builders, so he could carry on the tradition without break. And I conceder him as the one who can talk abut this things we look at in an historical way. Some more talks with him would be interesting, may be I should better record what he is telling me.My personal impression is, that his company is up t to today very traditional nearly without any modernisation, the work in the same way as it ware in the last 50 years. The still build Instruments of all kind. I could see a B Griff with tree treble key rows without registers and 2 reeds for each tone in work. I had Stradella Bass and had a covered traditional treble mechanic with wood levers mounted on one rod as it ware on Schrammelharmonikas in the past. Stradella Bass mechanic is from Italy. The would have the tools to make the mechanic themselves too, but it would be more expensive as getting it from Italy. The reeds in this Instrument for a special order of a customer are best professional Italian reeds. Reed tongues are cut in length direction from a narrow steel tape and hand riveted. He and his Sun do some riveting if needed for repairs if the correct reed is not in stock or not obtainable. The own a far amount of reed tongues for replacement from past productions produced by Salpa, Honhner and others from Klingenthal. This reed tongues are not produced by this company’s any more. The get there reed sets through a contact in Castelfidardo the do also the riveting there by hand in homework for him. He uses different reed quality on customer demands, but if in any way possible he likes to convince the customer that the quality of the reeds is of major importance for a Instrument and its quality. Even for cheaper instruments used for beginners this is of importance, since he thinks if one starts to play one can get very easy disappointed if it is more difficult to play with low quality reeds. Mr. Karl Macourek demonstrated some instruments, The sond of the chromatic Instruments was very typical as needed for Vienna style songs. You find a short video with a few notes played on a PA. The complete treble mechanic of this Instrument is made by them self the Clavis too. Keyboard works very well and quiet is made with special bearings and extra felt to keep noise down. I was impressed by the finish of this Keyboard! Mr. Karl Macourek says the quality and appearance is strongly influenced by the money the customer is willing to pay. The mounting of the reeds on the reed block is on this chromatic instruments is also traditional with leather and screw hooks. This contributes also a bit to a sound somewhat softer. But on cheaper diatonic instruments e also use wax to mount the reeds. For the typical strong sound of a Steirsche it is in some ways even better. But Vienna diatonic Instruments in the past never waxed the reeds to the reed block even if the ware helicon Instruments. He says in Vienna the wax method was not really in use at all. The cases are made completely in by them self, no work is out sourced to other company’s. Treble covers and reed blocks are built by them self too all by hand with little machinery. No CNC Machinery is in use. Mr. Karl Macourek could think of using such equipment but it is to expensive to get it. Mr. Karl Macourek Junior attended the talk I had with his Father but he did not contribute to it much. The complete Production is at the moment very traditional and nearly all is made by hand, this is is some way very positive since a lot of the old flair of old times is kept. Wile I ware there Mr. Karl Macourek Junior worked on three Bellows for small three row helicon Instruments. The bellows ware in a very early state of building. One picture shows the Instrument with the unfinished bellows. The first gluing connection of the corners with woven tape ware made. Later he changed to do some preparing work on flaps (see picture). The tuning of the instruments is usual started with the middle A starting from this tone all tuning is done by ear without any electronic tuner. He did get varies tuners over the past but never ware satisfied with one of it. One of it ware a strobe tuner, but he is not satisfied with the result after tuning instruments he had to go over it by ear again. The tune chromatic instruments in a tempered scale. But this does not mean that the scale fits the electronic tuner if it is tested with one. He cant explain way this is in this way. Tuning is started with The first not the middle A and starting from this the go up in 5^th and down in 4^th step by step until the have all 12 tones in the scale. This tones will then be used to tune the next higher octave and the next lower octave and so on until all tones are covered. Octaves are not searched at all tones one octave apart sound totally without any beat. With 5^th it is different, 5^th s are taken a bit narrower as pure so the sound with a little beat. This beat is just as much that all 5^th in the circle of 5^th s are beating in the same amount if any tone is sounded with an other one a 5t apart. This beat is counted in the same way as it is done when the tremolo of the second reed set is tuned. AL this tuning is done on the first reed set without any other reed set sounding at the same time. This beat of the 5ts is not called tremolo but it is noticed in the same way. This differential beat of 5ths is not the same on al instruments, different reed sets and different Instruments influence the amount of this beat, it must be individually adapted to each instrument. So the tuner may need to go through the first tuning several times before it is correct. Or with lot of experience it ma be a bit faster. We discussed this phenomena a bit longer, Mr. Karl Macourek cant give a answer way this is the case, but he is strongly convinced that each Instrument is individual and has it own character, and the tuner of the instrument can with a lot of experience correct some unliked sound. But how much a sound is like or not is much a question of test, and strongly influenced by the experiences a musician already has. He tolled me in this context, that in the past nearly ever musician had his favourite Instrument builder and tuner, and the did not want to change to some one else no matter what it cost. Today the average musician and the audience is not hearing this differences. He says I should look out for good group of musicans especially in small gropes wit two fiddles a Bass and a Accordion, in such combination of instruments with very god musicians the pleasure of lessening can reach its limits if the instruments are tuned very well too. Especially if the dot play to fast. Questioned on tuning diatonic instruments he answered: “The can be tunes sharp” With sharp he means 5^th s should be tuned pure on tree row instruments in both direction push and pull notes as well. Five row instruments are different the usually are tuner to tempered scale with the 5ths. With 4 row instruments it is in most cases the same, depends on the customer. 3^rd s are usually taken pure especially on push. The old masters he had when he was apprentice always tunes diatonic instruments to pure scale, the 3rds as well. So in Vienna tradition the sound of the diatonic instrument as determined by pure chords. I had this opinion for along time too, my teacher regarding tunig Mr. Salcher also had the same opinion. Major chords on Diatonic instruments should sound as pure chords on Vienna diatonic and on Steirische. This practice of tuning Accordions ware the preferred practice in the past. Haw are the 7th chords are tuned in pull direction on diatomic instruments?: “the war never tune pure or very equally on al instruments. The just ware somehow put in between the rest so with some feeling” for instance if you have the notes g, b, d, f in pull direction then the f was just put in by some feeling of the tuner. This mean that the possible minor chords in pull direction did not sound pure. Vienna instruments usually had on the low end of each row one accidental note, this tree note also ware taken in tempered scale a bit the role of the thumb. The note never get played in combination with others to form cords so it is not so important tat the not is exact on peach. If note are played in melodies it is more difficult to hear the a not is out of scale. He enforced also that a tuner must know music theory in respect of intervals very well. He tolled me also that in the last time the refurnish old Harmoniums (reed organs), and the had a self plying Orchestron for complete overhaul and restoration some time ago in. In Vienna are some reach people lately who stated to collect Instruments and the are willing to spend money for restoration. He also worked for the technical museum in Vienna from time to time. He says the have much more exponents on Instruments as the visitor can see on a usual tour. If one asks the person looking at this department the show one other instruments as well. All in all the market for Instruments seams to be in a positive development phase, so the work and the skills the can offer are needed again. The hope to get a Shop in Vienna again for reasonable rents. Unfortunately Mr. Karl Macourek Junior loves to be a pianist with his complete hart, so the time he can spend building and repairing instruments is limited. We still have Mr. Karl Macourek senior and he sure will work as long as he can even he is 77, I wish him all the best and a long live in health. If you are interested in accordions built in this workplace, it would be best to call or visit them. I could not test or play any diatonic instrument, the 3 instruments in work ware not finished. And one in playing condition ware not there. And I did not ask may be the hed one in a different room. The instruments in work are sure very reasonable in price. The had no decor on it, bass mechanic is very uncomplicated as the ware for along time for nearly 150 Years in Vienna and Klingenthal. Bass construction (Bass chamber , casotto) are different to traditional Novak or Hlavachek Instruments, is similar as Strasser builds the bass. Key distance is 20 mm with this 3 instruments (Customer demand) 30 treble keys. Stepped wood treble mechanic with wood leavers. (his B Griff tree row instruments have 18 mm key distance) Case (box ) is a bit smaller as usual with two reed instruments. The basses are traditional with five double helicons and I think wit minor chords. No alternating bass for first row and no X bass. But Customer wishes always can be taken in account for extra money.

Pictures from the Visit

Wohnung:

Josefine Macourek

Hütteldorferstraße 156 Stg. 17

1140 Wien

Telefon: 01 4193054

Werkstätte:

Innermanzing bei Altlengbach

Hinrichsgasse 158