All about the Shuya accordion

The beautiful accordion is a rural favorite, the sonorous companion of the festivities of the Russian people in the recent past. A faithful friend of young people during romantic evenings in the village and beyond. In the old days, the guy with the accordion was the idol of girls and guys.

Despite the uncertainty of the origin of the instrument - it is still not known exactly where exactly the accordion appeared - the Russian people categorically consider it a national treasure. The spiritual name is the accordion, the accordion almost humanizes it, while in other countries an instrument of this type is called more impersonally - the harmonica. In the hands of a master, an accordion can talk, cry and laugh, be sad and rejoice. The instrument is able to give hope, lead into battle, as it happened more than once on the fronts of the Patriotic War - this is confirmed by the march "Farewell of a Slav" performed by Vladimir Pavlovich Natalenko.

For the first time, mass production of accordions was launched in Tula, then it was Shuya's turn, where several artels united and the Shuya harmonious factory appeared. Similar artels worked in other cities, since the demand was quite high for the people's favorite. The accordions of different artels differed - each of them had an individual sound and a special voice.

OJSC "Shuyskaya accordion" today is accordions, accordions, button accordions, made in the traditional manner, with their own special timbre, with a memorable appearance, in which a specialist immediately recognizes the hands of Shui masters. Founded during the formation of the USSR, the factory in the first year presented the country with 417 wonderful products.

Subsequently, the number of instruments increased significantly; in the 60s of the last century, new models of hand accordions were mastered in production. The organization proudly displayed its products at numerous foreign exhibitions. The Russian songstress has visited Japan and Austria, France and Hungary, and was exported abroad.

The 90s passed with a heavy skating rink across the country and in the Shuya harmonious production as well. In the most difficult time, during a severe economic crisis, accordion ceased to be in demand - in those days people thought about survival, the spiritual faded into the background. The enterprise was left without work, and the factory, like most enterprises in the country, had to look for a way out of this situation.

The administration made a decision to master and launch the production of children's furniture, part of the area was allocated to workshops for sewing bed linen. The plant was preserved, preventing devastation and desolation.

A connoisseur will always distinguish the Shuya accordion from the Tula sound timbre, even without looking at the visual design. The peculiarity of Shuya products is in the accordion sound, which is achieved by soft, “soulful” overtones with registers for two-part or three-part sounding. Piece products, often made to order, are unique, made according to special technologies. Traditions carefully observed do not negate the possibility of improving technologies, which has been used more than once by the specialists of the harmonious factory.

All components are manufactured on site, with over 1000 parts in one tool. The assembly is carried out manually, during this time the accordion is tuned three times, completing the process with the final tuning of the already finished accordion.

If the instrument is made to order, then its musical characteristics are unusually expanded due to more precise tuning, sealing of the vocal strips. The harmony is tuned to the timbre of the future performer, giving it a special tonality, a bewitching ability to echo the voice of a person. The decorative finish in this case also differs from the standard patterns. At the request of the client, the instrument can be inlaid with semiprecious and precious stones, rhinestones, painting depicting fairy tales.

For Shuyanka, as connoisseurs and fans of the accordion affectionately call her, there are 5 quality criteria:

1. the beauty;
2. sounding;
3. reliability;
4. duration of operation;
5. the convenience of playing the instrument.

Another distinctive feature of Shuya models is the independence of the pitch from the direction of movement of the bellows. Shuya harmonicas have a special vocal system, the so-called bottling mood, when overtones color each note with additional sounds. As a result, a game with 2 or 3 voices is heard.

The Harmonic Factory offers several models, including large and small (children's) designs.

A single-part diminished instrument without register. The range is 2 incomplete octaves: from E - in the first, to F - in the second. Two double-row keyboards: on a button-type 15 buttons, on a button-type there are 12.

Chamomile's body is made of birch wood in the form of plywood with celluloid coating. Traditional painting adorns the front surface, the corners of the furs are reinforced with brass overlays. The nets are covered with black enamel.

Excellent 4-voice instrument in 3 octaves without register, with custom tuning. Lumpy strips of the improved type with manual finishing to the perfect condition. Lightweight voices provide soft, polyphonic sound.

There are 25 buttons on the right button keyboard, and the same number on the left. The resonators are made of larch or spruce. The celluloid cladding of the plywood body is decorated on the front walls with a miniature painting in the style of the famous Palekh. The fur corners are protected by brass cover corners.

Three-part harmonica with tuning in the bottle. Bass - 2 dominant seventh chords. Mass production implies C major and A sharp major. 3 voices: bottling, baritone, main. The manufacturer offers 2 types of customized - with and without a register.

Lumpy aluminum strips with hand finishing, birch body with painting in the Palekh manner is made in a rounded shape. The inlay is made at the request of the customer. Aluminum nets, brass corners on the bellows, 16 workers borin.

The model has 3 voices, register, on-the-spot tuning and accordion sound. Right keyboard - 25 buttons, left - 25 buttons.

Lumpy voice strips, spruce and larch resonators are varnished. The body is made of glued birch material with celluloid lining, painted with Palekh miniature, nets are made of aluminum, 16 working borin, brass corners on the furs.

A two-part accordion without register, with the ability to adjust the tonality at the request of the client. Aluminum planks with steel voices and customizable in bottling.

The lacquered resonators are made of larch or softwood. The birch plywood body is covered with celluloid, all surfaces are carefully polished and rounded at the edges. Contains 17 working borin, the fur corners are made of nickel plated brass.

It is impossible to say unequivocally whether the Tula or Shuya accordion is better. It's all about preferences, tastes. Tula accordions have a more sonorous, "cocky" voice, as if they are intended for mischievous festivities. Shuya products sound softer, more soulful - their voices are muffled and more varied due to overtones. Some people prefer products of Tula masters, someone is closer and dearer to Shuyanka.

If we talk about mass production, experts believe that the Shuya accordion remains the leader - it's all about the lack of voices among the Tula. The old masters have retired, but with the young change the problem is that there are not enough young masters. Those who are looking for a "soulful" musical instrument, but cannot afford a custom-made one, prefer Shuya products of the 50-60s of the last century. Back then, the soundboards and resonators were made of wood, not plastic as they are now. Naturally, the voices of such accordions are much richer, more varied, softer and more sincere.