I fell in love with the accordion when my sister placed one in my lap 22 years ago. I loved the weight and the size of it, the feeling of quality, the sense of history, and then the feeling of the notes vibrating in my chest. I bought that accordion. It was a late 40s Paolo Soprani and it needed work. As someone who has worked on precision equipment of all kinds for most of my life, and always having enjoyed the satisfaction of returning something of quality back to its original state, I studied accordion repair and I repaired it myself. I have been playing that accordion since.
After finding an accordion teacher and repairing several of his and his student’s accordions I realized there was a need for an accordion repair shop in the area I learned how to repair them and have been repairing and restoring accordions and other free reed instruments for artists in the area for over 10 years.
I prefer vintage European accordions and have a special fondness for the sound and construction of vintage Italian accordions.
I love repairing and playing accordions and explaining to any interested owners how they can perform some repairs themselves. There is a sense of satisfaction in knowing that I am responsible, even if for a only a small part, for the sound of music when an instrument I have worked on is being played.
Accordion store at 153 State St in Montpelier is available by appointment only but usually one day notice is plenty and often an hour is fine. Call 802-793-2382 or email Nathan@TheFreeReed.com with any questions or to set up an appointment.