POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Chordette organ design by Excelsior

Object No. 2002/69/1

The Excelsior Chordette illustrates a different development of the usual keyboard organ. Largely known as a leading maker of accordions, Excelsior adapted their technology to create a keyboard instrument more along the lines of an electric organ. However, rather than producing electric sounds it still uses the reed mechanism of an accordion but uses an electric motor to pump a bellows to blow air through the reeds to produce the sound. The Chordette also has the capability of playing chords of the four major chord types in all keys. This function, which is usually associated as a feature of some electronic organs and keyboards, is not a recent idea but is part of a continuum used on other acoustic instruments in the past such as the autoharp. The technique of mechanically damping particular strings to produce specific chords in order to accompany popular songs was also used earlier on some models of the English guitar in the late eighteenth century. The Excelsior company was established in New York, USA in 1924. It grew particularly after WW2 with the growing use of accordions in large orchestras. Excelsior accordions were played by a number of virtuosi performers such as Charles Magnante, Art Van Damme, Pietro Deiro Jr. In 1948 production was expanded and a factory was established in Castelfidardo, Italy. Although the Chordette is no longer in production the company has developed and adapted to the electronic age and now also produces a MIDI accordion alongside its standard acoustic models.