MADE IN GERMANY Weltmeister Akkordeon Manufaktur GmbH The world’s oldest accordion manufacturer | Since 1852 Our “Weltmeister” brand is famous among accordion enthusiasts the world over. At Weltmeister Akkordeon Manufaktur GmbH, we supply the music world with Weltmeister solo, button, piano and folklore accordions, as well as diatonic button accordions. Every day, our expert craftsmen and accordion makers create accordions designed to meet musicians’ needs. And the benchmark in all areas of our shop is, of course, quality. 160 years of instrument making at Weltmeister Akkordeon Manufaktur GmbH in Klingenthal, Germany, are rooted in sound craftsmanship, experience and knowledge, passed down carefully from master to apprentice. Each new generation that learns the trade of accordion making at Weltmeister helps ensure the longevity of the company’s incomparable expertise. History Klingenthal, a centre of music, is a small town in the Saxon Vogtland region, directly bordering on Bohemia. As early as the middle of the 17th century, instrument makers settled down here, starting with violin makers from Bohemia. Later, woodwinds and brasswinds were also made here. In the 19th century, mouth organ ma- king came to town and soon dominated the townscape with a multitude of workshops. By the year 1840 or thereabouts, this boom had turned Klingenthal into Germany’s largest centre for the manufacture of mouth organs. Production consolidation also had its benefits. More than 30 engineers and technicians worked to stre- Accordion production started in 1852, when Adolph amline the instrument making process and improve Herold brought the accordion along from Magdeburg. quality and customer service. A number of inventions At that time the accordion was a much simpler instru- also came about at that time, including the plastic key- ment, very similar to the mouth organ, and so it was board supported on two axes and the plastic and metal easily reproduced. The ensuing years saw the creation mechanism that can be fully removed with two screws. of well-known brands such as Barcarole, Contasina, Firotti, Horch and Royal Standard, as well as the esta- Outstanding artists’ instruments were developed, such blishment of accordion making as a senior branch of as the Weltmeister Supita, followed by brave innova- industry in the so-called musical corner of the Vogtland tions such as the Weltmeister Consona or the Barcarole region. Numerous patented inventions stand as a testa- Sonaphon. ment to the creativity and imagination of the engineers The breakdown of the GDR meant the breakdown and accordion makers of that time. of this industry’s market, as the introduction of the In 1948, several factories were merged into a nationally Deutsche mark quadrupled the price of East German owned enterprise, VEB Klingenthaler Harmonika- products overnight. Against this background, many werke, while other factories of the region united to operative parts of the company were hived off again. form handicraft cooperatives or partly fell under state In 1992, VEB Klingenthaler Harmonikawerke was control. Finally, in 1973, all remaining factories and transformed into Harmona Akkordeon GmbH, where workshops were incorporated into VEB Klingenthaler we continue to produce – exclusively in Klingenthal – Harmonikawerke, creating a merged workforce of over the Weltmeister accordions so popular around the 3500. world. Beginning 1 October 2017, Harmona Akkordeon GmbH is operating under a new name: Weltmeister Akkordeon Manufaktur GmbH. Our solo instruments range from the bargain-priced instrument for first-timers, page the Weltmeister Cassotto, to the Supra for sophisticated demands. The Supita II 9 is our top of the range model. SOLO ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS SOLO Our button accordions are available as B and C systems, in various sizes and with different features both for beginners and advanced players. Keyboards suppor- page 15 ted on five axes and smooth-running bass mechanisms as well as high-grade workmanship are attributes of our Weltmeister accordions. BUTTON ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS BUTTON Our Weltmeister piano accordions range from small instruments for novices to page large orchestra models. Their distinguishing features are outstanding key- 21 boards, smooth-running bass mechanisms and top quality. PIANO ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS PIANO Our folklore series is available either with standard or Helicon basses. The two reed ranks for tremolo can be switched separately, so that the you can use the page 30 different tremolos as the whim takes you. Its timeless design provides the finis- hing touch to the Weltmeister Monte. FOLKLORE ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS FOLKLORE Our diatonic range of instruments offers a start for everyone. Whether you are looking for a Styrian accordion or the Wiener 571 popular in Mexican music, the page 35 small and light-weight 86W when you are on the move, or the Cajun accordion important in the Tex-Mex, we have a suitable instrument for everyone. DIATONIC ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS DIATONIC Special instruments – The orchestra bass for a rich sound base and the page 45 Weltmeister Freebass for freethinkers complete Weltmeister’s product range. SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS INSTRUMENTS SPECIAL Solo Accordions page Supra 96, 120 9 Cassotto 374, 414 SOLO ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS SOLO page Button Accordions 15 BUTTON ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS BUTTON page Piano Accordions 21 PIANO ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS PIANO page Folklore Accordions 30 FOLKLORE ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS FOLKLORE page Diatonic Accordions 35 DIATONIC ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS DIATONIC page Special Instruments 45 SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS INSTRUMENTS SPECIAL MADE IN GERMANY 9 ACCORDIONS SOLO BUTTON ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS BUTTON Supra 96, 120 The fascinating sound The Supra stands out by the elegant way in which it surrenders to the needs of the player. This accordion features a classic cassotto, superb special reed plates and a wood-core keyboard that is designed for rapid and precise playing. The exquisite reed plates give the Supra a ACCORDIONS PIANO warm, rich sound that captures the finest tonal nuances. These are paired with a powerful bass that rounds off the accordion’s Supra 96 sound. 37/96/iv/11/5 The Weltmeister Supra is available with 37 keys and 96 bass buttons or with 41 keys and 120 bass buttons. Specifications 96: <cuadrado> Classic treble cassotto <cuadrado> 37 keys f (F) IV chörig IV chörig <cuadrado> Wood-core keyboard IV reed IV reed ranks ranks 442 mm 17.4 inches <cuadrado> 4 treble reed ranks with 11 switches ''' #'' f E–d ACCORDIONS FOLKLORE (f'''') <cuadrado> 4 bass reed ranks with 5 switches 37 Reg. Reg. 96 <cuadrado> 96 bass buttons 11 5 <cuadrado> Treble range: f – f''' # 11,7 kg 202 mm <cuadrado> Bass range: E – d '' 25.8 lbs 7.9 inches <cuadrado> Colour: black <cuadrado> Double octave tuning <cuadrado> Wooden reeds with optimised tone channels <cuadrado> Bellows protector Supra 120 Different Specifications 120: 41/120/iv/11/5 <cuadrado> 41 keys <cuadrado> 120 bass buttons ACCORDIONS DIATONIC <cuadrado> Treble range: f – a''' <cuadrado> Bass range: E – d#'' f (F) IV chörig IV chörig IV reed IV reed ranks ranks 482 mm 19 inches a''' E–d#'' (a'''') 41 Reg. Reg. 120 11 5 12,3 kg 202 mm 27.1 lbs 7.9 inches SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS INSTRUMENTS SPECIAL MADE IN Cassotto 374 GERMANY 10 Cassotto 414 Cassott0 374, 414 The intro model The Weltmeister Cassotto combines all the advantages of a cassotto accordion with the lightweight body of a standard instru- ment. At only 10.4 kg, the Cassotto is nearly as light as the comparable Topas IV, but it has the cassotto, which lends a different sound to the basic and lower reed ranks. The instrument's light weight is due to Specifications 374: the special filling cassotto, a resonance duct that is not built into the <cuadrado> 96 bass buttons with 5 bass switches accordion, but placed on the filling. <cuadrado> 37 treble keys, 4 reed ranks with 11 treble switches This makes the accordion easier and more cost-effective to service and <cuadrado> Treble range: f – f''' tune. This Weltmeister accordion is as much at home in an orchestra <cuadrado> Bass range: E – d#'' as it is with a soloist on stage and it holds its own with all types of <cuadrado> Wooden reeds with music. optimised tone channels The Cassotto model is available with 37 keys and 96 bass buttons as <cuadrado> Exquisite handmade Italian reed plates well as with 41 keys and 120 bass buttons. <cuadrado> Bellows protector Different Specifications 414: <cuadrado> 120 bass buttons with 5 bass switches Cassott0 374 Cassott0 414 <cuadrado> 41 treble keys, 4 reed ranks with 11 treble switches 37/96/iv/11/5 41/120/iv/11/5 <cuadrado> Treble range: f – a''' f f (F) IV chörig IV chörig (F) IV chörig IV chörig IV reed IV reed IV reed IV reed 482 mm 19 inches ranks ranks 442 mm 17.4 inches ranks ranks f''' E–d#'' a''' E–d#'' (f'''') (a'''') 37 Reg. Reg. 96 41 Reg. Reg. 120 11 5 11 5 10,4 kg 192 mm 11,0 kg 192 mm 22.9 lbs 7.56 inches 24.3 lbs 7.56 inches GERMANY MADE IN SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS DIATONIC ACCORDIONS FOLKLORE ACCORDIONS PIANO ACCORDIONS BUTTON ACCORDIONS SOLO ACCORDIONS page Solo Accordions 9 SOLO ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS SOLO Button Accordions Romance 874 page Romance 602, 603 15 Romance 703 BUTTON ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS BUTTON page Piano Accordions 21 PIANO ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS PIANO page Folklore Accordions 30 FOLKLORE ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS FOLKLORE page Diatonic Accordions 35 DIATONIC ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS DIATONIC page Special Instruments 45 SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS INSTRUMENTS SPECIAL MADE IN GERMANY 15 ACCORDIONS SOLO BUTTON ACCORDIONS ACCORDIONS BUTTON Romance 874 The flagship The Romance 874, with its 49 treble tones and 120 bass buttons, is the largest button accordion in the Weltmeister collection. Its five-layer keyboard allows for balanced, comfortable playing. The powerful bass gives the accordion a deep foun- ACCORDIONS PIANO dational sound and lends it the appropriate weight during performances.