Sept 25, 2023
I have played the Morino many times in my life over the course of decades, and it was never a question that it was a spectacularly heavy accordion, but I never knew the exact number… never weighed myself and then put on any accordion and weighed myself again with the intent of knowing exactly how much it did weigh, but today I did… and what prompted it was the fact that the Hohner Gola 459 is huge too, but a thinner accordion than the Morino… yet which weighs more? Most people told me the Gola was heavier than the Morino. The Hohner literature said the Gola was lighter.
The only indisputable way was to use a scale on both in real life at the same time under the same circumstanes even using my choice of wide back straps.
The scale does not lie. All numbers are with 4″ straps with integrated back straps and all weights are done within 1-2 minutes of each other.
So who wins the “porkiest accordion” competition between these two?
There should not be a big surprise… it is the Morino.
The Gola comes in at a whopping 33lbs.
The Morino comes in at an even more whopping 34.5lbs.
Incidentally, the Hohner literature is off by about 5lbs each, mostly due to the fact that I have huge 4″ straps on them both, but even at best Hohner is being optimistic by 2-3 pounds lighter than the accordions are in reality.
Now, to me both accordions are very easy to manage when sitting down, however I have always had a hard time bellows-shaking the Morino consistently. A lot of the weight on that accordion is on the bass side. The Gola is easier to bellows shake and the bass side is noticeably lighter and the reeds respond faster to directional changes.
Some other statistics:
The Morino is 1-1/4″ deeper than the Gola and the location of the straps attachment bar (on the REAR of the accordion), make the accordion feel a lot more forward heavy. The Gola is a 1/2″ taller when sitting on it’s legs, its “thinner” by 1-1/4″ than the Morino and has the straps attachment points on the bottom and top of the accordion and the attachment site is about 1″ behind the bellows strap (center point) of an accordion. This makes the Gola much easier to handle and on the body when seated. This makes it much better balanced that makes controlling it easier. BUT, because of the location/type of strap attachment points, you need straps that are at least 3″ longer to fit the same body (mine!). Longer straps are harder to find nowadays, BTW… cost cutting crap and all amongst the Italian strap manufacturers.
Keyboard and tuning:
The Beltuna Leader V has an amazing keyboard, fast, sure. The sound amazing and versatile, you can play pretty much anything on it.
The Morino is a bit stiffer/heavier touch, slightly harder to play fast as it takes a little more strength to depress each key, but with practice, faster than the Beltuna. The sound is more traditional, dry tuned and less versatile, more focused on classical, yet I have played everything on this accordion.
The Gola is a little less stiffer sprung, keys are a hair lighter and is the fastest keyboard I have ever played… which makes the Gola easy to play fast. It being dry tuned is really focused for classical, but surprisingly the registrations give it a nice variety and it has a sweet musette, more than the Morino, less than the Beltuna. There is no reason to play pretty much any style of music you want on it, and the Free Bass opens up the world of classical music, for which this accordion is it’s strongest point.
The Gola Free Bass is also a little easier to reach because of the thinner body. I don’t know if that will make it faster in any way, the buttons are both actioned near identically in that respect.
Just wanted to share a few thoughts about this.
Enjoy!