Quality lacquer for traditional swiss accordions

Even as part of a global corporate group, Teknos Feyco still retains close ties with local craftsmen, such as Sergio Theiler who produces traditional Swiss accordions in his workshop. 

These Swiss button accordions, called locally Schwyzerörgeli, are a traditional Swiss product. Anyone who makes an instrument such as this has a deep understanding of their craft - and Sergio Theiler from the village of Wald, canton of Zurich, is no exception. The trained carpenter has been playing the Schwyzerörgeli for 20 years and has spent a long time travelling with various ensembles. "As a carpenter, I have always found the instrument fascinating - and not just from a musical perspective," says Theiler. "That is why I began trying to build them myself one day." And he has succeeded beautifully. The self-employed carpenter has been building the instruments professionally since 2012.

Every accordion is unique 

Each Schwyzerörgeli Sergio Theiler produces is the result of up to 200 hours of meticulous manual work. The wood and decorative elements are agreed with the customer, and each instrument is a unique, handcrafted piece. Prices are between 4400 and 9000 Euro. 

The instruments are made of a set of bellows, with a frame on either side, bass and melody resonator boxes and the reed plate with spring steel elements as well as fingerboards and covers. Theiler produces almost all of the parts himself; the only thing he buys in are the reed plates. He usually uses spruce, maple or alder wood.

Fine varnishing with matte clear lacquer

When it comes to the paintwork, Sergio Theiler relies on proven Swiss carpenter's lacquer. "I have very positive experiences with Feyco lacquers even during my carpentry apprenticeship and I have stuck with them in my work as a self-employed carpenter and instrument maker," says Theiler. He uses SUPREMO CLEAR LACQUER 3990 for his Schwyzerörgeli accordions. The transparent 2K lacquer helps the instrument maker produce accordions with an elegant, matte finish that is pleasing to the touch.

The materials are pre-treated with ALPOLAN UNIVERSAL PRIMER 2420-00. The colourless 2K filling primer produces a smooth surface, even in the delicate inlays. The various wood layers are raised quite a lot, so I use the universal primer to seal the surface and remove the wood grain", explains Theiler.

If the customer wants the outer edges painted in a contrasting colour, Theiler uses the ALPOCRYL LE 5393-40 2K high-opacity polyurethane resin lacquer. The final coat of matte lacquer is then applied following intermediate sanding. The only exceptions are the plastic fingerboards, which Theiler coats with glossy SUPREMO CLEAR LACQUER 3990-90.

Local lacquer producers with close ties to craftsmanship

"When it comes to my accordions, high-quality materials and the best possible workmanship are essential," says Sergio Theiler. "Teknos Feyco's professional carpenter's lacquers help me to implement this vision perfectly." Theiler is supported by Marco Hossmann, a consultant at Teknos Feyco. "Although we have expanded globally as part of the Teknos Group, we remain a local company that develops and produces here in Switzerland," says Hossmann. "We are and remain closely connected with the region and with Swiss carpentry."