Register switches control how contrasting timbres are produced. They control which reed ranks are enabled (opened up) or disabled (closed off), in a similar manner to the register switches controlling the organ stops of a pipe organ: a single reed rank, or several simultaneous reed ranks. Unlike a pipe organ, only one switch can be active at any given time. Here are a few examples of right-hand manual switches on a typical large accordion (Smaller boxes with fewer reed banks may have fewer switches or even none):
| Icon | Nickname | Register stop(s) in use | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piccolo | 4' | Thin and reedy tone. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Clarinet | 8' | A round tone, pure and free of harmonics. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Bassoon | 16' | A full, smooth tone. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Oboe | 4'+8' | A thin tone Listen here (MP3) | |
| Violin | 8'+8' | Listen here: Dry-tuned (MP3), Wet-tuned (MP3) | |
| Musette (Imitation) | 4'+8'+8' | Actually an imitation musette sound. Found in most accordions. See the last entry in this table. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Musette (Authentic) | 8'+8'+8' | A strong and distinctive sound, built for special "Musette accordions". Tremolo. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Organtype (Organ) | 4'+16' | A slightly reedy quality. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Harmonium | 4'+8'+16' | Like the Oboe stop, but heavier because of the added 16' reed rank. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Bandoneón | 8'+16' | Characteristic round, mellow accordion sound. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Accordion | 8'+8'+16' | Like the Violin stop, but heavier because of the added 16' reed rank. Listen here (MP3) | |
| Master | 4'+8'+8'+16' | The loudest and fullest accordion sound. Listen here (MP3) |
In addition to the master switch located with the other switches shown above, professional grade accordions often have a least one extra master switch: either a chin master at the top of the instrument or palm master switch located at the side of the keyboard. These are located in positions that allow for faster changes to the full sound during playing.
Read more about this topic: Accordion Reed Ranks And Switches
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