Trying to find a beginner accordion that is worth the price.

[BenTheBeast]

I have been surfing the web, looking through music stores, personal eBay sales, craigslist, the whole shebang. I can't find one that I feel definitive on. Either the ones I know are working are too expensive, or the cheaper ones being sold by people that know nothing about them trying to sell me something that could be a mushroom farm on the inside. What do I do. Any Tips?

 

[Dingo40]

What do I do. Any Tips?

Ben, welcome!
Buying an accordion is a lot like buying a car: new or used.
Keep at it. Eventually you'll become more knowledgeable and begin to distinguish the individual trees in the forest !

 

[Tom]

I feel the best option is to search around on eBay, Craigslist, marketplace, etc. and find one that is in “almost perfect playable” shape and expect to do a small repair, of which you can find help here. That repair could be a worn gasket, several missing reed leathers, maybe new straps. I don’t know the market in your area, but it can be rare anywhere to find a used accordion at a decent price that’s “ready to go.”

Another option is to go with a reputable store, like Liberty Bellows, on the east coast. It’s a haul from you, but there is Amtrak and Uber. There you can at least try some decent accordions and have back up. You could also consider ordering a used one from there.

New accordions are indeed expensive, and sometimes even need a small tweak after shipping, but can give years of trouble free operation.

Worst comes to worst, take a drive through beautiful Canada and come out here to Wisconsin where I will give you one.

 

[Glug]

I read this forum for a while until I had an idea what would be ok for me.
Then I used gumtree.co.uk which tends to have a fair number of "collection only" sales.
Then I went round and tried a couple in person.

Came away with a Hohner Lucia IV P that worked fine, but leaked a bit for £220.
I've since done a complete overhaul but haven't had to tune it, but it was perfectly playable anyway.

If you're not certain of how good an accordion is try it in person (or take a friend who knows accordions), or buy (used probably) from a shop you could return it to.

 

[BenTheBeast]

I feel the best option is to search around on eBay, Craigslist, marketplace, etc. and find one that is in “almost perfect playable” shape and expect to do a small repair, of which you can find help here. That repair could be a worn gasket, several missing reed leathers, maybe new straps. I don’t know the market in your area, but it can be rare anywhere to find a used accordion at a decent price that’s “ready to go.”

Another option is to go with a reputable store, like Liberty Bellows, on the east coast. It’s a haul from you, but there is Amtrak and Uber. There you can at least try some decent accordions and have back up. You could also consider ordering a used one from there.

New accordions are indeed expensive, and sometimes even need a small tweak after shipping, but can give years of trouble free operation.

Worst comes to worst, take a drive through beautiful Canada and come out here to Wisconsin where I will give you one.

Thank you! I'll check out Liberty Bellows, I saw some of their items listed on eBay but they seemed to be only junk accordions, I didn't know they had a website! It seems the best option is to go out and find one instead of looking online.

 

[SteveBox]

Does the "whole shebang" include Facebook marketplace? I see many accordions for sale in the New England area. They are mostly piano accordions.

You could check out this place. I've heard good things about it, and they have accordions for sale: https://newenglandaccordionconnectionandmuseumcompany.com/

 

[BenTheBeast]

ALSO. What type of accordion do you guys think is best for a new player. I know music theory, have dabbled in a little piano but I have been playing the Euphonium for most of my life.

 

[Tom]

ALSO. What type of accordion do you guys think is best for a new player. I know music theory, have dabbled in a little piano but I have been playing the Euphonium for most of my life.

This is a really tough question, Ben. Really depends on your interests and goals. As well as if/whether you plan to play with others. And what kind is most readily available. And what your budget is.

Many people feel that the accordion most adaptable to the most types of music, and most appropriate for a prospective professional is a “chromatic button accordion.” However, these are not likely to be as readily available, especially in the entry level market as the standard (in the USA) “piano accordion.”

Then there is the “bisonoric” accordion which plays a different sound whether you are opening or closing the bellows. These also come in various types, and are called “melodeon,” “squeeze box,” “button box”, “concertina” etc. Not to mention the “bandoneon” which can be either.

Confusing, I know, sorry. Unless you plan to play with a group that plays a specific music type that favors a bisonoric accordion (ie. Irish traditional, contra dance, Quebecois), the safest recommendation is “piano accordion” due to availability in the New England area. Your first accordion is not likely to be your last, so it’s good to have the widest availability.

A trip to the place recommended in Connecticut would be a great way to experience what is available. And closer than Liberty Bellows.

All just my personal opinion. Hopefully others will also offer advice.

 

[Rosie C]

ALSO. What type of accordion do you guys think is best for a new player. I know music theory, have dabbled in a little piano but I have been playing the Euphonium for most of my life.

A good question! I started on melodeon but I didn't like the way the I had to change bellows direction to select certain notes - and how that changed the chord I wanted to play. I went for piano accordion partly because I play piano, but in ignorance that the CBA existed. 6 months in I'm still keen on piano accordion, but I'm thinking of starting on CBA this summer - I have my eye on a little CBA that I played at a dealer's last week. I like the compactness of it, and it felt like (once I'd learned the patterns) that less hand movement would be needed to play a tune, and I like that I can change key easily.

 

[boxplayer4000]

BenTheBeast: Are you looking for one which is new, been restored or one which needs restoring?

 

[nou]

I was in your shoes just a few weeks ago, looking through craigslist type sites... And then one of the boxes just "spoken" to me - size, source, looks, state, and I bought it on a whim. But one thing you should sort out before the decision, is if you want a piano accordion or CBA. The easiest way to decide is to download https://vmpk.sourceforge.io and B-system config file from here: https://sourceforge.net/p/vmpk/shared-keymaps-and-instruments/1/ (which you can then edit to create a C-system version) and test if you like the CBA logic better, or want to stick to the piano. I would however ignore the "availability in your area" argument - you really don't want to be stuck to the system that you struggle with or don't enjoy. Experiment thoroughly for a couple of weeks/months and only then decide which system do you want to invest years into.

 

[OuijaBoard]

You could also try Emilio Accordions, Emilio Magnotta in White Plains, NY. A couple hours closer to you. He repairs, restores, sells used and new.

 

[Riccardo]

I have been surfing the web, looking through music stores, personal eBay sales, craigslist, the whole shebang. I can't find one that I feel definitive on. Either the ones I know are working are too expensive, or the cheaper ones being sold by people that know nothing about them trying to sell me something that could be a mushroom farm on the inside. What do I do. Any Tips?

I don't usually recommend accordion service and sales persons, except - and he's relatively near you, is Albini Gallant in Quebec City. For years he was the Excelsior representative in that area, was a professional player, operated a successful accordion school and is still in business. He also received some training in repairs. He was upfront, hardworking and honest when we knew him well. Worth checking the internet and a phone call. Unsure what instruments he is selling now but every contact is a good learning experience. And no, I have no shares in his company!!

 

[dak]

I have been surfing the web, looking through music stores, personal eBay sales, craigslist, the whole shebang. I can't find one that I feel definitive on. Either the ones I know are working are too expensive, or the cheaper ones being sold by people that know nothing about them trying to sell me something that could be a mushroom farm on the inside. What do I do. Any Tips?

Well, if you want certainty about an instrument, you'll need to buy from someone who knows what they are selling and they will ask a price commensurate with what they are selling. Or you need to acquire the knowledge yourself in order to be able to know what you are buying from someone who does not really know what they are selling. Or you need to take chances.

I think many started their journey taking cheap chances to learn what they need to be looking for. It may end up cheaper than paying someone's knowledge. It may also take a lot of time you may or may not want to invest.

 

[BenTheBeast]

BenTheBeast: Are you looking for one which is new, been restored or one which needs restoring?

As long as it is playable I am content.

 

[Ventura]

I have been surfing the web, looking through music stores, personal eBay sales, craigslist, the whole shebang. I can't find one that I feel definitive on. Either the ones I know are working are too expensive, or the cheaper ones being sold by people that know nothing about them trying to sell me something that could be a mushroom farm on the inside. What do I do. Any Tips?

the excelsior in manchester on craigslist is proabably a good value if it
is in decent shape, and it has the kind of DNA worth fixing up if necessary

how do you feel about a full size full weight box ?

you can search old discusions here for how to check out
a used accordion, what to look for, what to do to test it out..

then ask us for clarification, and drive over and give it a good
once over. Take pics and report here if you need more advise

i admit the guy selling it sounds like a jerk, and looks like he
did some half assed repairs to the bellows that you will need
to undo and redo to eliminate the stickyness. Considering the
described condition, take 6 $100 bills out and fan them out
on the table (if it plays relatively in tune and all the reeds sound)

 

[Ventura]

then the scandalli in peabody is a nice little box,
not nearly as old as the other local stuff..

sounds like a junk shop kinda place so just take a bunch of stuff to trade
him to get the price down.. he probably would rather have anything
else to sell in his shop than an accordion

or fan out 4 $ 10o bills
(if it plays relatively in tune and all the reeds sound)

 

[Mr Mark]

Starting out is a challenge - there is so much to know and so little time lol. Based upon what you have stated I would say;

If you can find a Hohner, Titano, or perhaps a Camillo - all in the Piano Accordion variety (with piano keys) for a couple hundred bucks, these are usually a reasonable gamble (provided they aren't too old!!) I would say stay away from anything with 'waterfall' keys as this will bely the age - and unless it has been restored somewhere along the way it will probably need a lot of work. These names are usually plentiful (at least around here) so worse comes to worse you can buy another for parts.
You also typically are going to want a minimum number of bass buttons - I wouldn't settle for less than 80 personally but a lot of folks get by with 60 or 72. Less buttons make it easier to handle but really limit what you can play the less of them you have. Bottom line is usually there are a ton of 120 bass piano accordions with 2 or 3 reeds out there for a couple hundred bucks at best. If you find one that looks to be in really decent shape you will probably be ok as a beginner, just to get your feet wet.

If you have a chance to check it physically do so;
Check for major air leaks.
Check for constant playing notes or sticking keys/buttons.
Check all notes using the master switch (the selector with the most dots)...if most notes sound reasonable you're probably going to be ok.

Shoulder straps can easily and cheaply be replaced with online sources so I wouldn't worry about those too much - most used accordions I have purchased the straps are pretty haggard. You can find cheapos on amazon that will get you far enough to upgrade to your next accordion.

In my experience the Titanos seem to really hold together well long term, and the 2 or 3 reed varieties are plentiful and cheap out there.

This is just getting started material, there are so many other factors with accordions that will really take time to read about and learn. But it is hard to learn without getting your feet wet.

I guess also keep in mind that the selection I have here is probably different than what you will see there. For example, button accordions are almost non existent here, so I didn't really have much choice but to start with a piano accordion.

But I have had reasonable success with private sales on places like facebook marketplace, craiglist of Kijiji (canada only i think?). On the other hand I have had terrible experience at accordion shops here, and music stores sellign second hand tend to have things overly marked up. Its part of the business, I get it too. To this end pawnshops are usually a good option as they are not soley selling musical instruments, and often accordions will sit there for a long time and thus be happily cleared out.


Good luck!

 

[debra]

ALSO. What type of accordion do you guys think is best for a new player. I know music theory, have dabbled in a little piano but I have been playing the Euphonium for most of my life.

If you are familiar with the piano then perhaps a piano-accordion is the most logical choice. Also, they are the most commonly available type.
And as you appear to be not very knowledgeable yet about accordions, go to a store (Liberty Bell was mentioned already). Take the time to drive to a store to get advice and buy something you like. You then know that when needed you can get service (like tuning) done to the accordion. You pay a bit more than the cheapest stuff in on-line marketplaces, but getting help when you needed cannot be overstated as being part of the buying decision.

 

[boxplayer4000]

BenTheBeast: This respected repairer has a good range of restored instruments.

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