3-row bayan or Roland 1xb for classical?

[swagfinger]

Hello everyone.
This is my first post here and I'm not a regular user of online forums more generally, so please forgive any faux pas as I acclimatise. I am also a total beginner to the accordion and still stuck on choosing which accordion I should get first.
I am a fairly accomplished pianist and my main aim in learning to play the accordion would be to play Bach and other classical works, and so I've settled on the idea of a bayan as that's what I see used most in that context. However, in my price range, the only converter/free-bass bayans available are 3-row. I want to know if 3 rows are enough for playing classical repertoire (especially Bach). If not, I'll stretch the budget a little and go for a Roland 1xb as this seems to offer everything I would need, at least as a beginner, although I am attached to the idea of a completely acoustic box not requiring batteries. Thanks.

 

[Snoopz]

Is there an accordion dealer within day trip distance from where you live? That would give you the option of trying several boxes for sound, size, system, and overall “feel”. The latter must not be discounted: If you don't like to have your accordion in your lap because it feels awkward, that will severely restrict your motivation to practice.

 

[saundersbp]

Hello everyone.
This is my first post here and I'm not a regular user of online forums more generally, so please forgive any faux pas as I acclimatise. I am also a total beginner to the accordion and still stuck on choosing which accordion I should get first.

I am also a reasonable keyboard player that has had a go at classical accordion, like you, wanting to play Bach and the like on a button accordion. You really need a 5 row accordion for ease of fingering and like you my preference would be acoustic. I'd suggest something used around the £2k mark, and if that is out of budget to start saving! If you lived in Yorkshire I'd probably be able to lend you one!

 

[dak]

The range of the FR-1xb, albeit more serious than the FR-1x, is rather limiting for playing Bach's keyboard works. Also you'd usually play a single reed left and right and, well, that's kind of the hardest challenge for a digital accordion as that is worst in masking any discontinuities in the implementation. Yes, acoustic converters don't come cheap.

 

[swagfinger]

Thank you for your helpful responses everyone, looks like I’ll be going for neither a 3 row or the Roland after all! Instead I’ll save for a little longer and buy something more fit for purpose. @saundersbp thank you for that very generous offer but unfortunately I’m quite a way from Yorkshire!
Does anyone have any recommendations then for a 5 row converter bayan in the ~£2000 price range? Perhaps I’d be aiming at something vintage.

Many thanks to everyone again!