32 Bass PA with low B?

[Eddy Yates]

I have a friend who casually mentioned she wished her 32 bass accordion had a low B. The only one I’ve seen like that was played by Sourdough Slim, and he told me it was an Elko, no longer made. Does anyone know of any others?

---

Wrong again....Slim plays a 48 bass accordion, so I’ve never seen a 32 bass with a low B. Also, although Elka is an electronic accordion brand, I can’t find Elko in listings of manufacturers, past or present.
However...........If there IS such a thing as a 32 bass with low B, fire away.

 

[Corinto]

My HOHNER STUDIOSA II PA has 26 treble starting with low B. And 40 (8x5) bass. This is a 1982-83 accordion. Don't use it anymore, but I guess the shipping to the USA may cost more than the accordion is worth. The STUDIOSA I and STUDIOSA III also have 26 treble, and respectively 32 and 48 bass ...

 

[Deleted member 48]

If you go for a 40 bass accordion, most will have the low B on the melody side.

My advice to PA players who want a smallsize accordion, choosing an accordion with a low G as a starter note is one of the best options.
This way you can play most tunes in the key of C, and you'll never heve to transpose songs with low notes to another key.

Only one extra low B note won't give you many options for transposition to other music keys.


If I had to choose between:
a 25 keys PA starting with C4 to C6
a 26 keys PA starting with B3 to C6
a 25 keys PA starting with G3 to G5

I'd choose the last option (starting with the low G3 note).

My ideal range is 30 buttons or keys for playing easy tunes. But you have a very great repertoire of songs with 25 buttons/keys with the low G starter note.

 

[Eddy Yates]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. This is for an older woman, not very strong, who has played quite a bit but really does mainly Cajun tunes with friends.

 

[Corinto]

If I had to choose between:
a 25 keys PA starting with C4 to C6
a 26 keys PA starting with B3 to C6
a 25 keys PA starting with G3 to G5
I'd choose the last option (starting with the low G3 note).
My ideal range is 30 buttons or keys for playing easy tunes. But you have a very great repertoire of songs with 25 buttons/keys with the low G starter note.

Agree 100 %. G3-G5 is a very useful and polyvalent range.

 

[OuijaBoard]

[[[My advice to PA players who want a smallsize accordion, choosing an accordion with a low G as a starter note is one of the best options.]]]

It was long my mantra, that 30 treble notes--low G to high C---is the minimum, and plenty ample for world instrumental folk genres and even jazz, if you want to go compact.

But over the last year I'm coming around to 26 treble. Always turned my nose up at 26, but the size dimensions have become irresistible. You can't get 30 treble in that size without skinny keys, viz., the Weltmeister Rubin MM and Juwel LMM models. The 30-treble models are nearly as long as the 34 trebles.

I'm finding much can be done with 26 treble, particularly with an LMM where you can switch into low mode. For dance-based international folk genres you can arrange gracefully around almost issue that arises RE the "missing" low notes. And yes, I do prefer low B to High C.

For basses, 26/48 is delightfully light when one doesn't need basses for more keys. But 26/60 (12X5) is my absolute favorite. Don't need the diminished chord but love to have a row for all 12 tones. 60 in a 10X6 is also nice--you get your diminished chord, and the Ab and B not present in a 48.

---

If your friend has slim fingers, she might love the Weltmeister Juwel--30/72 LMM in the size and weight of a 26/48.   The switches with the low reed in the mix are particularly rich sounding on this model, and should come in handy for Cajun music.  From the factory, the MM musette is about 15 cents, which some may wish to have reduced a bit.  But if your fingers are comfortable with the key width, the Juwel is quite special.

 

[Eddy Yates]

[[[My advice to PA players who want a smallsize accordion, choosing an accordion with a low G as a starter note is one of the best options.]]]

It was long my mantra, that 30 treble notes--low G to high C---is the minimum, and plenty ample for world instrumental folk genres and even jazz, if you want to go compact.

But over the last year I'm coming around to 26 treble.  Always turned my nose up at 26, but the size dimensions have become irresistible.  You can't get 30 treble in that size without skinny keys, viz., the Weltmeister Rubin MM and Juwel LMM models.  The 30-treble models are nearly as long as the 34 trebles.  

I'm finding much can be done with 26 treble, particularly with an LMM where you can switch into low mode.  For dance-based international folk genres you can arrange gracefully around almost issue that arises RE the "missing" low notes.   And yes, I do prefer low B to High C.

For basses, 26/48 is delightfully light when one doesn't need basses for more keys.  But 26/60 (12X5) is my absolute favorite.  Don't need the diminished chord but love to have a row for all 12 tones.   60 in a 10X6 is also nice--you get your diminished chord, and the Ab and B not present in a 48.

---

If your friend has slim fingers, she might love the Weltmeister Juwel--30/72 LMM in the size and weight of a 26/48.   The switches with the low reed in the mix are particularly rich sounding on this model, and should come in handy for Cajun music.  From the factory, the MM musette is about 15 cents, which some may wish to have reduced a bit.  But if your fingers are comfortable with the key width, the Juwel is quite special.

---

Thanks! Will pass that on. I think her main concern at this point in her life is the weight.

 

[StargazerTony]

[[[My advice to PA players who want a smallsize accordion, choosing an accordion with a low G as a starter note is one of the best options.]]]

It was long my mantra, that 30 treble notes--low G to high C---is the minimum, and plenty ample for world instrumental folk genres and even jazz, if you want to go compact.

But over the last year I'm coming around to 26 treble.  Always turned my nose up at 26, but the size dimensions have become irresistible.  You can't get 30 treble in that size without skinny keys, viz., the Weltmeister Rubin MM and Juwel LMM models.  The 30-treble models are nearly as long as the 34 trebles.  

I'm finding much can be done with 26 treble, particularly with an LMM where you can switch into low mode.  For dance-based international folk genres you can arrange gracefully around almost issue that arises RE the "missing" low notes.   And yes, I do prefer low B to High C.

For basses, 26/48 is delightfully light when one doesn't need basses for more keys.  But 26/60 (12X5) is my absolute favorite.  Don't need the diminished chord but love to have a row for all 12 tones.   60 in a 10X6 is also nice--you get your diminished chord, and the Ab and B not present in a 48.

---

If your friend has slim fingers, she might love the Weltmeister Juwel--30/72 LMM in the size and weight of a 26/48.   The switches with the low reed in the mix are particularly rich sounding on this model, and should come in handy for Cajun music.  From the factory, the MM musette is about 15 cents, which some may wish to have reduced a bit.  But if your fingers are comfortable with the key width, the Juwel is quite special.

---

Thanks! Will pass that on. I think her main concern at this point in her life is the weight.

---

Well at only about 13 pounds the Jewel is the lightest LMM your going to find

 

[jozz]

look here:
https://www.musik-center.de/en/accordion/piano-accordion/?b__sse=882&tasten=847,825&order=created_at

they might even ship to US

not only old people want this form factor

I specifically searched for exactly the same: a low cost, low weight 26 key PA (added weight bonus its only 2-voice). I found mine in the Weltmeister Unisella.