Big accordion upgrade

[Howie]

The other night my wife asked me if I wanted to get a better accordion. So today I did the five hour return drive to the only accordion dealer in our state. He doesn't usually come into the shop on the weekend but had given me his phone number so he could come in to meet me.

I decided on a Scandalli Air I S Musette. (Scandalli is really the only major brand he carries apart from some second hand boxes). The dealer is a very nice older gent, I had purchased my first accordion (chinese) from him. He gave me basically the entire price of it back off the Scandalli, plus a generous discount on the ticketed price. He let me play anything and everything I wanted, even though it was obvious I couldn't afford some of them.

I'm thrilled with the Scandalli. It's hard to describe the feeling of relief and freedom playing this after the other box I was playing (a 72). Although the Scandalli is a 120 and larger, it doesn't feel awkward, it's quite light for the size. Because it's so responsive I don't feel my shoulder getting as tired, it takes less "oomph" to get a sound, and it is more than twice as expressive. It feels as though I have a lot more air, my previous box needed a very firm hand, and while it sounded louder and bolder, it couldn't be played delicately.

The treble side sounds gorgeous and extremely responsive. I think I can play twice as fast on the keyboard because notes sound exactly and immediately, with a beautiful action. The bass side has 5 registers, and the buttons are much nicer to deal with. Even the straps make a huge difference, they're so much more comfortable.

I'm not surprised that this accordion is like night vs day compared to my first one, I had the same experience when I bought a good saxophone to move up from my student horn. I understand that of course we can make music with almost any instrument but there's a lot to be said for a responsive, perfectly in tune instrument that lets you express the music
you've been trying to play. My previous box had several tuning issues and to be honest used to hurt my ears often, the Scandalli is perfect and sounds like velvet. It may not have made me a better player but my playing sounds a whole lot better!

The musette tuning is perfect for my ear. It's far sweeter in real life than the recordings I've heard of this box on youtube.

Anyhow, there's more I could say but I think you get the idea that I'm very happy.

 

[Happy girl]

Congratulations Howie; not necessarily because of your new acquisition, that goes without saying, but because you have been clever enough to take heed of your very bright & understanding wife!

 

[Geoff de Limousin]

A better instrument might not make one a better player... at first , but when those sweeter sounds and easier control encourage longer practice times the results are usually evident after a while.

Good luck with the new squeeze.

 

[JerryPH]

Congrats on the new accordion... Scandalli is a fine and well established company that makes some wonderful accordions! Just curious... does your model have the free bass converter system?

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

I'm very pleased for you, Howie. It sounds as though you now have your dream instrument, and I wish you every happiness with it.

Maybe your Wife could mention Bugari to mine.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[Howie]

Thanks everyone. The idea that a better instrument encourages more practice turns out to be true, I stayed up until 2am playing. Happy Girl, usually I have to talk my wife into a purchase like this for a long time, but happily for me she enjoys my playing and took the initiative.

Jerry, no free bass converter on the Air models, the idea of the "Air" range is that they are lighter. I know the Scandalli Conservatory range has a convertor, at least in a couple I looked at. I could have bought a second hand Titano Cosmopolitan Converter yesterday, it was one that I was considering and I did have a play on it.

Stephen, funny you mention Bugari because there was a second hand Bugari CBA which was very tempting - I will stick with PA for a while, but a CBA is in my future I think.

 

[debra]

Thanks everyone. The idea that a better instrument encourages more practice turns out to be true, I stayed up until 2am playing. Happy Girl, usually I have to talk my wife into a purchase like this for a long time, but happily for me she enjoys my playing and took the initiative.

Jerry, no free bass converter on the Air models, the idea of the Air range is that they are lighter. I know the Scandalli Conservatory range has a convertor, at least in a couple I looked at. I could have bought a second hand Titano Cosmopolitan Converter yesterday, it was one that I was considering and I did have a play on it.

Steven, funny you mention Bugari because there was a second hand Bugari CBA which was very tempting - I will stick with PA for a while, but a CBA is in my future I think.

Congrats on your new instrument! Light, responsive and with the exact amount of tremolo you like are three of the most important characteristics in an accordion!
Not only Scandalli but also Bugari uses the Conservatory label for convertor instruments. I never understood Scandalli naming many of their non-convertor models Polifonic as that label suggests free bass which the instruments are not. (In a distant past I played a Hohner Poliphonic 400 which was their entry level model with convertor.)
The Titano would probably have been much heavier and for some reason convertor instruments also have less or even no tremolo (unless ordered specially with tremolo).
You were right with the Air and Im sure you will enjoy it for years to come.

 

[Howie]

Thanks Paul, I also tried out a Polifonic. At first it was attractive because it has a fifth reed on the treble side (an M) which can be opened or closed, so it can serve as Musette as well. But it didn't quite grab me, and it weighed more. The Titano was quite dry - nothing wrong with that but I wanted Musette. Besides I can always get another (and another) accordion later on. I also heard a marvelous Victoria which was being traded in that day. So many beautiful instruments...

 

[hais1273]

Congratulations. You (nearly) always get what you pay for. Your wife must be a wise woman! Enjoy the new box.

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Howie,

The reason I mentioned Bugari is because a dear friend of mine owns one, and I am fortunate enough to have played a number of duets with him. Rightly or wrongly, I associate the name Bugari with superb quality, viewing the brand as being a cut above most other brands.

I seriously doubt that I will ever be good enough to justify the cost of a new Bugari, in addition to which my musical tastes and the venues I play do not warrant the expense. Still, if I win the lottery, who knows?

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[debra]

Howie,

The reason I mentioned Bugari is because a dear friend of mine owns one, and I am fortunate enough to have played a number of duets with him. Rightly or wrongly, I associate the name Bugari with superb quality, viewing the brand as being a cut above most other brands.
...

Brand isnt everything. A Bugari juniorfisa on the one (beginner) extreme cannot be compared to the artist-cassotto series (or some of the even more expensive ones).
The high-end Bugari instruments with at least tipo-a-mano reeds and cassotto are indeed of superb quality. But you get what you pay for...

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hello Paul,

I'm sure you are right about lesser Bugari's. All I can really say is that my friend's Bugari sounds wonderful.

Anyway, it is entirely academic, as I am nowhere near good enough to warrant the cost of any Bugari. It would be like buying a Ferrari to nip to the supermarket.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.