CBA System

[deltasalmon]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and still on my way to getting a CBA. I'm not sure but I think C-griff accordions are more popular around here (USA) and probably related it seems most B-griff accordions are cheaper. If I find a B-griff would there be any point in converting it to a C-griff (if possible) or am I better off just learning how to play it as it is?

I play a few other instruments including diatonic button accordion and will probably be self taught so I'm not really worried about the availability of books or videos. Outside of popularity I'm not really sure if there are any pros or cons to each system. I'd be interested to hear what others have to say.

Cheers,
Sean

 

[debra]

...Im not sure but I think C-griff accordions are more popular around here (USA) and probably related it seems most B-griff accordions are cheaper. If I find a B-griff would there be any point in converting it to a C-griff (if possible) or am I better off just learning how to play it as it is?
...

Each of these systems has advantages and disadvantages. If you have no experience and need a teacher its best to first find a teacher, check which system he can teach and then buy an accordion using that system.
Converting a B-griff accordion to C-griff (or vice-versa) is not feasible. It is a lot of work to do it on a 3 row CBA (2/3 of the reeds need to be moved). On a 5 row CBA it is close to impossible because the whole keyboard mechanism needs to be altered to get the rows 4 and 5 aligned with the other rows.

 

[Waldo]

Sean,
I'm in the USA as well. My research suggests approximately 10% of offerings [e-bay, garage sale, swap meet, hock shop]here are CBAs. Half or more of those are Asian imports of debatable quality [check around forum for opinions]. I chose a "C system" because I found one close by in like new condition [it did have a couple of small, easy to fix issues] that came from the "Golden Era", and has proved to be a good score. I am also interested in French Musette style, which was developed on "C Griff" CBAs, so it made sense for me. I suspect the majority of CBA-Cs available in the USA are going to have musette tuning, to some degree. If you don't like musette, perhaps a "B system" would be more suitable. Have a listen on UTube.

Have fun, I am, Waldo

 

[donn]

I don't know, 1 in 10 seems awfully high, but the statistical probability will vary depending on where you look - pawn shops, craigslist.org, a retail shop specializing in accordions, etc. Someone showed up here who apparently found a 4-row CBA used somewhere in California ... the oddest things happen. But the key point is that if your requirements are specific at all, it could be long enough before something turns up, that we're talking about a significant duration in terms of your natural life span.

I've thought about it a lot, because I'm in a way your opposite number, I have the full French style setup whether I care about musette or not. Including a Stradella bass setup that's close enough to non-existant in the US. So I can cheerfully accept that some day, if this old thing starts to look like it won't do, I'll be planning a travel adventure to Europe, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to snag one there. I don't know about the logistics of bringing it home with me, will have to sort that out when the day comes. It particularly might be an interesting option if you speak a European or Scandinavian language that corresponds to a CBA playing people. Italian, French, Portuguese, Norwegian, Dutch come to mind if you're thinking C system. If not, I guess one might be able to get by with English in some CBA countries (low countries and Scandinavia?)

Anyway ... it's important to be clear on what you get, by going CBA: it looks cool. Maybe not 100% of the advantage, but the rest is disputable. That it looks cool is indisputable, but there are other angles from which to approach that as well.

 

[acordiansam]

There may be a few diatonic boxes in California with 120 bass system. From what I have seen most will be 3 row treble side and 2 row bass with the bass reeds removed.

 

[Anyanka]

When I decided to change to CBA, I simply went for the system that became available, i.e. a C-system Pigini came up second-hand just as I'd started looking. The Pigini quality was much more important to me than the B vs C question, and I still believe that either system would have worked just fine for me. Converting is not possible, as Paul says, so I'd recommend going with whatever you find and LIKE: make sure that it feels good and that you are happy with the sound.

 

[Pat S.]

One way to try out both systems is to get a Roland FR-1xb. It allows one to explore B and C systems, alternate bass systems, and degrees of wet tuning among its many digital settings.

 

[squeezeboy]

Converting a B-griff accordion to C-griff (or vice-versa) is not feasible. It is a lot of work to do it on a 3 row CBA (2/3 of the reeds need to be moved). On a 5 row CBA it is close to impossible because the whole keyboard mechanism needs to be altered to get the rows 4 and 5 aligned with the other rows.

[/quote]

If its a simple 2-voice box you can sometimes swap the 1st and 3rd reed blocks and it becomes a B or a C!

 

[squeezeboy]

I found a series of videos showing the differences and analogies between PA and CBAs: