Wow, that's a post I could fill a book with, but let's keep it short.
I play every accordion a minimum of once a week but not a lot. I have about 100 hours on the Beltuna and about 75 hours on the Gola.
The Beltuna is NICE, its smooth fast, has GREAT microphones in it, it also has not one but 3 distinct musette registrations. It is a beautiful accordion with greata versatility. Very few accordions touch the level that this accordion is at.
The Gola... first we should not really compare it to the Leader V because it is in a different class. It's versatility is more limited, but the parts that are the same between them, there is absolutely no doubt that the Leader definitely falls to 2nd place. Also, the addition of Free Bass, extended keyboard and just the sheer quality of everything that you touch, feel and hear and feel is just simply on another level.
Manfred Leucter really said it that the Gola is not made so much for the listeners as it is made for the player... the one playing it, if you are truly attentive can be pretty easily overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed to the point that the hairs on my arms stood up when I played someone else's Gola. I was impressed enough that I went half-way around the world and paid a large amount of money, simply because it was my dream, my ultimate accordion and in my eyes it has no competitors, it IS the competition.
My playing goes in spurts. The funny thing is that when I want to play FOR ME, I play an acoustic. When I want to gig or perform, I play the Roland.
In the next few days, I am making a final decision on if I am performing in Prague this New Year... and if I will be performing, nothing beats the ability to maximize versatility sound and excitement and bring the crowd where I want them to be than the Roland. That's not to say I do not feel excited to play my acoustics, but the digital is for the people, while my Gola is for me.
