New and asking for advice on a purchase!

[96Bass]

For me, the musette/tremolo sound is much more inspiring than a dry tuned accordion, but it really is dependent on the style of music played. The types of music you listed are usually played with a musette/tremolo tuned accordion.

 

[Ben-jammin]

That musette/tremolo sound comes from at least two middle reeds. With different degrees of detuning to make them go in and out of phase. True musette uses three sets of middle reeds but two middle sets can be nearly as pleasing. The 12 cents of that four rocker Excelsior is a nice compromise and should be wet enough to sound ok with the ethnic music you want to play but dry enough for general purpose.

 

[96Bass]

All of my accordions have three reed “true” musette, but I mostly play using the two reed musette. +20 is my personal preference for the music I play.
+12 is a very sweet sound.

 

[Glug]

Old Hohner Lucia here (LMMH 96 bass), 15 cents.

I wouldn't buy an accordion that couldn't do MM 'musette' personally because I just love the 'old french' sound
- thinking of Nigel Hess Maigret theme

 

[JCarl]

Old Hohner Lucia here (LMMH 96 bass), 15 cents.

I wouldn't buy an accordion that couldn't do MM 'musette' personally because I just love the 'old french' sound
- thinking of Nigel Hess Maigret theme

Sorry, I obviously work near a computer and can double task ha ha listen man I get it I buy the more I think about it I may have to go for the Excelsior if it’s in good shape so I can get that sound I’d love to spend more than 1000 but I just can’t afford it. There’s an accordion on my local Facebook for 750 that I think has that but again I’m buying and I’m afraid to buy one that’s gonna need repairs or anything. And now I’ve got it really bad it’s driving me crazy.

 

[JCarl]

By the way, if anybody knows of a good store in Florida that is reputable and trustworthy. I could drive to go pick one up and it would be handy to know where I could take one for repairs and tunings

 

[dak]

Sorry, I obviously work near a computer and can double task ha ha listen man I get it I buy the more I think about it I may have to go for the Excelsior if it’s in good shape so I can get that sound I’d love to spend more than 1000 but I just can’t afford it. There’s an accordion on my local Facebook for 750 that I think has that but again I’m buying and I’m afraid to buy one that’s gonna need repairs or anything. And now I’ve got it really bad it’s driving me crazy.

Be sure to check the weight on that Excelsior. I have a 4-rocker CBA that has 4 octaves and a 5-reed standard bass, so about 260 reed plates, and when I compare it to my free-bass 5+-octave Morino (about 100 reed plates more), it is several pounds heavier. Particularly as a beginner, I would recommend not to start out with a heavyweight, and doubly so if you are not taking lessons where you would learn best practices for handling right away. Also the 4-rocker design is seriously annoying if you have to switch between, say, LH and MM registrations.

 

[JCarl]

Be sure to check the weight on that Excelsior. I have a 4-rocker CBA that has 4 octaves and a 5-reed standard bass, so about 260 reed plates, and when I compare it to my free-bass 5+-octave Morino (about 100 reed plates more), it is several pounds heavier. Particularly as a beginner, I would recommend not to start out with a heavyweight, and doubly so if you are not taking lessons where you would learn best practices for handling right away. Also the 4-rocker design is seriously annoying if you have to switch between, say, LH and MM registrations.

I have thought about that...I'm just not sure about sacrificing key width and musette...yikes...decisions decisions....I have played piano for so long...any thoughts about adjusting to thinner keys? I have a little pudgieness to my fingers...I am an obese guy, and most of my practice will be sitting down...and gigs are afar off as of yet...I wish someone would just send me one and say "here it is, deal with it!"

 

[JCarl]

Ok, so Jim Laabs has an excalibur 3000 brand new for 985 right now. That's gotta be Chinese right??> yep it is...just found it out...the maze of accordion manufacturing.

 

[Ffingers]

For me, the musette/tremolo sound is much more inspiring than a dry tuned accordion, but it really is dependent on the style of music played. The types of music you listed are usually played with a musette/tremolo tuned accordion.

Incorrect!

"The types of music you listed are usually played with a musette/tremolo tuned an out of tune accordion."

There, FTFY

 

[Zvon]

If it were me that “four rocker” Excelsior would be a high contender. Likely to have the nicest reeds of the three you’re looking at. It’s an older box for sure but they were built well and known for their balance. It also lets you sample different reed combinations and see what you like. Of course condition trumps everything with used accordions.

Indeed, I was lucky enough to find a "four rocker" LMMH Excelsior a month ago and I love it. The switches allow for all possible reed combinations, including each of them solo. I can't say for the other brands mentioned as I am still "green" on the subject of accordions!

 

[debra]

Indeed, I was lucky enough to find a "four rocker" LMMH Excelsior a month ago and I love it. The switches allow for all possible reed combinations, including each of them solo. I can't say for the other brands mentioned as I am still "green" on the subject of accordions!

While the "four rocker" setup allows for all possible reed combinations it does not allow for quick register changes that require multiple switches to be flipped (like switch quickly from LH to MM). Modern accordion switches give you most (but not all) reed combinations with a single button press. While playing music you often need to change registers quickly (so quickly in fact that somewhat higher end accordions come with several chin switches).

 

[Pipemajor]

Incorrect!

"The types of music you listed are usually played with a musette/tremolo tuned an out of tune accordion."

There, FTFY

You will have found by now JCarl, that there are at least 2 opposing camps here, and there is no general concensus.
on one hand there are the "classic" snobs who look down on any music which doesn't conform to their way of thinking.
Then there are the rest of us who can appreciate any form of music which we enjoy, no matter where/how/when it was played.
I'm afraid you are going to have to make up your own mind on what you need.
I would have thought that maybe some of our U.S members here (Tom? maybe) may have /would know of and be able to recommend a suitable accordion for you, once you have decided what you want.
If you were in the UK, I have an excellent Excelsior LMMM which you could have for far less than your budget, and I'm sure there must be many more available.

 

[dak]

on one hand there are the "classic" snobs who look down on any music which doesn't conform to their way of thinking.
Then there are the rest of us

who do their utmost to invent denigratory descriptions of people with a music taste which doesn't conform to their way of thinking.

Really, we don't need that. At the same point of time, reed sets add weight and bulk to an accordion, and accordions are built for various music styles. Big and heavy instruments may support a large variety of styles, but at the end of the day, if you are out for a musette sound exclusively, a smallish MMM instrument will have a lot more spriteliness than a big LMMMH with cassotto and whatnot. And if you are not going to use tremolo in your style of music, the weight and bulk of several tremolo reed sets will be wasted.

At the end of the day, if we are asked for recommendation, it is best to figure out what kind of music the player is wanting to play (or actually going to play), and name-calling will not be helpful for getting a somewhat unbiased idea of where someone may want to be going.

 

[Pipemajor]

Seems we have hit a nerve here eh dak!
Strange how you responded to my comment, but not to the comment about " the musette tuning being an out of tune accordion".
Surely not tacit agreement. Heaven forbid!
If you care to read my earlier reply to jCarl, I suggested he makes a decision on the types of music he would like to play.
He has said he wants full Musette, and wants to play polka German, French and Italian amongst others yet you advise him not to
get MM or MMM. Does that really sound like sensible advice?
Is that your idea of " a somewhat unbiased idea of where someone may want to be going"

 

[Tom]

You will have found by now JCarl, that there are at least 2 opposing camps here, and there is no general concensus.
on one hand there are the "classic" snobs who look down on any music which doesn't conform to their way of thinking.
Then there are the rest of us who can appreciate any form of music which we enjoy, no matter where/how/when it was played.
I'm afraid you are going to have to make up your own mind on what you need.
I would have thought that maybe some of our U.S members here (Tom? maybe) may have /would know of and be able to recommend a suitable accordion for you, once you have decided what you want.
If you were in the UK, I have an excellent Excelsior LMMM which you could have for far less than your budget, and I'm sure there must be many more available.

Yeah, I have some nice ones, but I am not in a position to ship one to Florida, unfortunately. As far as recommending a brand in JCarl’s price range, my humble opinion is that condition is the primary importance for a beginning accordion. I would look for acceptable tuning and sound, and very good to excellent overall condition (which is difficult to determine from a sales listing). Musette is nice, but a full sized key accordion with a nice bassoon and clarinet even can delight. Traditional music like you (JCarl) mention can be played perfectly well on a 34/96 configuration but, if you are used to playing piano pieces all over the board, you may need the 41 trebles. I’m sorry I can’t be more forthcoming but it really (for me) depends almost entirely on condition. Good luck!

 

[dak]

Musette is nice, but a full sized key accordion with a nice bassoon and clarinet even can delight.

Which reminds me of that old Contello I had and sold after having switched to CBA: its "killer register" was M. It also had kind of a brilliant LMH Master (somewhat reminiscent of distorted rhythm guitar), but M was the register all sins were forgiven for. And in the end, that one register you cannot get enough of as a player is what counts for your ongoing progress, and that's something you can only find out by playing the instrument in question. The specs tell only part of the story.

I have a one-of-a-kind bass constructions with a wagonload of registration possibilities, but what a virtuoso found most remarkable about it was the tonal balance with even single-reed treble registrations. In some manner, that was kind of a letdown. But what counts in the end is what works, and when it does, whether it is "genuine" or what specs it has doesn't count.

 

[Ben-jammin]

In regards to size and weight there are different thoughts on the matter. A full 19” keyboard accordion allows me to wear the instrument correctly sitting, making it more comfortable than a smaller instrument that may weigh less. Comfort depends a lot on having good properly adjusted shoulder straps with backstrap. Also the positions of the shoulder strap mounting points on the accordion can affect how the instrument is worn.

In my opinion the best thing to do is get something in decent condition that’s fairly general purpose. And start playing to develop a frame of reference and see what you like and what you don’t. I think that four rocker would be great for that. The fact that it takes a few extra beats to change reed combination is not much of an issue when you are playing for yourself. After a while of playing you may want something different but at least you will have a baseline to start with.

 

[JCarl]

These answers are fabulous! I don’t usually take forum comments in a bad way, I am usually very understanding that sometimes the way we say it doesn’t come out the way we meant it. My intent for this question originally was to pick peoples brains and get some general advice and you guys have knocked this out of the park excellently. Here’s a few notes I’m taking away from it and I think I’ve got a pretty good solid foundation to shop

First, at the end of the day condition is everything because there were so many wonderful names back then that it’s all going to depend on the quality of the instrument that I choose.

Second, don’t worry so much about Musette at the moment because again condition is everything and I did note in a comment above about using a pure sound a lot for Bella’s trading and pure sound. Also, any accordion sound is beautiful, right?

Third, I need full-size keys become because I’m already a pianist. That will probably most certainly change in the future as I get a second accordion but at the moment that’s probably easiest for me I’m not afraid of the weight as I will be sitting down playing 99% of the time Because I’m a musician and used to having instruments out, it will never be put away. It’ll always be covered with a cloth, stored upright, sitting on a table or somewhere.

Fourth, because of my general ignorance in the field, I knew this ahead of time and you guys, of course confirmed it but I don’t really know what I want. At this point in my game, you guys have suggested wisely that it’s best just to get something fun in the house that sounds pretty and get on the thing! One reason I again that I’m buying from Liberty BellowsThe big reason actually is that I can see in here at least on video of the instrument being played and so I’m not totally in the dark about what it’s gonna sound like when I get it I’m very happy about that .

I am 6 foot 340 pounds and used to hold a tuba on my lap in college so size is not an issue. I do like the fact that the Excelsior has many different tones I can play with and enjoy but I also like the pan because it seems to have a little bit of a more mellow sound, I think they’re both excellent choices. I am leaning toward the Excelsior because of the options but I want to call them because when I watch the video as she opens the Bellows, I see a little bit wider gap on the very first top below. It’s not even with the other ones it opens. I’m just curious if that is a sign of weakness in the Bello right there or if that’s normal if anybody has opinions on that by all means, let me know. to make a purchase this weekend. If the Excelsior is not gonna work for me, then I’ll probably just swing and get the pan because I know very well like you guys do that that is an excellent instrumental, learn and grow from. feel free to keep the comments coming. Thank you all for your advice and please know that I do intend to be active in this forum enough to read things and keep you guys posted on how I fair and get better at it and send you pictures of my joy. My birthday is Tuesday and I can’t wait.!

 

[JCarl]

OK!!! I HAVE MADE MY DECISION AND ORDERED DELIVERY!!!! Happy Birthday to me!! I am not gonna tell you all yest what it is...I will show ya when it gets here with a video or pic. I want to thank everyone again for your advice and...if you'd like, take a guess what I got!! Either the Wurlitzer, Pan Crucianelli, International Detroit, or Excelsior! Any guesses??!!