Opinions on Beltuna Leader IV

[Fredson96]

Hello there, folks! Here I am again o/

Sorry for this second post in such a short period. My friend wants to choose an accordion and asked my help, so I'm trying to help him as much as I can. He doesn't speak English, so the barrier to adequately use forums like this is quite high (and they are one of the best resources out there, full stop).

So, regarding the accordion: it's a Beltuna Leader IV from the 90s. It's a professional LMMH model with double tone chamber, Binci reeds and Amplisound system. Seems gently used at most, being very well conserved and its bellow still has good pressure. Attached are what I believed to be the most important photos. To my absolute amateurish eyes, it looks like everything's exactly as it was when the instrument was produced, it looks like it wasn't even tuned since then. The wax, the reeds, the small details, all looks very untouched, well-preserved and fresh (I never saw a modified accordion, so I can't say for sure).

Given the photos and the aforementioned information, the questions are the following:

1) Beltuna began production in 1982 (as stated in their website), so we imagine this may be one of the first models with the Amplisound system. Were accordions with this system (more specifically, of this model) known to have any sort of defect/production issue? Or they were always known to be great instruments?

2) It's well known that Beltuna is one of the most innovative brands today (if not the most). Are their systems known to be reliable, or they tend to have issues often?

If someone reading this can help by answering even only one with good, reliable information, we'd be immensely grateful. In any case, we thank you all in advance, and wish everybody a great week

 

[Ventura]

just compare it to the price of a new Beltuna to decide if it is a good deal..
it is a pretty safe choice to make, really, any professional model Beltuna..

Beltuna is an actual factory, so comparing it to boutique accordion builders
doesn't mean much to me

 

[debra]

Excellent accordion. The Leader V model is even more in demand than the Leader IV because of the extra musical options a 5 voice accordion offers over a 4 voice one, combined with the compact size of the Leader V. The Leader IV is otherwise just as good but does not have that compactness advantage.
Beltuna is not immensely popular just because their accordions are in my opinion overpriced versus the competition (which is already very expensive nowadays). If your friend can get the Leader IV for a reasonable price it's a no-brainer.

 

[JerryPH]

I own a Leader V, and if the Leader IV is of the same quality/class, it is an amazing accordion without doubt. Price... there *are* deals out there from time to time, that is where the purchaser is going to have to make a choice. If you can get a used version that is anywhere from 50% of the price for a new one or better, you are doing good, IMHO.

 

[Fredson96]

just compare it to the price of a new Beltuna to decide if it is a good deal..
it is a pretty safe choice to make, really, any professional model Beltuna..

Beltuna is an actual factory, so comparing it to boutique accordion builders
doesn't mean much to me

I'm glad Beltuna is an actual factory, this removes some of the guess work. That being the case, I removed 4 of the questions, since they became a bit redundant. I've left only two regarding their instruments' mechanics quality and reliability, and only did so due to a few comments I've read about Beltuna instruments in other threads (although, as we all know, when it comes to accordions, people can complain about things that aren't factual, based only on hearsay). Finally, thank you very much for you comment! It really means a lot to receive good info when choosing an instrument

 

[Fredson96]

Excellent accordion. The Leader V model is even more in demand than the Leader IV because of the extra musical options a 5 voice accordion offers over a 4 voice one, combined with the compact size of the Leader V. The Leader IV is otherwise just as good but does not have that compactness advantage.
Beltuna is not immensely popular just because their accordions are in my opinion overpriced versus the competition (which is already very expensive nowadays). If your friend can get the Leader IV for a reasonable price it's a no-brainer.

Indeed, all accordions nowadays are crazy expensive ;-;

Thank you for the feedback! Beltuna isn't very well-known here, so there are (to my knowledge) no Leader Vs available at the local marcket, and importing is out of question for him at the moment. The Leader IV is the only feasible option now, but it's really ok because we usually only use the 4 voices to play local music anyway. Also, just as me, he doesn't mind non-compact, even big accordions. We're both quite tall, so we actually like more the big, bulky, "brute looking" models )>'-')>

Finally, the price for this one is roughly $7000, give or take. Based on our reseach, it's a reasonable value for it, but since it's a second-hand instrument we can never be too sure

 

[Fredson96]

I own a Leader V, and if the Leader IV is of the same quality/class, it is an amazing accordion without doubt. Price... there *are* deals out there from time to time, that is where the purchaser is going to have to make a choice. If you can get a used version that is anywhere from 50% of the price for a new one or better, you are doing good, IMHO.

Thank you very much for the feedback! Indeed, we've only saw good things regarding the Leader models. Unfortunately, I believe this one is around 75% of the price of a new model but, given the good comments about it, this seems like a good deal nonetheless

Since you own a Leader V, we'd love to hear your opinion regarding its overall built (if possible, of course). What do you think about its mechanics? Are they well built and reliable? Have you ever had any issue with it that demanded repair?

 

[Ben-jammin]

I have a similar vintage Beltuna Leader IV LMMM with midi I bought a few months ago. It’s a fantastic instrument but heavy.

 

[JerryPH]

Thank you very much for the feedback! Indeed, we've only saw good things regarding the Leader models. Unfortunately, I believe this one is around 75% of the price of a new model but, given the good comments about it, this seems like a good deal nonetheless

Since you own a Leader V, we'd love to hear your opinion regarding its overall built (if possible, of course). What do you think about its mechanics? Are they well built and reliable? Have you ever had any issue with it that demanded repair?

Overall build is above average, it’s strong reliable and for a 5/5 instrument I find it light, but my other 5/5 instruments are huge and so I am used to it. Mechanics excellent, reed quality top notch. I would happily place it alongside any $10,000 accordion and feel confident it would sound as good or better within its class/design. When I first got it one reed was stuck, but just playing it for an hour and it was back.

Mine also came with a MIDI setup, but I use it more for the quality acoustic sound amplification.

If the price is good, Beltuna accordions are excellent, however asking 75% of new price for a used one in today’s market is simply way too high, unless it’s like less than 6 months old and still under the factory warranty.

 

[Rufad]

Probably an unnecessary comment, but I will risk it anyway... I believe vintage Scandalli Super VI is extremely popular in Brazil, and those accordions were all LMMH. This accordion is LMMM. Just make sure that is what your friend really wants. No offense intended. I don't know your friend's skill level.

 

[debra]

Probably an unnecessary comment, but I will risk it anyway... I believe vintage Scandalli Super VI is extremely popular in Brazil, and those accordions were all LMMH. This accordion is LMMM. Just make sure that is what your friend really wants. No offense intended. I don't know your friend's skill level,.

The OP (Fredson96) said the accordion is LMMH, which is also the standard configuration for the Leader IV. The pictures appear just not large enough to be able to see the dots.

 

[Rufad]

The OP (Fredson96) said the accordion is LMMH, which is also the standard configuration for the Leader IV. The pictures appear just not large enough to be able to see the dots.

Please zoom in on picture #3. There is no dot for piccolo on any of the switches.

 

[JerryPH]

 

[Rufad]

I believe this is showing LMMM. I have never seen an accordion without the bassoon (MMMH), but that does not mean there are none out there.

 

[Ventura]

not the first time upside down tricked us !

good catch Rufad !

 

[Fredson96]

Overall build is above average, it’s strong reliable and for a 5/5 instrument I find it light, but my other 5/5 instruments are huge and so I am used to it. Mechanics excellent, reed quality top notch. I would happily place it alongside any $10,000 accordion and feel confident it would sound as good or better within its class/design. When I first got it one reed was stuck, but just playing it for an hour and it was back.

Mine also came with a MIDI setup, but I use it more for the quality acoustic sound amplification.

If the price is good, Beltuna accordions are excellent, however asking 75% of new price for a used one in today’s market is simply way too high, unless it’s like less than 6 months old and still under the factory warranty.

Thanks for the advice! He'll research before purchasing it

His biggest worry originally about the accordion's quality and mechanical reliability. That's why he wanted to know if Beltuna was as good back in the 90s as it is today, and if the Amplisound system isn't high-mantainence. His worst nightmare was "over-engineered accordion that'd require constant mantainence". However, after hearing you guys' opinions, he's way calmer and confident now. We can't thank you guys enough, truly <3

 

[JerryPH]

His next concern should also be to not over pay.

 

[Fredson96]

Probably an unnecessary comment, but I will risk it anyway... I believe vintage Scandalli Super VI is extremely popular in Brazil, and those accordions were all LMMH. This accordion is LMMM. Just make sure that is what your friend really wants. No offense intended. I don't know your friend's skill level.

You're 100% correct: both vintage Scandalli Super VI LMMH and vintage Giulietti Classic 127 LMMH are insanelly desired in Brazil (models from the 60s/70s can reach crazy amounts like $20,000, depending on their condition). Personally, I'm a fan of instruments on the same "team" as Classic 127: with lower, velvety tones. I wouldn't purchase a Classic 127, however. Too expensive, and there are great alternatives out there u.u

Regarding the Beltuna: the seller told him it was a LMMH but, looking at the middle register, it's indeed marked as a LMMM would. I'll tell my friend right away and have him ask for the seller what's the deal. Thank you very much for the heads up, it went completely unoticed by us

 

[Fredson96]

The OP (Fredson96) said the accordion is LMMH, which is also the standard configuration for the Leader IV. The pictures appear just not large enough to be able to see the dots.

Indeed, I told this based on the info provided by the seller. He told my friend this accordion was "oitavada", which is the Brazilian way os saying it has the H castle. Since it's a 4/5, this would translate to a LMMH model. I mostly took his word for it because it's the norm here in Brazil: LMMM models are mostly undesired and, therefore, rare to find. However, looking the master register more attentively, it indeed has the mark of a LMMM model. We'll check it right away. I'm really glad we posted this thread, this important detail would 100% go unnoticed by us if it wasn't for you guys' attention and warnings. Thank you all very much <3

 

[Fredson96]

I believe this is showing LMMM. I have never seen an accordion without the bassoon (MMMH), but that does not mean there are none out there.

Indeed, such arrangement would probably be a first (there are some exotic tastes out there though, so maybe something like that was custom made (tbh, I'd pay to see it)). Due to the information provided by the seller and the master register being upside-down in the photo, this crucial detail went completely unnoticed by us. You really saved us from A COLOSSAL AMOUNT of headache, we cannot stress how grateful we're for your keen eye and for letting us know this. Trully, thank you <3