What kind of second piano accordion to buy?

[Carnivore Caveman]

Hi, accordion champions...
Although I did not get my first (ordered) piano accordion yet (Royal Standard Monatan, 120 bass, 11 registers, LMMH) but I'm thinking in advance that I'll need a second one, too, in the near future! Because I do not want to risk that beautiful beloved accordion to bring it out from my home... So, what type/kind_of piano accordion is a good chose to buy as a "second"?
The size and weight is just moderately important for me in this case, because I do not go to too far.
Or, what do y'all think: is it a better approach of my problem to buy an even more serious (LMMMH) accordion to use it at home, and the Royal Standard will be "travelled"? But, is this not a too serious solution (an "overkill") of this minor problem, considering that I am a beginner yet, after all I heard the saying that "It is not a good decision to shot a sparrow with atomic bomb"?

 

[Dingo40]

CC,
It may be a good idea just to wait a while, until you've had a chance to get some use out of your Royal Standard first: you'll have a better idea of what would suit you: no hurry!?
Remember, "Purchase in haste, repent at leisure!" ?

 

[Pipemajor]

CC,
It may be a good idea just to wait a while, until you've had a chance to get some use out of your Royal Standard first: you'll have a better idea of what would suit you: no hurry!?
Remember, "Purchase in haste, repent at leisure!" ?

Been there, done that!! ?

 

[debra]

Dingo40 gave very good advice: First play the Royal Standard for everything you do. Since it's a pretty low end accordion you should not feel too afraid to take it out and just play it everywhere you play.
Later you may get a better idea of what you want in your "real" accordion, and can then start looking for it, more experienced and better informed.

 

[Carnivore Caveman]

Dingo40 gave very good advice: First play the Royal Standard for everything you do. Since it's a pretty low end accordion you should not feel too afraid to take it out and just play it everywhere you play.
Later you may get a better idea of what you want in your "real" accordion, and can then start looking for it, more experienced and better informed.

Okay, I agree that there are a lots of truth in this aspect, just now I am a bit confused, since you've written that
"it's a pretty low end accordion"
However, in an other topic you guys told me that the "Royal Standard Montana" is a "medium-level".
Now, what is the reality? Low-end or medium-level?
I would be surprised in case of it is really just a low-end, since it has 11 registers, it is an LMMH accordion (based on how it looks like), and the marketplace is full with such a piano accordions which has far less abilities than that of my accordion. If mine is "low end", then what we can say about the even weaker, "less talented" accordions?!
Okay, surely, mine is far at the top-level, there are no room for doubt. But "low-end"...?

 

[debra]

Okay, I agree that there are a lots of truth in this aspect, just now I am a bit confused, since you've written that
"it's a pretty low end accordion"
However, in an other topic you guys told me that the "Royal Standard Montana" is a "medium-level".
Now, what is the reality? Low-end or medium-level?
I would be surprised in case of it is really just a low-end, since it has 11 registers, it is an LMMH accordion (based on how it looks like), and the marketplace is full with such a piano accordions which has far less abilities than that of my accordion. If mine is "low end", then what we can say about the even weaker, "less talented" accordions?!
Okay, surely, mine is far at the top-level, there are no room for doubt. But "low-end"...?

Simple really: medium level refers to the possibilities in terms of how many notes and reed banks this accordion has.
Low end refers to the quality of the accordion. And LMMH accordion offers everything you need in terms of registers (but there are more sound possibilities when you add cassotto and even more notes). The quality of these accordions of eastern-germany (DDR) descent is really low end though, as JimD already pointed out in a different thread.

 

[dunlustin]

My first car was a white Skoda convertible.
I was all set to drive the Corniche and gate crash the Cannes Film Festival. This was not going to happen in a fairly damp part of the UK.
I then discovered that it would not pass the yearly check as it flashed red when I turned and yellow when I braked.
Sold it to a dealer and bought something more sensible.
But I still had a lot of fun with that Skoda - and no regrets.

 

[Dingo40]

To continue Dunlustin's analogy, unless you have plenty of money, what you want is practicality, reliability, longevity and value for money: leave the bling to those who can afford it.?
(If you can afford it, why not ?)
If skint, like me, don't buy more car than you need: it only makes for more expense, more to go wrong and harder to find a qualified technician.?
Regarding accordions, I personally would only consider genuinely Italian (or American-Italian) made makes. Almost any (genuine) pre 1990s Italian make ( in working order) should prove to be dependable and infinitely repairable, if need be.
For most purposes, even a two-reed model will be more accordion than most of us will absolutely need: and think of the saving in weight and simplicity of maintenance!?

 

[JerryPH]

In various different combinations, I've seen this near exact post dozens of times... what kind of car should I buy? What kind of camera should I buy? What kind of skateboard should I buy? What kind of (place what ever right here), should I buy?

In all cases the answer is the same... this is NOT a question that you should be asking someone else to answer for you, for the simple reason that no one knows YOUR needs better than you. 99% of the time when someone followed someone else's advice as to what they should buy the result was "buyer's remorse".

Some basic rules (to follow or not, your choice!):
1. KNOW YOURSELF. Be BRUTALLY honest with yourself, goals, abilities, direction and needs. Write it down. Write down what you are looking for. Evaluate your current skills, your desired direction of growth and possibly, even where you want to be in 1, 5 and 10 years... because a *smart* accordion (or again, *anything*), purchase should be the one that lasts you many years.
2. Don't buy an "upgrade" until you feel what you currently have is really slowing you down or stopping you from being where you want to be. Are you draining every last ounce of juice out of your current accordion?
3. NEVER finance. Work hard and save, purchase when you have the cash in hand.
4. Any and all opinions you gleam from the internet are just that... opinions. Treat it as such, they should not be treated as the "gospel truth".
5. Research, research, research. Do the leg work yourself. For me personally this is the most fun part of the project... matching specs with my needs, finding places to make the purchase from, seeing who is selling over market value and who are offering deals.
6. Last rule. Making a "passion purchase"? Toss all rules out the window EXCEPT the "research, research, research" rule, do anything and everything possible to make it happen, because it will likely make you really happy... lol

 

[Carnivore Caveman]

Simple really: medium level refers to the possibilities in terms of how many notes and reed banks this accordion has.
Low end refers to the quality of the accordion. And LMMH accordion offers everything you need in terms of registers (but there are more sound possibilities when you add cassotto and even more notes). The quality of these accordions of eastern-germany (DDR) descent is really low end though, as JimD already pointed out in a different thread.

Okay, thanks, now I am on the way to understand!