Where to start

[Hypnoswan]

I want to start the piano accordion. That much I do know. But Which accordion?

These are my parameters: 70 yrs old. Reasonable fitness. Budget up to 2K roughly. Big hands but not a big bloke. Music I like most is dub/dubstep/ska/reggae-jazz fusion

The sax is something I do know about. I’m also aware that a pro level sax at an early stage did in fact help my learning for a few reasons but mainly because the tone immediately was better and this motivated and inspired me. It made learning more pleasurable. With this experience in mind I’m stepping into the unknown world of first accordion buying

Your advice ( apart from “don’t do it!) would be much appreciated

 

[Tom]

Welcome Swan!

Biggest question for you before getting into brands is, are you able to visit a reputable dealer? I don't know the situation around Norwich. If so, I would recommend making your choice around what is available in fine, used shape that you can check out in person. Condition, sound and playability is so much more important than brand and appearance. (Probably the same for sax.) Do you have a friend who is knowledgeable about accordions that can shop with you? Getting a new accordion, unseen, unplayed, but pro level, in the 2k range is difficult if you are not familiar with the market, but not impossible. Also, the size (number of treble and bass keys and shifters) may be a factor of what is available. Maybe check out a store and ask for advice on what you find?

Anyway, good luck, we don't find too many 70 year old forum members playing dub and ska. Intriguing!

 

[Hypnoswan]

Welcome Swan!

Biggest question for you before getting into brands is, are you able to visit a reputable dealer? I don't know the situation around Norwich. If so, I would recommend making your choice around what is available in fine, used shape that you can check out in person. Condition, sound and playability is so much more important than brand and appearance. (Probably the same for sax.) Do you have a friend who is knowledgeable about accordions that can shop with you? Getting a new accordion, unseen, unplayed, but pro level, in the 2k range is difficult if you are not familiar with the market, but not impossible. Also, the size (number of treble and bass keys and shifters) may be a factor of what is available. Maybe check out a store and ask for advice on what you find?

Anyway, good luck, we don't find too many 70 year old forum members playing dub and ska. Intriguing!

Hi and thanks for your reply. I can check out a couple of stores locally but wouldn’t be able to judge worthiness of secondhand

I totally get your point about needing to get them in your hands though to know about feel etc

At this stage I’m just putting out feelers.

Bro-in-law was head of music at a prestigious school and when I mentioned I was looking for another instrument to get to grips with he mentioned accordion but I dismissed it as being too ‘ folky’. [the danger of my assumptions!!!] He said that he knew a virtuoso accordion player who does loads of different genres and some weird and wonderful stuff ( so that changed my mind) and-has promised to get me some links to check out, but he’s the other side of the country so I can’t get him to check stuff out for me

Obviously I have a lot to learn about the accordion and the genres played so I’m going to check out what’s being done that’s not folk or anything too traditional. (please no one take offence, I have nothing against those genres , I just don’t fancy playing them myself that much )

I had been more of a Ben Webster (sax) kind of guy especially when with Oscar Peterson (keys)but My preference changed to dub/jazz fusion a while back after a
visit to my favourite venue for music in Amsterdam, viz. the Bimhuis jazz venue, to take a punt on Colin Stetson. Very marmite kind of music but I liked it. A friend who liked him also liked ( bands) Groundation and Midnite and so a new avenue of musical exploration and appreciation began. However that was years ago and I may be in a rut- something that’s all too easy as we get past retirement and progressively more curmudgeonly

So, I’m challenging myself

 

[losthobos]

Norwich Norfolk UK...?

 

[Hypnoswan]

Norwich Norfolk UK...?

Aye

 

[losthobos]

Good man, if you've been tainted by the smooth of O.P and B.W. then may I suggest you make sure whatever you settle for is either tight swing tuned or a bassoon clarinet LM box.... anything wider and your ears will rebel just before the enamel is stripped off your teeth...
Best wishes....

 

[Tom]

Hi and thanks for your reply. I can check out a couple of stores locally but wouldn’t be able to judge worthiness of secondhand

I totally get your point about needing to get them in your hands though to know about feel etc

At this stage I’m just putting out feelers.

Bro-in-law was head of music at a prestigious school and when I mentioned I was looking for another instrument to get to grips with he mentioned accordion but I dismissed it as being too ‘ folky’. [the danger of my assumptions!!!] He said that he knew a virtuoso accordion player who does loads of different genres and some weird and wonderful stuff ( so that changed my mind) and-has promised to get me some links to check out, but he’s the other side of the country so I can’t get him to check stuff out for me

Obviously I have a lot to learn about the accordion and the genres played so I’m going to check out what’s being done that’s not folk or anything too traditional. (please no one take offence, I have nothing against those genres , I just don’t fancy playing them myself that much )

I had been more of a Ben Webster (sax) kind of guy especially when with Oscar Peterson (keys)but My preference changed to dub/jazz fusion a while back after a
visit to my favourite venue for music in Amsterdam, viz. the Bimhuis jazz venue, to take a punt on Colin Stetson. Very marmite kind of music but I liked it. A friend who liked him also liked ( bands) Groundation and Midnite and so a new avenue of musical exploration and appreciation began. However that was years ago and I may be in a rut- something that’s all too easy as we get past retirement and progressively more curmudgeonly

So, I’m challenging myself

Interesting, thanks. Yeah, there are a lot 9f accordion genres at the moment, besides folk. I don't know anything about the music you mention. I like to listen to Brazilian forró or American club jazz accordion, like from the 60s or 70s. If you want to play jazz now, I would look into a chromatic free bass accordion. Have fun!

 

[tcabot]

Don't do it!

Do you have any preference towards PA or CBA?

For what you're after, it sounds like a good bassoon in cassotto will get you a reasonably lightweight (by accordion standards) jazz machine and will go a very long way. Something like Art Van Damme's Excelsior 930.

Try to get your hands on some box (any box) just to see if the accordion is your instrument. And if you get a chance to try a quality cassotto instrument, do that and see if you like the sounds that it makes.

You have to be careful buying used though, as there's a lot of crooks or just clueless sellers who make unsubstantiated claims about the condition or even critical specs. Also, many accordions were not originally tuned into A=440, which means that they are permanently out of tune with other instruments (ouch!). For some reason this is considered acceptable in the accordion playing community.