Which Roland advice please

[Chat Haddock]

I wonder if anybody can help me please, I have been a guitarist (both mainstream and classical) for many years (40) but accordion now seems very appealing. Because of the family and the fact I would like to remain married I think my only option is to go Roland V (using headphones for those midnight hours) but what I have no real idea about is:

I am very tempted to go for the FR1X as it appears to have all of the accordion (traditional) I need but how limiting is the 26 keys (how long is a piece of string?). From what I have read I think 72 bass buttons is acceptable. I appreciate I can play/transpose an octave lower or higher etc re music but.

The other option is the FR3X 37/120 but both are a lot of money and I need to justify this to the boss! At this point I am very interested in French and Tango music but who knows as it develops.

I recognise the piano keyboard but what is the advantage of buttons – this really is away from my comfort zone but I am keen to take this forward.

Chat (ps Im from Grimsby, England, hence the fish gag)

 

[acordiansam]

As a key board box player my self. I would get 3x or 8x as the small amount of keys on the 1x may leave you wanting later. Now if button is you're thing then 1x button could be fine. More notes on the right side. You will most likely progress very fast already knowing music. If you learn the key board you can take that over to paino and organ where the button system is only used for accordions. Nothing wrong with the button system and may be eazer to pick up as the patterns stay the same from key to key. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Chat Haddock]

Thanks for the advice, I'm seriously considering the button as I like the size of the unit and price. The mind boggling thing is all of the different layouts to consider but I will continue researching to see what options are available for a tutor book etc.

Many thanks

 

[Glenn]

With the Roland you can select the "layout" that suits you on the bass side (and the treble side with a button keyboard).

 

[simonking]

I was wondering how this works on the treble side - you have white and black button for visual orientation (lets ignore the fact for the moment that some professional CBAs have all white buttons). Does it come with for example a C layout as the visual standard? Are the button tops removable if you want to permanently change this to a B layout visually? Or are there different models?

 

[JIM D.]

You may download a manual - Its free - and will answer most all of your ???s
http://www.rolandus.com/support/by_product/fr-3b_3sb/owners_manuals

 

[simonking]

Thanks Jim, looks like they thought about that one! (Of course, even if you changed the reeds around, this wouldn't work on a mechanical instrument with more than three rows because of the key linkages.)

 

[Glenn]

The button tops are changeable.
The instrument comes with a few packets of differing extra buttons (some marked and some plain).
Making changes is pretty straightforward.
Even I could do it