Your Choice

[TonyChicago]

This is meant light hearted and not extremely precise and technical.

What would be your choice between two accordions, both hand finished reeds. Both let's say are equal condition across the board internally and cosmetically. One accordion is two reeds and both in a chamber. The other is three reeds and no chamber. Which would you gravitate towards?

 

[Alan Sharkis]

Tony, you have to tell us a little more. I’m assuming the two-reed accordion is MM or LM, but the three-reed accordion could be LMM or LMH. Am I correct on any of this?

 

[TonyChicago]

Tony, you have to tell us a little more. I’m assuming the two-reed accordion is MM or LM, but the three-reed accordion could be LMM or LMH. Am I correct on any of this?

Totally hypothetical, but that's a good question.

Two reed-----low and middle both in a chamber
Three reed---low, middle, high no chamber.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

Now I’m good and torn. The LM in the chamber sounds like something I could use for standards, which I enjoy doing from time to time. But the LMH, octave-tuned, brings back memories of my first 41/20, on which I learned so much and which helped me gain popularity among the pre-teens in school.

On the other hand, neither of the two can produce a decent tremolo, no less a French musette, which I also enjoy.

It’s a tough call, but the LM in the chamber wins out.

 

[TonyChicago]

It is a tough call.

 

[losthobos]

Easy call LM in chamber...lighter weight...mellower sound...win win

 

[TonyChicago]

Great points.

 

[Tom]

Since I don't have a chambered accordion and like the lighter weight factor, I'm going with the 2 reed also.

 

[TonyChicago]

Since I don't have a chambered accordion and like the lighter weight factor, I'm going with the 2 reed also.

Chambered boxes are very nice, especially for standards and jazz. I like the bite of a non-chambered for more ethnic Slovenian, Italian, French polkas and waltz type tunes.

 

[Ben-jammin]

For me I would go for the chamber. I just played my LMH accordion and went through the registers to confirm what I was thinking that the high set doesn’t really add much utility to the instrument for me. I was at best indifferent between the combinations that had the high reed and similar combination that didn’t.

 

[TonyChicago]

I'm a jazz musician so I predominantly want the chambered sound to suit my taste.

 

[Tom]

Tony, maybe it's been asked before, but do you have any yourube videos you could share?

 

[TonyChicago]

Tony, maybe it's been asked before, but do you have any yourube videos you could share?

I do have plenty of me doing what I do for a living, but I do not have any of me playing music.

I have a cellphone video I took of two of my teachers from about 12 years ago (Ronnie Moon who played with the Three Suns, and Jerry Cigler) at Jerry's house. Both studied with Leon Sash and Jerry recorded with Leon years ago. Ronnie has since passed away. I never uploaded it.

 

[losthobos]

Cool heritage there Tony....sadly I've had the fortune of sharing time with some great players too but alas their magic never rubbed of on me...
I have an LM chambered box now with H not in chamber....considering pulling out the H reeds to reduce weight....if my arms get weaker that'll always be an option...except it's not the treble side that needs to move...

 

[TonyChicago]

Cool heritage there Tony....sadly I've had the fortune of sharing time with some great players too but alas their magic never rubbed of on me...
I have an LM chambered box now with H not in chamber....considering pulling out the H reeds to reduce weight....if my arms get weaker that'll always be an option...except it's not the treble side that needs to move...

I couldn't hold a candle to these guys honestly. I was a drummer first and that was my big thing musically. But I had a career choice to make that for all intents and purposes would end my musical aspirations (athletics). My body and brain has paid a price. But my heart is still in it.

I am not sure you can just remove the high reeds? I may be wrong. I would ask Jim or Paul.

There are lots of unsung jazz heroes on the accordion that are/were as good or in most instances, better than the well known players. I met and played with some of them and knew a lot of them. Mind boggling great players that just buried people on the accordion. Many of them had to play the piano to earn a competent living though.

 

[Ben-jammin]

If the H reeds are the only set out of chamber you could probably pull that block pretty easily. But if you select master or another register combo that used the high reeds you would be losing air.

 

[colinm]

Just LM reeds and both in a chamber is quite rare, is the sound significantly different
to the bandoneon coupler on a LMMM double cassotto accordion which has L and M in the chamber

 

[TonyChicago]

Just LM reeds and both in a chamber is quite rare, is the sound significantly different
to the bandoneon coupler on a LMMM double cassotto accordion which has L and M in the chamber

I have a LM chambered accordion but don't have a LMMM to compare it to.

 

[pentaprism]

If the three-reed were LMM (esp. French tuning), I'd take it over the two-reed. But it is LMH, I prefer the two-reed.

 

[TonyChicago]

If the three-reed were LMM (esp. French tuning), I'd take it over the two-reed. But it is LMH, I prefer the two-reed.

I think I'd like to have a LMM as well over a LMH.