Accordion recommendations?

[richiek65]

Thanks for the wise guidance! I think we're looking for something diatonic and musette. The double-stop/chorus sound of folky/Americana stuff, and some Cajun and TexMex possibilities.

Ala



Them British boys are good with it, too:

("Atlantic City" here)
Etc.

The keyboard player and I are likely to be taking a trip to Chicago soon, so we'll check the offerings there and in Milwaukee, as well as keep exploring around here (Southwest Virginia/Appalachia) and on the net....

One of my favourite bands, Weddings Parties Anything, have accordion all over their stuff.

Weddings Parties Anything - Away, Away

Clip from 1987/88. Great Aussie band.Artist info.....http://www.mickthomas.com/http://www.davesteel.net/

youtu.be

 

[Ringo]

I had my accordian in the back seat of my car, someone broke the window, and threw another accordian in the back seat!
Sorry obligatory accordian joke.
We actually have one that a friend used to play, I don't know anything about them.
In the right hands and context they can sound great, in the wrong hands ... not so much

 

[ponycar]

I have a heck of an accordion player in my neighborhood who has played and recorded with many rock, Americana bands. He can lay down rhythm and or Melody. Small venue or party situation he kills it and can play with anyone including our well regarded neighborhood concert pianist.

 

[Frank Tricerotops]

Since you're after a diatonic button accordion, I took a look around and found that Liberty Bellows has a new Hohner Corona II in red for $899, which is $100 less than you usually see them priced. The Corona II has some plastic components instead of the wood in traditional accordions, but, as far as I'm aware, has a good reputation.

Liberty Bellows also has a new Corona II Classic, which is the wooden equivalent of the Corona II, for $1,499. Again, this is $100 less than the usual price.

There are other three-row diatonic accordions, but these are sort of a standard.

If you don't need, or want, the bass section, there's also the Corona II Extreme, which omits the bass machine for a faster, lighter left hand response.

As someone pointed out, the technique for a diatonic accordion is quite different from a piano accordion, but it does offer that quick change in notes by changing the bellows direction that a piano accordion doesn't. I don't think there's any sound you can get out of a button accordion that you can't get out of a piano accordion, but the piano accordion requires a more deliberate bellows action since it's usually a much larger and heavier instrument.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[58Bassman]

I think a pretty simple diatonic. Something like this:

It's that haunting, threading, interweaving thing, and the chord swelling, we're after.....

I called the place with the accordion- turns out, they have a couple, but they're the 120 button type. He's going to send some photos later. Italian imports from the '60s, basically what LoDuca Bros would bring into the country (they were the US distributor for Eko and some other brands). He said they would need some service-small holes in the bellows, sticky keys, etc- asking about $50 each.

 

[trapdoor2]

I'll have a 23-button Irish B/C box eventually. I sold my Anglo Concertina last year.

They're very different beasts from a piano acc. A melodian or a Cajun box might be easier to switch to.
https://www.savoymusiccenter.com/accordions

 

[RoscoeElegante]

Timely revival of this thread! Our keyboard (and trumpet) player just got us one, via e-Bay. A Sunrise 5-row 23-button piano type. (72 bass, 34 keyes, 5 RH stops, with musette, per a link.) Way more than we need, even though it's far from high-end. But sounds great. And he's a Math professor. So he's quickly learning it, and loves the challenge.

We met for the first time since he snagged it and it's already impressive. The Zydeco/Tejana fiddlings sound particularly good, and we identified the voicings that pair best with our type of songs.

It was "sour"-sounding when he got it, but he identified that an E-flat was stuck open. He took it apart enough to fix that and no problems since. Maybe most importantly, his remarkably patient wife is "fine with it," so far.

Thanks, all, for your suggestions along the way!

 

[HaWE]

Around here, Hohner is a popular brand, but they’re not cheap. Full disclosure, I don’t play accordion, but, as a Vinlander, I’m required to like the sound.

My wife has a Hohner accordion.
It was not realy cheap (middle price ) , and it is a great playing instrument.
There were several sizes available, and she chose the smallest size.It is easier for her to carry and play the smaller instrument, the bigger ones may also be heavier.