Welcome to the group. You should look for a good used handmade LA/TX box. There are some builders on this forum who will be happy to assist you. There are usually some good used boxes for sale on this forum. Just post a request for a used box in C or D and you will get a response. If you can't locate a decent used box then you can consider two mid-range boxes that sell for $1000 to $1300. One is the Gabbanelli Cajun King and the other is the Weltmeister Cajun. I have played the Gabbanelli and the Weltmeister and feel that they are decent for the money and will serve well until you can afford a handmade box. Do not buy anything made in China. Big waste of money. For instruction I highly recommend Big Nicks DVDs. They are reasonably priced and professionally produced. Nick is an excellent teacher and if you follow his instruction you will be playing a simple two step in short order. Keep us posted on how you do. Good luck.

Ryan, I have a Weltmeister that is not new, but is unused, that I've retuned for Cajun music, did some work on the action, and upgraded the straps that I'm selling for $800 if you decide to go that route. I'm in the Dallas area if you ever get that way and want to see it in person.

I'm not sure how often I get to Dallas but I'd love to see pictures of it and hear it $800 isn't bad at all if you say it's a good box.

Is the Hohner 114 a decent box? I saw it posted on the Savoy music center site.

I wouldn't call either the Welty or the H114 "good" boxes as compared to handmades, I would call both good for the money, especially used. Both, along with the Gabanelli, are good beginner boxes. No matter how much the price is tempting, don't buy any of those Chinese "cajun" boxes on ebay. If you were patient, you could find used 114's and Welty's for good prices, but will often have to get them tuned for Cajun music. You can also find good prices on used handmades, but the demand snaps them up pretty quick, and you have to be careful because you can sure get burned on a junky one or one used hard.

If you google Weltmeister Cajun, you'll see what this Welty looks like. I didn't change the looks at all. I also removed the register slides to give it better volume, which wouldn't affect a player unless he wanted to play some of the songs that they close the base register on.

I have a used handmade accordion made by John E Herbert in very good shape with Itallan reed and bellow for 800.00 you can call at 337-684-6495 John E Doucet

Here is a 114 on e-bay. Beat up but mighty cheap. Link #1 or # 231116202461

For that price I'm very tempted to jump on it but I have no guarantees it hasn't fallen out of tune. If I bought it I think I'd want one of you guys on here who makes them to inspect it for me. Tweak it if you had to. I just really would hate to buy this get it home, open it up and it turns out to be crap.

Plus I think I've decided on the accordion John Doucet is selling for $800 it's handmade I can't miss out on that opportunity as a beginner to own a handmade accordion.

Its only got nine button not what most Cajun boxes have just saying

What's the disadvantage of 9 buttons vs 10?

No disadvantage, especially since you aren't used to a 10 button. The only thing about them is they feel like they're using more air because with the smaller bellows you have less air volume, but it's not a problem, and is only noticeable to someone used to a 10 button. They are generally louder than 10 buttons. With Italian reeds and good bellows and Mr. Doucet saying it's in good shape, you can't go wrong on that one.

It may be a 9 button but sized the same as a 10 button. I think it was made by John E Hebert and he was know to do that. Tommy Quinn had one and it was a pretty good box. Tommy sold his to a guy in Berkeley or that's where it ended up. I have seen and played it. Not likely the same one but just saying.

Shoot, cannot remember who I sold it to. It was a great sounding accordion from another era of Cajun/Creole music. I did miss the 1 button though. But as a starter accordion you cannot go wrong. Or.. there's Sterling (new) for sale somewhere aorund here, maybe Bryan has it. Those are fine boxes for the money and have a true, authentic sound.

The #1 button is generally the least used in Cajun music. The #1 pull is the same note at #2 push. There is a rationale for this, but I find it irrational. :-)

Nine should be fine.

I've played nine's that seemed to use significantly more air (not Bryan's - it was AWESOME!); I'm no expert player, but it bugged me.

Where are you in OK, Ryan? I'm in NW Arkansas, about 30 minutes from the state line. I play the piano accordion, too.

I'm in Central Oklahoma to be exact a town called Tecumseh and I work in Oklahoma City. I haven't played piano accordion in awhile I don't even own one. I had one I played that was a friend of mine when he lived in the same town as me.

For a C accordion, the 1st button pull is a G. So....

Here is the rationale. A chord triad is the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of a scale. On a cajun accordion tuned to "C", a C major triad can be played by pushing any 3 consecutive buttons down at the same time on the push. But this only works for C major. For a G we only use two of the 3 notes that make the triad by pulling the 3rd (B) and the 5th (D). The 1st (G) is on the push so that makes it impossible to a play a full triad since we can not pull and push at the same time. Having the 1st button as a G on the pull (rather than the A note that it "should" be tuned to) gives one the ability to play a full G triad. Yes, it's hard to do but it is possible.

The John E. Hebert Accordion that I have for sale is a full size 6 in. x 11 in .I think the top button was use only for tuning by ear. I talk to Ryan Hulin Tuesday he said it wowld take him about 2 days to get the money together. I told him that I would hold the Accordion .He said that he was a man of his word he posiable made me miss a sale. He bought an old Hohner with a missing metal corner an a crack in the fingerboard unless it was Cajun tune it is wet tune not Cajun tune

I was really hoping this wouldn't get brought up in public John not that I'm ashamed of buying the Hohner but that I said what I said to you. I'm sorry you missed your sale and I shouldn't have given you my word till I was absolutely certain but I'm sending my accordion to Bryan even before I open it he says he'll look at it for me and if anything needs to be fixed he'll do it. Do I regret not buying an $800 accordion that was handmade from you? You better believe I do. I made the decision I did purely based on finances and buying a $350 accordion allows me to pay more bills than a $800 one.

Welcome to the board Ryan.....lot of good folks on here to help ya if you have any questions....one advantage you have is that you got the music inside you already..from your PA playing days...plus your left hand is trained already...hope you find you a good box and good luck to you.