I have been looking for quite some time now for either a 'Monarch', 'Sterling', or similar accordion like 'Globe', that's for sale. I am curious if anyone here owns one of these accordions, or had the chance to play one, and what you think of them. I really want to start building accordions, and want to start from the ground up by getting an old one by a good maker, and restoring it, and learn what made these old boxes so famous.

On Lucy's friend EEZe's site, he has an entire squadron of Old-old boxes that he plans on one day converting into phy-ko-delic marvels. Talk with him about parting with one.
JB

Sounds like sacrilege to me. Take a bunch of arriette's and pimp them up. Leave the historic stuff alone.

I don't want to hurt the historical instruments, I want to restore them, measure them, and just figure out what makes them tick. Plus having an old Sterling to play would be a very rewarding experience I think.

I wasn't referring to you. I was referring to what was said about the other guy.

I've played several Monarch's, Sterlings, an Eagle Brand, never played a Globe, but held a couple of the parts that belonged to one, I've also played, Joe Falcon's Eagle Brand. The thing that makes them so unique is the reeds they used. The type of steel used, the way they were made, they have a timbre to them that no reed that is currently made can match. There are some builders who can get really close, but can't get it on the mark. 90% of all of the builders use the same measurments on frames, bass boxes, reed blocks etc. as the "tit' noir's". Other than that, they use air, mostly because they are so old, and the bellow's aren't near what we have today, but are really fun to play anyway !!!

bb,

that bloke Eezy's site, where he has old accordions for sale, is listed above. As he says as a disclaimer, don't get your hopes up cause there are no Sterlings or Monarchs. Give him a shout, neverthe less. May have to contact an antique musical instrument dealer in Germany to find one.
JB

Had one that came from the LeJeune family; sold it to a guy used to come around here. Even after it was repaired and tuned up, it was hard to play and pretty wheezy. Similar in some ways to an Ariette.

The old guys really had to work to get that sound you hear on their records. But the reeds were pretty great, easy to break and not very loud.