I'm sitting here this morning pondering the next accordion. It will definately be a Martin in F, tuned 10 cents wet. My Martin in E is probably the nicest sounding accordion I've ever touched. I can imagine an F would be really nice.

I'll hopefully be in the market for one this yet, that is, if social security understands that I'm unable to work and I get some back pay from when I stopped working.

I recall an acquantance of mine, Jim Meloche's Martin, that really caught my eye.



I love the red bellows with the black painted wood and the grey text/scrolls with chrome colored hardware and metal buttons.

I'm having trouble deciding what color the interior of the bellows should be. I'm thinking black, with black gussets.

What ya'll think?

I've come to not like boxes where the frames are a different color than the end plates. My LeCapitaine is an all-over dark "blood red", black bellows with red gussets, gold flappers trimmed in red, copper wires, brass corner hardware. Can't imagine a prettier box, though my next will likely be black. Don't think I could ever bring myself to buy a violet, yellow, green, etc.

As far as your choice, solid black bellows might be nice, but I do like the visual movement you get playing with contrasting gussets. What color are the flappers? Perhaps the gussets should match.

Hot pink curley maple like Corey Ledet's.

when I got my bellows changed on my Acadian C, I idiotically requested gold bellows. Although much nicer to have new bellows (not beat up or ruined by sweat, like the old ones), I'm not happy with the contrast with the wood. I did picked 'em, I gotta live with them. I miss black bellows on this accordion, tho.

Maybe when they change color from cigarette smoke and dirt, they'll look better

Jim:

I think that is a sweet looking box.

peace,
Griff

NIce, will be nicer when the bellows are stretched

No, serious, I also have a box with this color bellows (wood is a little lighter)and I like it.
Don't be depressed,

Gus

Forgot to tell you that my other box has FLOWERS on the inside of the bellows. But the sound is terrific.
Gus

I was wondering if you had asked for the flowered bellows. I have a friend who got an accordion with flowered bellows and he didn't ask for them.

No, didn't order it. I got it second hand. I would like to find out whose it was. A lady?
But it is difficult to be seen. The tape is black so in closed position the bellows look black. And since I normally play with fairly closed bellows...

What you can do is use some gold paint to paint the Lillies (the ornamentation) and brand name. I have it on my acadian and it is nice. And for you, the gold color is coming back in the bellows.

Gus

I had the gold bellows on my Bb. Red inside.

Hey Sambeaux, long time no talk. Ever think about recording some of your accordion music these days?

I recently discovered something that is worth far more than you pay.

It is small portable record called an H2 Zoom. Costs 200 dollars. You can record anything on it and the quality is great, even for Cajun accordion. You just have to sit back about 10 feet.

All you have to do then is upload the MP3 or WAV onto your computer and edit it with free music editing software. I'm currently using Goldwave.

Anyway, just had to pass on that info to you and everyone else who's interested.

I still can't figure out how to edit the file using Audacity. I get one giant file and can't seperate it into different tracks. I'm going to try Goldwave. But then again I have trouble putting in a phone number on the cell so maybe it's just me.

I just got an Edirol. It... is...
u-n-b-e-l-i-v-e-a-b-l-e...

Push record.
Do something that makes noise.
Stop.
Plug in USB to computer.
Edirol shows up.
Open it.
Badda-Bing! Bob's your uncle... There's your mp3 (or .wav or whatever you want it to be!) recorded in stereo and sounding exactly as you performed it.

It's that flippin' easy.

R!CK

I have audicity, but I have never used it.

With Goldwave it's very simple to make a stereo track.

Go to 'effects' and then 'stereo' and then 'max match'... I pretty sure... if that's not the one then it may be 'channel mix.

After it processes, you'll see that you now have too visible waves, rather than one.

I'm not exactly sure if I answered the right question.

Now that I read over it again, I think you want to chop up a big file?

With goldwave, you select (or darken) a part of the wave. The part that is still clearly visible can be cut and pasted into another "new sound". You must create a new blank project. Set it to whatever minutes.... and if you have a bunch of time left over after you paste your song, then just select the part and go to 'effects' and 'trim'

Hope this helps.

Rick,

Edirol must be super, I heard. I did some research last year. But they were very expensive. How much are they now (and where?) Tried to buy one in China last year but they gazed at me as if I was from LA

Did you get it for your birthday

Gus

Yeah, the Christmas Bunny brought it to me! I think she paid $399... Let's just say $400. Man, why did that one dollar less thing ever creep into our way of life anyway?!

Pricey. Yeah. I'll get her money's worth out of it before the summer solstice. I record every rehearsal and a lot of my band's live performances.

But for years I used mini-discs to record. External mic and a lot of hoops to jump through. With the Edirol, it's immediate and otherworldly clarity and qulaity sound -- in stereo -- with the built-in mics, no less!

The Edirol isn't without it's wish-list. There's no internal rechargeable battery like the MD. So if you're using Energizers, it eats 'em like carrots. But it does have an AC plug in. It's also so flippin' lightweight and small, it "feels" disposable. It's hard to believe the sound quality that it captures, but alas, with a price.

R!CK

$399 aint so bad. It's better than the prices of an okay 16 track.

Well, that's true, Jim. But you only get one stereo track out of the Edirol. I suppose you could build up one track at a time with different instruments. Then throw 'em all together in Audacity -- or ProTools -- whatevah. As a sidenote, my band has been recording using an M-Audio Sputnik mic... talk about an unbelieveable sound it captures! Holy catfish! But I'll be honest, it's not too far ahead of the Edirol.

That will be $0.02, please...

R!CK

So it seems that you are satisfied with the mics, although they are internal.
Gus

Rick,
I am about to buy the Zoom H2. I am second guessing myself because I could go a step up with the H4, and all the people I know are buying Edirol. Can you sell me on the Edirol?

I'll see what I can do... sit loose papa goose... check back latah. See if I can git a spare moment to throw somethin' down for ya...

R!CK

See the link at the top of the page (for the moment). Did it on my Falcon F... Let me know if it's convincin' enuff!

Cheers bro,

R!CK

You convinced me and I dont have a clue what ya'll are talking about. That was pretty catchy. I'm anxious to see an in person rendition of that with all the funny faces for effect.

Gee, thanks Rick. Now I'm sad cause I don't have me an F accordion!

Sounds awesome man. Who wrote that song?

Anyway, the link above was done on an H2. I added a little echo with goldwave, but that's it.

The F box is practically unheard of -- especially in the zydeco pen. "Trailride" is a tune that's been around many years. I play it my way, but I believe John T. and a Force of Energy came up with it. A lil' bitta research may prove Zydeco Force might've invented the groove, but my inspiration is Brian Jack's version. But mind you, it's just a truncated version -- a lil' diddie that was just to illustrate the Edirol -- done ad-hoc for that. Your Bayou Trash sounds like gold, bro!

R!CK

Isn't Edirol an anti-depressant?

Almost! Jim, you're thinking of Adderall. Adderall is prescribed in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is a condition of where a kid acts like a kid and should be medicated so that it will not act like a kid.

Edirol on the other hand... is just a weak name for a strong product. It may also make the 2008 top list of baby names. Who knows!? It sure sounds as silly as popular kid's names these days. Oh wait, it's not spelled uniquely enough... Let's try, Edyrol or Edderawl or Ideerolle.... that's more like it!

R!CK

You crack me up Rick!