Larry, you could request an 2012 Acadian made of charleswood, or Chinese pine, in any key you desire, and it would still top any accordion to date, in sound and playability.
Says the beginner who has no clue that he has no clue.
I'm not taking anything from Martin but Acadians are 2nd to none. We all know the reason you hate Acadians has nothing to do with the accordions but rather because Marc upset you in the past and you hold a personal grudge against him.
Thanks for littering yet another thread with your belligerent ignorance.
Christian, you are correct about your friends Acadians
You're right, my 1985 one doesn't hold a candle to the current make. I find it laughable that someone on here once said his older ones are the only good Acadians, and the newer ones are no good. That was about 5 years ago on here. Was misinformation then, and misinformation now.
Re: Christian, you are correct about your friends Acadians
to me, the 'best quality' label is not always about how loud or efficient an instrument is...
sometimes there are other things a player is looking to have, and a brand new, wizbang, high performance unit may not be what that particular player is looking for...
thus, there may be room for one player to call one instrument (or maker's instruments) 'the best' while another player can rationally call another accordion 'the best'
and both could be correct in their own estimations...
based on attributes they value...
i am into other electronics stuff too...
and while newer manufactured offerings in speakers, electronic preamps, processors, and amplifiers may look better on paper -- and have a ton more features available;
i personally still like to push old 1950s (general era) designed compression drivers & woofers and 1960s-1980s outboard electronics... to me there is something 'different' that these older units do in the reproduction of sound; that more modern equipment does not do... to each their own, IMHO
Re: Christian, you are correct about your friends Acadians
Excellent point Loup. Jim, it is a very provocative thread. Marc is amazing. What do you think he has done to improve his instruments? Is it all in the tuning or something else?
Re: Christian, you are correct about your friends Acadians
its all in the personal push TJ. Apparently the man knows himself well enough to know that his instrument could always be improved. Whats even more impressive is that he is able to continuously evaluate all the things that could make the accordion better, and actually find solutions that work, to make them better. He truly has a drive to build the best accordion possible, and he hasn't reached his goal yet. I think we have better accordions yet to come from ol' Marc.
A word about preferences, The most talented accordion player can make a crap accordion sound pretty **** good. look at Amédée Ardoin, or Iry LeJeune. The accordions they played were probably pieces of ******* junk but they rocked those things like nobody's business. I think Marc's accordions have the most traditional sound to my ears (based on what I've heard from early recordings), and players that approach their style from a traditional standpoint sound really good on his accordions. If you want to stray away from that sound that is completely ok, I dig it myself, but it doesnt always sound good on marcs accordions, just like tryng to play cajun rhythm guitar on a Taylor guitar. It sounds like **** because they are better suited for finger picking, leads, and light strumming
Re: Christian, you are correct about your friends Acadians
The reed response is at an absolute optimum. The inside of the bass box is built so that as much of the wood the accordion's made of gets the sound of the reeds (for starters, the bass box is wider, the valves are as thin as a sugar cookie). Point being, there's more of the wood exposed. The dimensions of the bass/chord "rooms" (for lack of a better term) are not the same size. I'll take a pic to clarify....
The treble reedblocks are a different strain of maple than he used to usd. It is white as a ghost. He is also shaping the stop slide holes differently than he used to. I realize how controversial this may sound to you, but on the site he mentions "precision with the switching mechanism".
These are my observations. All I know is that he makes those reeds respond better and faster than any accordion I've ever played. This, to me, is why it's the best. It almost plays itself, sounds great and is loud, but not tooo loud.
Re: Christian, you are correct about your friends Acadians
I appreciate the technical improvements. I wonder why he doesn't use the bellows with shallow folds. The deeper folds open more widely but the shallow ones have a mechanical advantage when the accordion is between closed and half way open. Its seems easier to change directions with the bellows. More sound less effort.
I bought two accordions in the mid 90s a Shine Mouton and an Acadian. The Shine was a lot easier to play I think because of these bellows. It was also lighter which could have been a factor.
I failed to mention that I do love all the other accordion brands I own... even my older Acadians...
Bon Temps, Martin, Heritage, Cajun (Doucet) and even Hohner HA114, are ****ed good accordions. Each builder has their own recipe that has grown on me. The proof that I'm not blowing smoke, is the simple fact that I haven't sold them, and God willing, never will have to!
And, also, I wanted to say I've tried Bryan LaFleur's 9 button, he made Chuck at Augusta, and I enjoyed playing it, greatly. He is innovative in ways that most builders aren't. His latest project of having four bass buttons on a 4 stopperis something people haven't seen in a century. Actually, in this case it has 5 stops
Thanks, Jim, but please don't ever feel like you have to defend reporting favorably on Acadian accordions. No one should ever question that Marc has produced, and continues to improve on, some amazing accordions, and a guy as smart and innovative as he is, who's been building for 50+ years, will learn a thing or two.
I'm trying to blaze my own trails, but I'm doing it off the one he started a long time ago.
Joel Martin actually used to have a four button bass box that his grandfather experimented with. Worked out pretty good but I think Joel eventually decided to stop using it in favor of using the triple row instead.
I really that old stuff about who builds the best was gone by the wayside on here but I guess some people likle to keep it going...it never stops does it.
Best .. Haven't played it yet . . but for my money for veteran builders.... Jude Moreau
For mass producers.. Martin and Savoy.. Tina makes very good accordeons.
Between Martin and Savoy : tough, it would depend on who would have the respect for the player and the wood and the project to do miters.
Both are fine traditional "Cajun" boxes...
I'd still go with a Moreau for traditional
or for the newer builders , easy, L'Ainse Gris (sp) from LaFleur.. I haven't played one, but in looking at the design materials and workmanship I'd commit without a reservation for a "new style" advanced thought box...
For non Cajun one rows..
Castagnari of Italy, Rees Wesson of Wales , Martin of France, Gaillard of Brittany,
( who may make another batch after an absence of 15 yeras for his one rows) Bergstrom of Norway..
Best .. Haven't played it yet . . but for my money for veteran builders.... Jude Moreau
For mass producers.. Martin and Savoy.. Tina makes very good accordeons.
Between Martin and Savoy : tough, it would depend on who would have the respect for the player and the wood and the project to do miters.
Both are fine traditional "Cajun" boxes...
I'd still go with a Moreau for traditional
or for the newer builders , easy, L'Ainse Gris (sp) from LaFleur.. I haven't played one, but in looking at the design materials and workmanship I'd commit without a reservation for a "new style" advanced thought box...
For non Cajun one rows..
Castagnari of Italy, Rees Wesson of Wales , Martin of France, Gaillard of Brittany,
( who may make another batch after an absence of 15 yeras for his one rows) Bergstrom of Norway..
The notion that Tina builds Acadiana accordions for Marc is a complete myth. Tina's roll in that shop is to deal with customers, answer the phone and basically run the music store while Marc is in the back building accordions. Everytime I go to the shop Marc is in the back building accordions.
What, are you saying my actual observations with my own eyes on numerous occasions were just illusions? I guess you just know everything there is to know about everything...
Btw, I'm interested to know what evidence you have contrary to my own eye-witness accounts. Do you even live down here in South Louisiana? When's the last time you stopped by Savoy's Music Center on a weekday?
Mr. DeVivier, I'm still waiting on a response to the questions I posed in my previous post. Since my previous post I see you have posted in other threads but have not replied to my questions.