I think I would be easily inclined to buy a good LA-made accordion in the first place. That makes sense. I would love to come down, drive around, and test different accordions in different shops, but I'm very much out of the region, and a trip down to Acadiana is easily 8 hours away by car. Worth it? I'm sure a trip would be a blast, but it's hard to plan with a busy schedule. And I would love to start learning some Accordion 101 basics even now (I have heard Big Nick's DVD's are excellent). Do people even rent accordions - even for a few weeks just to get started? And are there music stores in Lafayette and other cities that have good accordions in stock, ready for purchase? And for learning how to play the box, do many people find a teacher and take lessons in a traditional manner? Thanks.

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