I will either keep it to explore CBA and/or club configurations, keep it to sing the few songs I do in other keys, or sell it to defray the expense of the Baffetti.
Would you like to buy it so you can have Rolands in different keys on stage with you?
Hey Dwight..this is a no-brainer IMHO. These Rolands are brilliant. I'm a little perplexed that you've so suddenly considered moving away from the Roland.
We had a band rehearsal recently and our regular accordion guy broke out the new Roland for the first time. FANTASTIC beast...songs played in different keys..no prob..just press a button. Change the sound..no problem. EQ a little here, turn this knob, press that button and suddenly you're going from Tex-Mex to Keith Frank to Corey Ledet to Beau Jocque. . And in a LIVE gig situation I guarantee only a very few will know you're digital...and less will care.
Yes, we all love the reedy 'growl' of a traditional 9 switch Baffetti, but unless they can become WAY more cost competitive the digital era will eventually turn them into heavy-weight curiosity pieces. Particularly if FR-18 versions 2,3 etc. come on the market...just watch them take over. And just watch the younger Zydeco guys and gals shift to them, or something digitally similar. Man, even iPads have great app sounds.
Baffetti manufacturers must be tossing and turning in their beds wondering what they do next...I'd like to see their sales graphs.
BTW..just what would you guys in the USA pay for a ready to Zydeco NEW Baffetti 9 switch 3 row with internal mic/s and case/bag?
And just where would you get one , ie. what retailer?
I see heaps of Tex Mex stuff ( Reyes etc ), but not with the real-deal Zydeco configurations above.
If you are going to buy a Baffetti...
Karlitos Way is the place..
He orders them with handmade reeds. Not every retailer does.
The GL IIA is very very heavy.
However there are some players who really get around on them or similar 9 switchers..
Go to youtube and check out Felix et Formanger.
I know folks who have purchased the GL IIA and sold it to get the Hohner XTREME IIIN, weight being the consideration.
I didn't much like the Hohner Xtreme. The buttons move a bit laterally, which always annoys me.
The specs for the Baffetti say it's about 15 lbs. The Roland is 11.5 lbs. Ok, 30% increase in weight, but, it's 3.5lbs. I want to try one out before I buy. I'm going with the LMMM, not LMMMH.
I turned it on about twice now. The stock batteries
went dead the other day, at which time I discovered
that the music store didn't include the AC power cord
for the AC adapter :-(
And I think there's supposed to be headphones included
which aren't there either :-(
But, they did leave the NiCad AA's in the instrument!
A stark reminder of how nice it is to not need
electronics :-)
What else did they leave out? There are a number of things that should have been included: earphones, a variety of cords (USB, midi, etc.), power supply, replacement graphic thingies that go on the front.
But, batteries are NOT standard issue. So you got a freebie there.
Why would the tuning be good on one Baffetti but bad another?
I know a couple people that have the Latino IV. They got them from Larry Miller. I played them, and I wish I had one. I don't think you have to worry about the tuning.
The website mentions mussette for the GL boxes, and nothing at all for the Latino. Perhaps someone will have something I can lay my hands on at the Cotati Accordion festival coming up.
What did you have in mind as far as tuning? I can get them with musette tuning if that is what you are looking for. Baffetti offers MANY different tunings for the different generes of music.
I had a Baffetti GL IIA FBE, with LMMM reeds, purchased new from Larry Miller with internal mic back in the day. It weighed 18 lbs., significantly heavier than the Roland.