And either way, the "standard" bellows that come with any accordion can be stretched as far, as your left arm can possibly go.
But, over many sessions of showing off the extent of your bellows, your bellows will develop what we've termed, "tha Clap". And trust me... those metal bellows corners do enough smacking, with the furthest left fold; even brand new.
In a number of his photos he emphasizes the fact that the outlandish-looking bellows have been worked on to make them seem like a work of art rather than the real thing. It's like he's tryin to blur the lines between life & art, & he seems to be workin on breakin down other lines of separation too, such as ethnic separations. I just read about him on wikipedia & this guy is truly one of the greatest men on earth. I think the photo in the first post is actually two bellows stuck together somehow. When I see how compact some bellows are when they are closed I see no reason why 2 or more bellows cannot be connected if it suits the artist.
A lot of people complain about stiff bellows on their new accordions & if the bellows had twice as many folds then their problem would be halved.
Terrance actually had two sets of bellows glued together and connected with a small wood divider for that photo. He's always had a bit of a flair for the dramatic.
Doug,
To answer your question: most builders use the Italian made bellows from several different companies from Italy.
All of these companies are used to making bellows to fit what we refer to as "handmade Cajun" accordions. The specs are as follows: 280mm X 150 mm with 20 folds ( 18 working folds ) with the fold depth at 25mm. When an order is placed with them, there is a "minimum" order ( usually 5). So.................. if a customer wants a bellow different from the "standard" , it may take as long a year to get that "custom" bellow, not to mention the added cost, as the price is discounted when ordering more, rather than less. Hope that gives you the answer you're looking for.
The reason i'm so ignorant & retarded & asking all these stupid questions is because cajun & zydeco, or kajico as i automatically label them when they come together, is all brand new to me.
I've found when I am performing with various instruments that people are captivated by the sight of instrument as much as by the sound of it. This makes me certain that the bellows of the accordions I buy must have as many deep folds as possible so that on stage they create a more captivating visual effect.
Obviously a player could make the same music with a small number of folds but I was just considering the visual effects of the bellows movements on stage & how that movement is absolutely captivating to some people & therefore should be enhanced as much as possible.
You are 100% correct about the entertainment aspect of .. well .. entertaining.
It's your perogative, of course, but remember this;
"Schtick" will alienate you from people that know what they're really doing,
such as Marc Savoy (and if you're serious about playing a Cajun accordion,
you really should know who Marc Savoy is.)
If you walked into his his store with such a monstrosity, you would likely
be ushered out quite rapidly.
Just a friendly note of caution from your friends here ;-)
And, as some have experienced, you can be ignored for no apparent reason.. or snubbed, or he can be out and out rude... no matter the size of your "bellows".