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Re: Bon Cajun in the UK, or Which Boxes are "Special" and Why?

Hi Phil,
do you still have it?
I'm interested and not far away on the Yorks coast.

Re: Bon Cajun in the UK, or Which Boxes are "Special" and Why?

"Special"

Design
Materials
Workmanship

Special boxes do not have butt joints or other time and cost cutting procedures
Special boxes use premium materials.
Special boxes are made entirely by the person whose name is on the box
or the only person in the shop.
Special boxes have details unique to the maker
Special attentiojn... to the product and to the customer.

I did not say other boxes beside Miller were not "special" ( though you may be right.)


Would I pay a "premium" for a production box.. no.

Let me suggest that Italy's average is someone elses special.

I buy Castagnaris and older German made Hohners and have owned a few custom "made for me" boxes, including Quebec, Italian Cajun made. ( they do not all come from La. )

Compare a Castagnari with the best of other maker's one rows....

This is likened to.. would I buy a new $50 K Chevy pickup or a Toyota Tundra for the same money. This would be absurd. I pay for quality and value.

One look inside a Castagnari.. one minute play time.. that is all it takes.
About the same price as most Cajun made boxes.

If I wanted a Cajun box ( made by a Cajun) I would buy from John, Bryan or Jude.

If I wanted a one row made by non- Cajun "others".. Castagnari, Clement Breton, Eric Martin, Rees Wesson, Messervier, Van der AA.. Van Der Leeuw and some others. First on my list would have been Gaillard but he stopped making one rows about 10 years ago.. None better. I blew it...got sick ran out of money.. that has changed but he's not making single row. If Briggs was making one rows I'd order from him. His 2 reed 2 rows start at $5800 USD and go up from there. 8 year waiting list last I checked.


One note on Castagnari.. they do not make "Cajun" boxes nor do they tune "Cajun" style.

These are my opinions based on fact and experience.


Butt joints and the usual aluminum stamped out corners.. I don't bother a second look or pick one up to play it.



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