Why not just order a new one? You are probably not going to save a large amount of money on a used one anyway. And, if you get a new one, you have the added advantage of having be made *exactly* the way you want it with little or no extra expense. The builders usually have some accordions already completed or in the pipeline, so you may not even have to wait around a long time.

-David

I would love to be able to afford a new one, but I do not have $1300-1800.00 to buy one at this time. I really hate to buy a Arriette or Hohner 114 (unless it was an older HA-114B made in Germany.

Unfortunately, the problem buying a used accordion is that you really do not save that much money. Plus some parts may be worn and need adjustment, or it could be somewhat out of tune.

I made the mistake of buying a used Martin for the same price as a new one, the thing was out of tune and bellows are too worn in for my liking

Jim

I bet someone hung it from the bass strap.

Nice try Dwighty, but I will NOT fall for that one!!!! .

C.

Funny thing was, cosmetically this Martin looked like it had never been played. I think someone made a whole hell of a lot of noise on it till the bellows were stressed out and reeds out of tune

Jim

The guys are right about buying a new one. I just sold my Acadian C and I gave it away for $1200. Used cajun accordions hold their value and are few and far between. About the best deal I've seen is a used Larry Miller on ebay for around $900. They don't come much cheaper and if they are you can expect problems.
A Gabanelli might be a good alternative.
LZ

I paid $900 for a custom built accordion. No problems, high quality. The price most probably has increased and Rita took a toll on Lake Charles. I don't know if Danny is back in business.
Craig

Craig (or anyone else with a Le Capitaine),

In regards to your Le Capitaine, do you have any thoughts in terms of how it compares with an Acadian or a Martin (besides being $500 less)? I talked with Danny, and he'll be back in business in January.
Thanks!

Don: I am going to put an accordion out on EBAY very soon that might fit your needs. It's basically an Excelsior in "C" but it's got some nice cosmetic improvements. John Roger supplied new hardware, straps (he uses excellent straps), and the face plates have been nicely refinished to create a pretty nice box. Nevertheless, it's still an Excelsior. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I found this box to be the best way to get a good start. I've played Regals, Ariettes, and those EBAY chinese things, and none of them come close to matching this accordion. I haven't played a King, so I can't offer an opinion on it.
Since I own two handmades, I completely agree that there is no comparison, but let me give you a tiny piece of advice: 13 years ago I wanted to play Cajun Accordion, so I saved up all my money and bought a beautiful Martin. 9 months later, I sold it (for a good price!) out of frustration. I wish I'd never sold it, but I couldn't learn how to play it. 10 years later, I decided that I could give it another try an purposely bought the Excelsior because I knew that the Ariette was crap, but I couldn't make the same investment mistake again (now that prices are much higher too.) The excelsior has great action, great feel, great response, and while the reeds do not compare to a LA made box, to paraphrase my dear old dad "When you become Steve Reilly, you can worry about getting a Martin or Savoy". I've played banjo and I currently play LA made accordions and in both cases, there is a great amount of instrument snobbery. I owned a Deering Calico when I played in a bluegrass band that cost more than two Cajun boxes. As proud as I was with that banjo, I learned a valuable lesson when a guy with a Korean Gold Star played circles around me and more importantly, sounded better.

Anyway, I can supply pics of the box and will offer it to any interested folks out there for $700 (shipping included to USA addresses)before it goes on EBAY. It is in better than new condition, in factory tune, and includes a case.

Hello Scott:

Yes, I would be interested in seeing the EXCELSIOR posted in some photos. YOu can email me directly off site also.

Don