Sofia Mari Triple rows. Are they any good? I ask this question because Musicians Friend carries them and they also carry a Musicians Friend brand which looks like the Sofia Mari brand. While in Kansas City, Mo. on a visit, I visited their wharehouse. I found a couple of triple rows there. At that time I didn't pay attention to the brand. I tried to play them with my limited skill but had a very difficult time. The buttons were hard to press down and the bellows were hard to push and pull. They were terrible accordions. I just wrote them off as more cheap Chinese accordions.
Now I remember a discussion a couple of months ago or so on this chat board that Sofia Mari triple row accordions were the best economical accordions out there. Is that true? Are they any good? Could it be that I just happened to pick up two bad accordions. I would like to get a triple row but I'm not ready to spend the high price until I get more experience on a triple row. What do you think out there. Is a Sofia Mari worth spending $350 to $400 for? Your opinions would be very much appreciated. Thank.

better off with a Hohner Panther ( which are Chinese as well ) but they are getting great reviews from the Tex Mex crowd. Great beginner box .. cost under $400 and great resale value. Sofi's I've heard stories of button sticking..



G.

Thanks Glen for that information. Rob

i have one in f/bf/ef

it;s the best cheap 3 row i have ever seen

i paid under 200 shipped, new though

no problems whatsoever

many times better than the iolite/parrot
type

anyway i highly recommend

don;t know about panthers


wle.

clarification
i was the person who said, originally, that they
are good
i still think so, but this isn;t *another* endorsement,
technically

wle.

Thank you Larry for that information. Rob

Do Panthers and SM's both have three registers, Glenn, Larry?

BJ

no

so far i have not seen any chinese
accordion [3 row] with more than 2 reeds per note
on the treble side.

which means, technically, one register [no switches].

there are starting to be c- and b-system
5-row chromatic
chinese accordions that seem to have 4 reeds
per note on the treble side - 11 switches. these
are selling on ebay in the $6-700 range.

so maybe there will be 3 and 4 reed 3-row
diatonics eventually.


wle.

Sorry, Larry, wrong terminology. I meant how many rows of reeds. Couldn't say 'stops' if you can't close 'em.

So is 2 reeds per note OK for zydeco? Is one a bassoon?

BJ

is 2 reeds per note ok?
the old guys used them
probably couldn;t afford anything better

they are fine for learning
though i do play them on stage

no, the reeds are M/M
same octave
i miss the lower note but i can;t
spend $6000 on 2 accordions that
i may play for 1/4 of the set, total

wle.

I believe the Sofia Mari SM-3112 is two reeds per note while the SM-3412 is three