you have an accordion for each key?..you da man!

I agree that Cajun accordions.. the best are made in LA. I don't agree that the tuning can't be acheived elsewhere. If I get a Baffetti Cajun accordion and retune to match readings taken from an LA box..they will sound very similar if not identical.

As to how they play or meet with player expections, that is another issue.

True, Italians have not been able to build ( (aesthetically and in terms of playability ) a Cajun box as well as the LA builders even with Italian materials.. but.. the tuning, that is easily quantified and reproduced.. so you can have some Cajuno sounding foreign Cajun boxes which are identical sounding. Even without strobes, the specs on Cajun tuning are readily available and can be applied.

I think it is positive that the Cajun music requires its own tuning styles.. it certainly doesn't follow the logic of traditional accordion tuning..but does get that desired sound which is characteristic of true Cajun music.

So, the Player is THE determinaning factor, the Box doesn't matter, the tuning has to be Cajun ( which you can do anywhere to any box ).

Just my opinion. G:

I agree totally. If I use a professional tuner in Sweden who has tuned boxes from all over the world during the last thirty years; scandinavian, french musette, irish and argentinian bandoneon boxes, just to name a few, I'm certain that he can tune a cajun box as good as or better than a tuner in Louisiana, who perhaps has built and tuned a few accordions a year in his garage ? Especially as I also leave my Acadian to my tuner to get the strobe readings.

Btw, the accordion I'm talking about is the 9 button Martin i bought from you, Glenn.

/Gunnar

The best Cajun accordions are made in Louisiana period. You can take all of the strobe readings you want. As long as it is not tuned in Louisiana, it's not authentic cajun.

And if it's tuned by a Greek who happens to live in Delhi LOUISIANA does that MAKE it AUTHENTIC CAJUN?

He he, good one Joanie!

I'm glad you said something, I was about to chalk another one up to jingoism and ignorance!

I wonder whether "Cajun Green Eyes" ever considered that there are some Cajun accordions made and tuned in Texas? Last time I checked, they were as authentic as it gets.

Friend John...bet you're glad you asked this question...

Well actually a few reponses were on the topic, mon ami from south of the border - the Wis Border that is. I forget Mike, you comin up this way today?

With prices so high on new accordions these days, I think it is easier for me to try and get the reeds changed on the two of accordions I got rather than try and go buy another one.

Each accordion has a certain feel. I just happen to like to feel of that Jr Martion Bb and wished it was a C. I got the Bb hoping to start playing in Bb in my band but I can see that would be way too much hassle. Bb's so much easier to sing in , but it ain't goin to happen. Suck it up and sing high. Man do I envy those cajun singers with those true tenor voices.