Thanks to all for the replies! Got my gears turning!
Regarding Mr. Kirk's inquiries, I do have 3 Falcon dual keys, aka "6 reeds." The one I use most is the G/A -- Randy Falcon swore he'd never make another one in those keys (G reeds made it a 1/4" bigger box than any other he has built) and color (yellow with black hardware.) Randy is a real "traditionalist" in the accordion sense. Asking him to build that one just about made him go check into the nervous hospital. It's a very cool box -- perfect for doing zydeco a la Chris/Sean Ardoin-type stuff. Travis Matte used it back in November at one of his gigs, and the Acadiana Times has been using a photo of him playing it all over the place. I'm lucky to have that box, fer shure -- thanks to a lot of sweat, creativity and genius craftmanship from Randy Falcon. All my Falcon dual-keys make for not only convenience, but conversation pieces. They are unique and sound killer.
As far as the website stuff goes, thanks for dropping into 'em. Hope you wiped your feet -- or at least got 'em muddy while you were there. I just updated it (zydcostingrays.com) tonight, and it is still in its infancy. We are a new band here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area -- majority of our repertoire is zydeco covers, but I've got a lot of originals I want to work into the set as time rolls on. "Boudin" is a twisted cover that I took Led Zepp's "Whole Lotta Love" and made it into zydeco. I've opened for Wayne Toups a couple of times and he remembers me for doing *that* tune.
The artwork on both of my websites, I created... I'm a graphic designer by trade, so this kinda stuff just leaks out of my creative shorts without conscious awareness -- I use some Photoshop, but mostly Macromedia Fireworks to do my illustrations, i.e., the stingray illustration.
It's a lot of fun to do the web stuff and I try to make it engaging for folks like you who don't know me from Adam Ant. It takes up a lot of my squeezebox practice time to nork with the websites! Gee... what would I rather do, right-diggity-dank now...
I'm a single-row fan(atic). That's my favorite sound. I guess that's why, when I strapped on my triple-row to figure out some of Corey's tunes, I thought it just sounded... thin.
It is what it is, tho. It's not a Gab or a Dino -- just a regular ol' 3-row, which made me start thinking of what I could do to kick it up a notch. Get me some of that Andre Thierry tone going... but what I get sounds like Queen Ida instead. That's okay. Queenie rules, too. She was pullin' back when Andre was cookin' in the oven.
If you internally mic a Hohner Corona IIIR ( the 70's model with the registers ) .. you can get the fat zydeco sound, and not have a heavy box... Zydeco Joe uses one, Roy Carrier used to play one, and some of the Braves here use this as an alternative.. which gives authentic Zydeco sound and is easier on the wallet and backbone than a new heavier, more expensive box. Avoid two reeds in Zydeco.. go fo mo!
I googled Corona IIIR. Quite a nice collection of boxes you have there Glenn. Are the post '70's Corona III Chinese made, thus less popular? Once I get my fingers moving to the right buttons on the Panther, I'll pick up a 3 reed per note box.
Craig
Personally I would not bother with a NO register 3 reed box. The Corona III's with no registers sound totally different than the 5 register IIIR's .. that is a shared opinion.
the CORONA III is perfect for Colombian VALLENATO music or for UK Contra Dance.. it doesn't have the deep growl needed for Zydeco.
Strange to think that way.. but .. once you've heard them I am sure you will agree..
Hohner Chinese boxes are from the 90's on .. but the German III's don't cut it for Zydeco. 5 register IIIR's or IIIRS's do.. ( the IIIRS has LOWER VOLUME .. be warned )..
The lll is 3 clarinet reeds ( middle reeds) tuned
musette.. so there is quite a bit of tremolo
IF yiou dry the box out and retune the reeds closer in pitch.. the box will be louder
The III R came in two version.. 5 round switches ( the preferred model) and oblong switches.. ok but made later.. III R models were not made in China
The III R is still favored in Quebec and Nova Scotia
in GCF
The III R has one low reed and two middle reeds like a Corona II.. the switches will allow for a few combinations
These boxes are larger, heavier and therefore slower to move the bellows
The Quebec/Nova Scotia players are all
over the board so they still have the speed.. not from the bellows so much as the fingering
A Quebec friend of mine has several III R's in a few key systems.. they are heavily modified and retuned
he has recored with these and you cannot tell they are Coronas.. much better.
PS
Contra is a US term
in UK they go to "country" dances not "contra" dances
and they use ADG boxes or DG or Concertina
THE IIIR with oblong buttons is actually an IIIRS .. which have less volume still ..and are an 80's morph of the IIIR.
III's ..yes, I've had several, dry tuned them and they sound like fuel injected Corona II's.. very loud. The Wet tuning on the factory standard version is the preferred tuning for Vallenato or Contra dance ( which I have heard said and seen written in the UK .. who knows why, if you claim they call it country dancing ? Maybe to coax in Americans..)
The IIIR is muffled in volume especially on the inner row.. it progressively loses volume from the outside to the inner row. I would not want to play fast music on one .. ( even though many Vallenato players still use them ).. I find them perfect for internal mic'ing and playing repetetive riffs ala zydeco..
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
