I have a Bon Cajun, with which I am very happy. I did get a chance to play Ray Abshire's Falcon (or one of his Falcon's?), and Ray commented that he had requested that it be designed to sound a note with barely a touch, and that he wasn't concerned about volume as he always was mic'd in a public performance. The box was made with an old set of Sterling reeds, and it had a sweet tone with very little air needed to get a toot.

So I would say that, if you work with the builder, you can get something a little non-standard if that's what you want.

Good squeezin' to ya regardless!

immediate, no effort response..that usually means using a lighter torque spring..which after much much use can not hold the seal to cover all 4 notes.. especially if an air sucker needed on the lower keys E or G or A..

Altenatively lowering the action with the tight torque springs works.. and actually can be done at home.. ( I done this on several triple rows..but .. you really have to be carefull to keep a level keyboard. )

The risks on the first option are that Your keyboard risks getting spongey fast .. G

I beg to differ with you on that. The accordion brought up above has a lot of mileage on it and it's air tight and anything but spongey.

--- probably meaning the tight torque springs were used and action lowered... the spongey quality ( as you will read ) comes from lighter gauged springs being installed on 4 reed instruments, which call for more torque. Obviously this is not the case on the above-mentioned accordion..

Many players have custom made boxes with the easier torque springs.. later they find they get spongey. There are other ways of gauging note-sound response..but lowering of action and spring choice seem to be the most widespread. Each carry disadvantages in the long run..

Obviously Randy Falcon has his way too.. ( his boxes are original in more than one way.. .. i.e. bellows length, reed brand and quality choice, reed blocks, sound.. we talked at length about these last Christmas..

G.

First, I should distinguish myself from "Steve B." as there are a couple of people on this forum who know that I am also a "Steve B". So I am the "Steve Blais" Steve B.

Anyway - Glenn! You are an amazing expert, but perhaps wrong in this case. It may well have been the thinner, older reeds, or smaller air holes, plus maybe combined with shorter button travel (which I think you mentioned) that contributed to the ease of action on Mr. Ray's accordion.

Charlie was there that day at Buffy-of-Cleoma's Ghost's-House and also played this accordion...maybe he can share an impression. My main impression was that it just was set up so that it took less air to move the reeds; not that it took less effort to press the buttons.

Now if you want to talk about less effort to push the buttons, we can talk about my Saltarelle Nuage...
S'b'B

Many things can contribute to sponginess including the angle of the pallet mechanism in combination with the springs.. the reeds especially the length to width to thickness....wimpy bellows, etc etc

Steve... so what Nuage? a Saltarelle Dino Baffetti built Nuage or an earlier Serenellinni built Nuage
and what key system?
And how do you like it.

I owned a Serenellinii Cloud.. actually 2 one in D/G and the other in #/D.... they were exactly the same box with better reeds and finish....
somewhere around 1992-92....

I sold both of them in a fit of disgust with my lack of playing skills and regret it...
I paid $900 and $1100 for mine.... now they are easily double that.

If you want ease of play.. compare the Saltarelles with Castagnari.. now there is ease of play...

I bought the Nuage used. The Button Box thought it was mid-1990's, which probably means Serenellini built. It's in C#/D with a black finish; Martin O'Connor signature model (which I'm not sure means anything). I was all set to order a black Serenellini Cloud when, lo, there was the Saltarelle...no wait...less money, and in pretty good shape.

I have some good intentions about learning some Quebec and Cape Breton (yeah, I know, they don't use accordions much in Cape Breton music) tunes in keys other than D, but so far I haven't made the time to learn how to use the C# row to play from tune books in A, G, etc.

It's a LMM swing-tuned box though, and zydeco sounds great on it!

I once had a Baffetti-built Saltarelle Shamrock, and though it sounded and played great, there were some real cosmetic and workmanship flaws.

Any good bohemian cafes in your area?

Saltarelle went thoguh a seriously sloppy period, cosmetically and internally.. SO many complaints that Georges Roux ( owner of Salt) threatenen to dump Baffetti.. they cleaned up their act somewhat but not entirely

Keep in mind this is a group designed box built under contract by the cheapest bidder, returned to France and then distributed to dealers only. The price is high because of all the markups..and fingers in the pie. Some swear by them, some at them

Rare that you have a Mairtin O'Connor signature model as this was reseved for the Connemara II.. a 2 1/2 row that Mairtin plays and is currenlty the endorsed unit.. the only endorsed uniot.. owing to his early invlovement.. and Mairtin is a Salt dealer in Ireland

Have you heard his 2 CDs,, Perpetual Motion and something about a Road.. The Perpetual Motion is with a 2 row in D/D# 2 row and the other with a C#/D 2 1.2 row

BTW Salatarelle also had a "Cajun" box now discontinued... not bad looking.. They actually built this in a 4 reed 4 stopper and a 2 reed no stopper

They also briefly built a 2 1/2 row ( I recall) with 4 reeds and 4 stops and 2 bass stops.. Cajun tuned no less... forgot the model but it had a brief life.. weighed around 15 pounds plus....tres cool
Louisianne was the model !! !! massive .. but cool

No Bohemian restaurants.. no Bohemians ( German speaking Czechs by definition) Bohemeians were originally called the Boli and they were a tribe of
(believe it or not ) Celts.. so played Celtic music..
They were responsible for the accordion and the harmonica..

Well those are all qualities that Randy mentioned..so most likely true in this particular case.. He sure prides himself on his work(manship) .. and aims to please. Generalizing, builders will often blame spring torque as the foremost culpert in determining easy, stiff, spongey or immediate, sensitive, trigger-quality button action.

G

With most cajuns who play professionally it seems that is the case. They don't worry about volume they want a good sound and mic when necessary.

Several years ago an indivudal in Lafayette rebuilt old Sterlings and Monarch's and before he died I was able to get a Monarch from him. I had my Cajun tuned the same way and they sound the same. Not loud but what a beautiful sound. Very traditional.