Scott,

they say that the first button is mostly used for the tuning. I saw Wim Nagtegaal (Dutch player) use it, but he might be the only one ( he can reach from 1th to 10th with his long fingers.). Some say the air will go more directly through the holes. About your tendonitus: Hope it will work. I think that if you have an accordion which is very easy going and fast button action, it is the best. Also microtuning the tumbstrap is very important. And of course the keyboards are all little different. I think Tom Quinn?? wrote about it a few years ago? (message is still on squeezebox. net?) I had some serious problems whith the tendon from the wrist to some fingers after I overstretched my right arm carrying a heavy load. After this I had problems playing one of my accordions. Now I have 2 real smooth going ones with excellent action and quick respons and have no problems anymore. But I always play seated with the accordion on my knee in a 30 degree angle..
Hope it helps you.
Gus

If you play Zydeco and like the newer sound then the 10th button gives you that beg fat low sound on the G pull and working that F seventh in there. You can get it on the second button push but it is a little awkward. If you don't play that way and are more of a cajun player then the 9 button is wonderful.. I think they are louder than 10's too. JMHO

get a 10 button
box made for you, and get that silly
number one pull/G made into another, low A note
[or equivalent]

then you can really use it for something

suddenly complete tunes can be played in the
low octave

if you really need a low G note, use the bass
button

a nine button box is like buying a car
without a back bumper just because you don;t
use it much


wle.

I don't see any great advantage in having a 9 button accordion. The weight difference would seem be so slight as to be unnoticeable. And reduced bellows noise? It seems hard to believe and/or of no real significance.

There are times that I use the #1 button - it is rare, but I do use it, and I have seen the Cajun pro players use it too (Mark Savoy, Steve Riley, et al).

-David

the way i see it, i paid $130 for that
freaking button [10% of the accordion],

a. i am going to use it!

b. but i do want a useful note there

i started this because the first
accordion i ever bought [chinese $14 toy]
had it, i liked it,
and when i played the real thing, i couldn;t
believe it had such a ridiculous thing as
a 2nd low G button on the pull, when, there
is one on the push, as well as one on the
bass side.


wle.

Hey Larry,
Do you have a Cajun style accordion that has the #1 button tuned in the mannor in which you describe ?
If so, who did that for you ? I'm interested because,
I, like most other builders , are at the mercy of reed manufacturers in Italy. They are pretty set in there ways when it comes to the way and manor in which they put out a set of reeds for a 4 stop, diatonic accordion. It's almost imposible to get them to do something different from what they're used to. They tend to what to pursuade you to stick with the "norm". I do not know of anyone who has ever tried to force them to change the tuning of the #1 reed bank to a custom note, and actually got what they asked for, but it could be done I suppose, if you were willing to pay the price for a custom tuned set of reeds.
Now, it is posible to "make" a reed by loading a higher note reed with solder. I have done this in the past, when I had no other choice, to repair someones broken reed, but it would not be my choice to do this on a new instrument to be sold to a customer.
In order to accomidate your request, one would have "make" all four reeds to the lower octave note.
Just curious if you've had this done to your intrument.
Jude

You (may) be able to get the custom reeds you need by ordering them from a distributor like FRM Enterprises in Montreal. He has pretty extensive contacts with manufacturers in Italy.

Thanks for the info John.
Jude

If he can't get the custom sets of reeds you would like I know that you can get the individual reeds necessary to change the notes of button number one or for that matter reeds to change the notes of any button. Here is the contact info. FRM Enterprises e-mail info@frment.com or Tel. 514-274-9793

Hey Larry,
Do you have a Cajun style accordion that has the #1 button tuned in the mannor in which you describe ?

--yes, 2, larry miller made them both
c and b flat
c was this year, b flat was in 2000
he did have to order the e/a and d/g reeds
but he did it for no extra charge
just took longer
but i had to wait anyway, for custom color [purple]
i am certain he said he ordered them

i *think* i have looked at those reeds and
not noticed anything odd

though i have not taken the reed banks apart

would the pull reeds be visible from the 'outside'?

i can;t ever remember which ones you can see
and which are the hidden ones

reeds are binci #1

wle.

I don't think anyone really answered some of your questions.

1. The 9 button actually seems louder not softer.
(but loudness differs between makers anyway)

2. The sound is usually a little brighter.

3. Because the "air cavity" is smaller due to the smaller bellows, the note response is actually faster because when you move the bellows in or out, less time is spent "compressing" or "expanding" the air before a note plays.

4. I have tendonitis, and have noticed the at the biggest difference is in the button tension, not the size or weight of the box. (Any box with lighter spring action will be better for you)

DP

but button tension is set by the spring
you can adjust it yourself

9 or 10 button shouldn;t affect that

also, the lighter the tension, the more the
accordion will leak when compressed [push]

air will leak out around the flappers more if
there is less tension to hold them shut

[in practice this rarely makes any difference,
since, to actually play a note, some flappers
must be open, and then, 99% of the air
going through the accordion, is going through
the open hole/s]


wle.

Just make sure it has mittered corners so Claude doesn't get on you...

oh my god

is there some filter that can **** out
butt
mitered
corner
joint

and also 'mittered'

wle.

Larry,
I'm not sure you understood what I was saying about button tension. I was not relating it to the number of buttons on the box, but trying to answer his question about what might affect inflaming his tendonitis.

From my personal experience, lightening the button tension allowed me to play about three times as long before pain set in.

There are disadvantages to lightening the tension. You named one. (leaking air)

The other is that you can not play as fast without the playing sounding "mushy" because the "flappers" do not return to position as fast with lighter springs.

DP

Agree fully with the button tension and tendonitis. (see my previous reply above)About the speed of the flappers and the leak: My Miller (D) leaks a little when the pressure (Push) is very high. But it doesn't happen when playing like you could read in one of the other replies.
My acadian C(very low tension too) doesnt have this. I noticed that the distance between buttons and flappers is less. ( cannot check this not since I am in China now without instruments) Slightly different measures. Maybe this can explain the difference, too. I am very satisfied with the responding (flappers back into position) and the tone of both. Little tension in my opinion forces you to play more exactly otherwise it will go too fast and you loose control. Like it this way But maybe DP is right. I have to watch this and experience it in the future.

Gus

I took delivery of a 9 button in August built by Mr. Miller. I love it. After years of playing an Irish Cairdin Mini-Deluxe it is perfect. It is as loud as just about anything I have heard except maybe Mr. Savoys accordions. I asked this same question a couple of months ago and the general consensus was go with what you like. For me, it was the smaller box. As Johnny Ace points out, if you are into Zydeco you will need that button though.