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.