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CAJUN ACCORDION DISCUSSION GROUP

 

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Re: 5 Stop Falcon

It has an extra row for volume or you can have one of the rows tuned wet, and if you want to play it dry, you still have 4 rows to play with.

Re: Re: 5 Stop Falcon

I was thinking about converting one of my Falcon dual-keys to all one key, with the 5th stop at wet and the 6th stop as extra-wet, like a Vallenato wet. Or maybe just add an extra medium and high set? Don't know if that would ever work -- seems like it would suck too much air? I bet it would be the loudest Cajun box on record. Anyone know if someone has done this kind of conversion to the 6-stop? Guess I'd better just ask Randy.

R!CK

Re: Top Photo

I was wondering how long it would take us to notice the top photo. The last photo was up for a few weeks and no one commented on it (BTW, the portion of crawfish was paltry.)

I agree with BJ, the new photo of Joanie's accordions would look good framed on any wall, but they'd look a lot better on my coffee table!

Good tings, mon...

R!CK

Re: Re: Top Photo

It is suprising that the 5 stop Flacon's seem to loose volumn.

Re: Re: Re: Top Photo

Maybe it's because he needed to stand all of the reed blocks up to get them in the box?

DP

Re: Re: Re: Re: Top Photo

I'm pretty sure the accordion in the picture is in the key of F. I actually played it a few years ago when it was still owned by Etienne Viator. I also know of one other that is owned by Rodney Thibodeaux in the key of C. He told me that it was originally made for Wayne Toups by Randy. Wayne apparently had a knack for busting the piccolo reeds when he would depress the bassoon reeds so Randy put in two sets to make it harder to over stress the reeds. It's actually really hard to play if you have all 5 stops up because it uses SO much air. But it is loud.


John

Re: Dual- Key Falcon

Hey Rick,

How do you like the dual key? Now that I have an "A "accordion and "C", it's a hassle for me to carry them on tour. I know that I'll eventually have a "D" box too. That'll be a real headache to cart around.

I've always wondered about getting a dual key box "C"/"D". My understanding is that the volume is diminished due to the the three reed banks. Do you find this to be a major drag?

You don't see too many players with these boxes so I really wonder how good they are.

My next box will likely be a Falcon. The price of the dual keys, though, seems to keep most folks away. What's your verdict?

Nick B.

Re: Re: Dual- Key Falcon

Nick!

I've got 3 dual-keys:

G-A, B-D, E-F.

I've played them for years and here's what I've learned...

Disadvantages:

1) I'm glad I bought them when they were $2300 each they are now close to $4K.
2) They weigh a little more than a standard 4-stop.
3) They don't have quite the action and volume of a 4-stop - they're 3-stops.
4) The extra length of the valves make them "clack" acoustically more than a 4-stop.
5) Mic'ing them internally presents an issue since the space inside is very limited due to the amount of reeds. The "sweet" spot for zydeco is slightly compromised, but I've had decent results regardless of this minor issue.

Advantages:

1) Sweetest advantage is the fact you've got two accordions in the same package.

2) They are unique; they are limited in number and a very strong investment.

That's about it. The disadvantages, which are minor (except for the price) outweigh the advantages. That said, they are exceptionally fine instruments. They don't "feel" too different from a 4-stop. You won't have to adjust your technique whatsoever.

Regardless of what you choose from a Falcon, 4-stop, dual-key or otherwise, you'll get a primo instrument. Randy is a meticulous craftsman with very high standards and a really nice guy.

My favorite accordion, hands down, is my Falcon 4-stop. It's the only Falcon 4-stop I own, key of Bb. What makes it my favorite is the action and construction. It was the first LA box I purchased -- back in '93. I've played the devil out of it and have never had a problem with it.

That said, I've had some preferential adjustments made to it by Jr. Martin. I've had Jr. replace the internal mic for a different one and also had Jr. place the mic in a slightly different position. I play more of a zydeco style rather than Cajun. Jr. knows zydeco, IMHO, better than Randy. I also had Randy's original "wet" tuning retuned by Jr. Randy's wet was probably 15 cents whereas Jr. is 5 cents. I like just a "little wet". I would imagine Randy could do just as fine of a job had I known what I wanted back in '93. Also, Jr. added an extra bass-side reed, something that is standard in handmades, but Randy doesn't install in his accordions -- that's the way Shine Mouton did it -- so that's the way Randy does it (Randy learned how to build accordions from Shine).

I helped Randy produce the logo on his accordions. I created the decals for him per his specs. I suggested he do some in gold and silver, too -- so when you see those, I'm partly responsible for that! You'll note that all other handmade logos look very similar -- etched, engraved, and conforming to a traditional standard from the legacy of the German boxes, I assume. Randy is the only one with a bigass decal logo. He's very proud of that fact!

So that's my Falcon experience in a nutshell. I love Randy's construction and design, but I like Jr.'s knowledge of [that] zydeco sound. Other than Travis Matte, there's no other LA zydeco band that I know of that features Falcon accordions. I also have one Martin 4-stop (C) which I bought a year ago and it runs a close second to my Falcon 4-stop.

It's all good...

R!CK

Re: Re: Dual- Key Falcon

Nick, I guess everyone has their favorites and for me it's the dual pitched Falcon's. Now, once I get the two that I am building put together, I won't be able to pull for Falcon's too much anymore !! They are very convenient, comfortable, and Rick is probably having the same problem that I am having with the clacking. Our doubles are 10+ years old with alot of playing, any accordion that has a lot of playing time of that age needs the leather under the valves to be changed. The leather gets packed down and hard over the years giving it a clackity sound. Rick is correct on the internal mic setup, VERY TIGHT, modulating in the middle of a song without having to swap out boxes - nice ! The reason I started playing was watching Wayne Toups at the 1991 Hot Air Balloon Festival in Baton Rouge and he was playing a brand new flashy red Falcon double - I had to have it ! I have a Mouton Bb which I wouldn't trade for the world but I like to play on the doubles - as they say, to each his own, foolish or not.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Top Photo

That's funny that it takes so much air, I'm still adjusting to playing my E/F, in comparison to my C/D, it takes a lot less air. F reeds are some of the smallest reeds there is and they don't take any air. Who knows ????

Don't be cruel

My free-end, mone amy,

to frame zeeze skwizboxes inn order to hang zem on ze wall of your cabin, you firt have to flatten zem wiz a hammer or a big stone. No, no ! don't be cruel !

Telesphore Boudreaux, Mare of Bayou Pon Pon

Re: Don't be cruel

Oui Mare...

But aye preefir heetin mama's black arn skilleet til it glows red haut. Den I put de box in eet. She melts perrfect an' flat as de rice feelds in St. Landry. Ah mo' elegant solution to dee hammar.

Voila! Me hang eet necks to dee rest of em...



R!CK

Re: Re: Don't be cruel

Votre chu pu!!!

Re: Re: Re: Don't be cruel

I'm very bright?

....ok

R!CK

Re: Re: Re: Re: Don't be cruel

You know those racks of posters you get in some stores? That picture is just the sort of colorful and quirky thing you'd find among them. Maybe selling the rights could bring in a few bob for Maison-Tit-Bayou?

The Falcon is a painful reminder to me that I recently drove thirty miles and back to check out a box that someone told me about. It was a one row with Cajun and Falcon written on it and was real cheap, but not too old. I knew all along it had to be Chinese, but you have to check these things out just in case it's the bargain of the century.

I came home older and wiser.

BJ



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