Re: Does anyone here own a Monarch, Sterling, or similar accordion....
Had one that came from the LeJeune family; sold it to a guy used to come around here. Even after it was repaired and tuned up, it was hard to play and pretty wheezy. Similar in some ways to an Ariette.
The old guys really had to work to get that sound you hear on their records. But the reeds were pretty great, easy to break and not very loud.