Maz,

Man! This ad is a *real* classic!

"brings back the feel of the bijou"

Yes .. I remember the golden era of watching Flash
Gordon, way down there at the Bijou.

Like Forgerty says: "Born in the Bijou"!

(So, isn't a Palatino a horse?)

--Big Nick

It does look like an inexpensive box.
As the listing says, it does look closer to the design used 100 years ago, than a "modern" Cajun accordion.

But, a lot of improvement has been made in 100 years.

I have fixed up a 100 year old accordion to as good as new, and it still plays like a 100 year old accordion! :)

So if you are looking for a copy of an old design, cheaply "knocked off" this is it. But it seems pricy in comparison to other cheapo knockoffs.

That's my 2 cents.

DP

Toss it in dat bijou wit dem agalators!

"This brand new Palatino Cajun Button Accordion really brings back the feel of the bijou."

You know, there was a Bijou theatre in my home town, right across the street from Bayou Terrebonne. And there was an awful lot of fiction shown there too.

If it's the same company, Palatino (Palantino) makes some red screamer violins too.

Now Eastman (Chinese) makes some very fine instruments. Truly hand made violins and mandolins. The price has killed a lot of business for small shop builders(me). I only build out of boredom now. Still plenty of repair business, especially the Gibsons made in Nashville. They had lousy environmental control and the things just fall apart.

Had a buddy of mine at a music store ask me about the same box. He showed me one on the internet from one of his suppliers. Retailed for like $595, but was on sale to dealers for $99. I've had some Paletino fiddles that were ok student violins, but I wouldn't be buying one from ebay.. I will say that the Morelli I bought off of ebay never has given a moments trouble, and I have played it to death trying to learn. The Hohner on the other hand that I got has broke a few times and I've had to doctor on it often. Well I just think you get what you pay for in the Chinese boxes, and with a little luck you may get one that will stay together, till you can get the real thing. Bruce

Just another person using the word CAJUN to try and make a buck.

You can pretty much rest assured that anything new and costing $400 is going to be Chinese. It would cost a builder that much for Italian reeds and bellows alone. Which brings up a point of curiosity - who makes Gabinelli reeds?
My rule of thumb, any description on ebay that uses hyperbole instead of hard cold facts, I ignore. That I gar-un-tee!!
Steve