still if you just want to learn,
chinese 3 rows are fine

the cost is $200 vs $2500 for a good one

unlike the one rows, where it;s $200 vs 1500
[used to be more dramatic when you
could get a hand made one row for 1000]

wle.

This is one of the new ones - the guy paid $400 for it in 2000. I'm looking to get a starter box, and I can get this one in GCF for $125, or the Panther in FBbEb for $300 or so. I am looking to do Zydeco, so any other thoughts about which one to get would be appreciated. Scott

Your budget and motives are what count.

If learning a priority then go cheap..but don't expect anything back on resale.Sound and treble action is usually tough, and they break easily.( sticking buttons are chronic ).

If you go used Panther on eBay..you will get a good deal and can resell fairly easily at over 50% your investment.

If sound, and a future with Zydeco or Cajun is the deal ..then buy a used 3 or 4 reed box with registers.. you are guaranteed to have more fun, sound more Cajun or Zydeco, and if you tire..you'll have no problem selling. ( $500- $900 depending on condition).

I will be selling a Corona IIIR soon in GCF.


GLENN

in your case i would say
the panther because

it;s a better key and

i have heard the panthers and i think they
are better than, well i don;t know about the
santa marsala specifically, but
i have heard some really bad cheap 3 rows

people play and have played
zydeco on 2 reed instruments
queen ida
thomas fields
john delafose
rocking dopsie
mostly old school though

the santa marsala is so cheap though,
you can;t possibly go wrong from a resale
standpoint


wle

I saw a used Panther go on Ebay last week for only $222 and it was like new. Guy said he bought it for his daughter and she never picked it up. Keep your eyes open and you can get a Panther or something better for little more than the cheap chinese box.

I was watching that Marcela tripple row go. It looked older. I was very surprised that it didn't go for the thousand that the guy seemed to expect. I think that he was on the level. It was a five stop as I remember, they are very popular with the Norteno(sic) guys.
When you buy a three row on E-Bay always ask the seller if it has the bass reeds. Sellers usually pay someone to take them out and throw them away. They don't think that anyone
uses them. Three rows that play in two different keys come from the factory without bass reeds. They play mostly on the pull and stomp all the left hand fingers on the empty reed spots and draw out very quickly for the next phrase.

I bet many potential buyers thought that it may have been a modern one.

There is an instructional video released recently, forget who it is. Cory Ladet? He is playing the most beautiful Zydeco Baffetti Three row F probably five reed 11 stops treble side.

Zydeco really needs that low set of reeds on the theble side. I bought a Corona II from the 60's and rebuilt it. Thin, thin, thin, I sold it. Best wishes, Jerry

I have a Panther and I like it. I play Cajun music on my 10 button and blues/Tex -Mex on the 3 row. The Panthers are popular with the Mexican music folks and there is a large re-sale market because of it.

Craig

Its been a while since I've tried either of them, but, if memory serves me, it seems the Panther is a better box. More sound, possibly better action, maybe lighter weight.