Nothing like the "real" brands

This place has been making accordeons long before most builders in LA were born

Weltmeister is a brand name just as Galotta and Regal are brand names...

Th factory makes for many rebranders...
including one in Texas that covers tehir 3 rows with armadillo scrotums and paccary hides and joo joo bees and claims they "make" them

The Czech reeds come on a variety of qualities

My Galotta had the next mstep up form machine reeds...
I enjoyed the box

I do known of one Cajun/Zydeco band form Carmael Valley Calif where the accordeon player used one of the Regals as his steady date...

These are good enough for most situations and tweaked and retuned are fine

Definitley many steps above an Ariette

Yes, I did.

Now I realise that I mix up the Weltmeisters and Harmona's. But I think they are quite the same (?).
Gus

I think this (link #1) is a Harmona being played. Could also be a Weltmeister.

Gus

Yes it is the same Weltmeister is build by Harmona . Weltmeister,Regal, etc. is a brand of
Harmona Klingenthal Germany

Gus,

They are the same

mismo ,
la meme chose

I have a Weltmeister piano accordion that is pretty desent. The one row Weltmeister was not very good. The reeds have a very muffled sound and it is a quiet accordion by Cajun accordion standards. It also was a gas guzzler and require much air to play.

When I was first starting out with Cajun accordion, I thought it was okay, but my opinion of it changed over time. I actually gave it away to a younger person who was interested in learning Cajun accordion

I have a Regal that looks just like those Weltmeisters on the Button Box page. I bought it about a year ago. I think it's about 10 years old, but it was virtually unplayed when I bought it, the bellows were still stiff.

At last month's Bay Area jam run by Dwight, I compared it to a Chinese box and 4 LA-made boxes - 2 Larry Miller's, a Martin and a Savoy. The Regal was substantially better than the Chinese box, but the LA boxes were all substantially better than the Regal.

Sarah Savoy said on here a while ago that her dad wouldn't build an accordion for one of the kids until s/he had learned two tunes. So my thinking is that once I have worked my way through Dirk Powell's first video I will start looking for a LA- or TX-built box.

I do like that the Regal's stops are open in the down position, and if I have a box built for me it will have that feature.

Stops that are open when down

I would call that intelligent design.

It's like the bridge, Jeff, If it's open, it is closed.


Gus

What does it matter if the stops are down or up to open the valve holes?

Here's one.... Maybe Hohners should have the "stops down" design, because on every single one I've ever played, new or old, the stops fall down.

And how about them Hohner thumb straps? German or Chinese Hohners, they NEVER got that right. Maybe back in the pre-50's they knew what they were doing (with a thumb strap, at least). That bakelite fingerboards are kind of a sick prank.

However, my experience is different

I have owned a dozen Hohner single rows

only one had a stopper that wouild not stay up

Easy fix with a drill and a dowel

But if the Hohner stops fell down and they were designed to be open when down.. voila ! problem solved

I don't use thumstraps as a rule
and make fingerboards with thumbgrooves

Ah yes those nasty plastic fingerboards

12 cents to make .. improved nothing...

I sometimes wish my handmades had that Irish accordion fingerboard groove as well.

I got too used to playing without an arm strap though, something that is causing my carpal tunnel to flare up.... Problem is, when I use an arm strap at all I have to hold the accordion closer to my body, which causes the spasms in my abdominal muscles to freak out. I have MS.... doesn't mix well with accordions. Had to put down the piano accordion until this spasms heals (I pray it does anyway)

Some day some box makers will realize that they are making boxes for "others' , not just to be self indulgent about their craft



I uuse a longer strap and hold the box on my left thigh... then pressing on the keyboard with my thumb gives a solid support

I'm thinking I should design some sort of leg strap of some sort. That might make it easier all around

Or go top a wood working tool store and get one of the rubberized sanding mats and cut it to fit your leg/box

no more slidng

It's not really about it sliding, I'm just thinking it would take less strength in my hands to hold the thing. My hands aren't what they used to be after a recent flare up.

How about a lighter smaller box

Say a 2 row Castagnari Lilly

Or a smaller 1 row on the size of a Melodeon/Max
but with lighter materials and perhaps fewer reeds

Also there is a simple trick to make a "suspension" strap for the left hand

Also have you considered going with 2 straps

Left thigh is what I prefer as well. Seems to be the standard method for Irish players etc.

Many players spread a small blanket across their lap as well.