However,
Consider this.. the last time we had a discussion here about Italian and French made and Quebec made boxes, the LA builders raised their prices... but did not elevate their quality to the standard of the boxes that are actusally worth the money.... same old stuff, new price.
You asked for it, you got it.. so expect to pay for the consequences..
A new Castagnari can be had from $2000-2800 based solely on where you buy one. Availability is slim to none and ordering one is 4-18 months, and unpredictable. I would recommend ordering one direct
from Castagnari. About the same as you would pay for a so called premium LA made box...
A MELODIE as I described... is $3200 US with case and shipping.
Now of course the LA builders will once again show their greed, ignorance and arrogance and raise their prices, and once again do NOTHING to improve the design, materials and workmanship.
The MELODIE is very fairly priced for what you are getting. I call that value. And value is worth more than price alone.
MELODIES and MESSERVIERS, CLEMENT BRETONS and Gaillards and Castagnaris rarely change hands except
to families or friends... occasionaly one comes up for sale.. I sold a Castagnari last week to help pay for this one.. sold in 15 minutes of posting it, and for the price asked. I made a profit of $ 600 over the original price I paid..
Try that with a Savoy, Miller or a Martin.
I do not ,absolutely do not, advocate anyone here buying a Castagnari or a Gaillard or a Quebec made box.. my personal opinion is that it would be a waste of money to buy one and use it for music for other than was intended.
I will also add, that my box has been on order for over a year.. I was advised a week ago it was in transit.
Sounds like a nice box, so are you going to use the thumb groove thumb strap combo, or just use a shoulder strap? If I got a Melodie I'd go for the +5/-5 tuning, love the sound of it. The Bouchard came tuned that way. Btw, the VanderAa is tuned the same way where it's just enough off to know that you have two mid reeds.
Jeff if you play as well as you push that Quebec built line you must be very good. I cant wait to see a youtube post of your Melodie with its round little corners and no cheezy metal on it.
I don't play for anyone else's enjoyment but my own
A couple posters here have heard me play.. that will have to do it.
I don't push any Quebec line of boxes, I pay for them.
If anything I push Jude Moreau as the best I have seen and played and bought of the Cajun Made b9xes.
He deserves the business and the exposure. Good guy, good boxes.
And on that note....
I would also heartily endorse Bryan LaFleur's boxes
And Bryan I know you were not fishing for that.
This ecommendation is based on the following without actualyy having played them:
1. Years of research and intense scrutiny of what is being built and how
2. An insistense of the highest quality possible
3. Experimentation
4. Retention of traditional connections without slavish copying
5. Beautifully designed and constructed.
6. No compromises
I think that Bryan's boxes, along with Judes are the one's to get if you want that extra effort... often something you can't see. Great value....
Keep in mind that the names of Stradivarious and Guarnari are the buzzword benchmarks of old world construction... but the lesser knowns such as Ballestriari and Zeulli and Amati, Fritsch (America) etc...often represent another undefinable quality.... and as I have said many times... elements that cause them to truly be distinctive. Excellence and often PFM.. Pure XXXXXXX Magic.