The Medusa Fora

Mr Fearnley, or really anyone with knowledge of accordions, I've been looking into getting an accordion for Christmas, but I was faced with a slight problem; I haven't got the foggiest knowledge of to accordions, so I was hoping for a bit of advice.

1st - Would you suggest getting a piano accordion or a button accordion?

2nd - How many keys, bass buttons, etc would you reccomend?

Thanks!

Oh heavens, that's a question. I was talking to the Dropkick Murphys last night about button accordions - in my experience, they've always sounded the best. I wouldn't know the reason for that, because all the pads and shit under the hood are probably the same. It's something about the juicy reeds the button accordion I picked to try a few years ago. I couldn't handle the draw/blow thing with the button accordion and got all mixed up, and I didn't want to get into too much planning with playing, if you know what I mean, you know, running out of breath at the end of the bellows and not being able to do anything about it. However, I think it's called a Corona, made by Hohner, a small accordion that's always sounded as bright as that button accordion (oh, bright as a button, that was unintentional). But then, what I did when I started was to go into Allodi's accordion shop on Blackstock Road (his son's taken it over and it's in Lewisham now) and try anything within my price range, and the two I bought there were the best ones I have, still, for sound (crap for what they do when you sweat all over them). I must have had an instinct, or something.

Ah, thanks, mate. I was originally looking at a Hohner Panther, one step down from the Corona. From the reviews and stuff it looks good for beginning and still alright for advanced (100 pounds cheaper too), but then I saw that in most pictures you seemed to be playing a keyboard one which made me wonder which was really the best. Thanks again for the reply!

Get an original German Hohner Student, they're the best.
The new ones are shite.

James

If you run out of breath with a button accordion, you use the air button to draw back in. That is also another pain in the butt thing to think about while pushing and pulling different notes.

Ever tried a Louisiana made Cajun accordion? Acadian brand is the shit. Ever seen the movie "Southern Comfort"? At the end of the movie the builder of these accordions wails away on one of his boxes. Fucking brilliant