These are all instruments which I have played extensively. My most recent accordion purchase was three years ago. So this will be a user report covering a test period of several years. Most published product reviews involve anywhere from a few hours to maybe a week.
This is the first accordion I ever played. Have had it more than a dozen years since I purchased it from Marc Savoy of Eunice, La. (See links.) At that time I had attained a moderate level of proficiency on the diatonic harmonica, and had figured out that a diatonic accordion would play the same way. Marc showed me a Cajun-tuned box first, then a tremolo box in C, and finally, on my insistance, a tremolo box in D. This was my favorite key on the harmonica, so I purchased this box. It's a very basic unit, 10 treble buttons with no chromatics, and two bass keys. It's a small box, but it has four sets of reeds, L-M-M-H, which are selected by individual stops. It sounds good with just the two middle sets of reeds. When all four sets are played, it is capable of very powerful volume.
Aside from its obvious limitations, the only thing I really don't like about this instrument is its lack of a shoulder strap. I can remedy this very easily, but playing with a shoulder strap will likely make the bass harder to play. This type of instrument is not made to be played close to the body. With the thumb loop it can rest on the knees and the bass keys will be easier to play. This and other instruments of its type have an extra low So note which plays on the pull, but no low La. I would prefer to have the low La. Oh yes, the cheap bass strap on this instrument kept stretching and stretching until finally I made a new velcro-adjustable strap for it.
I really enjoyed dealing with Marc Savoy. When he demonstrates an instrument he plays some real hot stuff in Cajun style. Kind of a one-on-one concert.
This is a very sweet-playing instrument. Mine is in the ADG tuning, which covers my two favorite keys and also plays well with string instruments. It has three sets of reeds, all on the same nominal pitch but tuned slightly apart for a very rich tremolo tone. There are not any stops or switches.
The action of this instrument is very smooth. The bellows is of ample capacity and flexibility so its easy to pump. My main gripe is that the three rows are not exactly in tune with each other and each has its own characteristic sound. The A and D rows remind me most of the violin family, and the G row sounds more like a flute or calliope. This is a bit of a problem when playing across the rows, but it can be used to advantage to vary a program or to select the best sound for a particular song.
The straps that came from the factory were not very good, so I make my own, including a Velcro-adjustable bass strap. I never use the thumb loop. The strap loops on the instrument are for only one shoulder strap, which is the way I normally play it. I looped a second shoulder strap through the one that fastens to the instrument so I can use both if I need them, like when I have to play standing up.
This is an older instrument which I purchased used when I decided I needed a GCF box. It has three sets of reeds, one low set and two middle sets, which can be selected by an array of seven switches. It plays very smoothly, like the Corona III. If I play only the two middle sets of reeds the bellows tightens up because less air flows through the reeds. In two sets the volume is sufficient for audiences of 20 or 30 people. With all three sets in play it has a very commanding sound which I particularly like for hymns.
This box came with loops for two shoulder straps, just like on the big piano accordions.
I purchased this box at a festival for a price which was too good for me to refuse. There's no brand or maker name on it, but eventually I matched it up with the Weltmeister 86W Classic. There are two rows, in G and C, and two sets of reeds. This instrument's suggested retail price is close to the street price of the Hohner Corona II, which has three rows, and even with discounting it's more expensive than the Hohner Panther, another three-row instrument. This little box sounds ok, but it was a pain to get it playing right. The cardboard bellows, which is of ample scope, was way too stiff, and there was no provision for a shoulder strap. The thumb strap was poorly fitted. Finally I installed a pair of D-rings and hooked a strap to them. This and some deliberate limbering of the bellows made it very easy to play. There are some things I really like about this accordion. It's compact, which is good for travel, and very light. Best of all, the right hand board has a concave edge where I like to lodge my thumb. There is a bit of a trade-off with the compactness. The bellows does not have as large a cross section as one would on a three-row instrument. This means more limited air capacity so air can run out in spite of the ample draw.
The lightness of this instrument is double-edged. It definitely reduces fatigue when playing, but there's not much inertia to smooth out the playing.
I just had to have a real Cajun accordion and particularly wanted one made by Marc Savoy. When I ran across this in a dealer's shop, along with an Anvil case, I grabbed it.
My instrument is in C. It's set up like the Hohner HA-114, but there's no comparison beyond that. The woodworking alone is fine art. Keyboard action is exceptional. The reeds are capable of substantial volume. I play some Cajun tunes on it, but like it best for some of the more majestic hymns.
Marc Savoy has very large hands, and he made the bass valve box so big it's hard for a person with small hands to play. Even so, I've seen a Cajun box by another maker than has an even bigger bass valve box. If I were having one of these made to order, I would ask that the edge of the treble board be made concave. The convex edge makes it a little hard to control. This instruments has the two sets of middle reeds in dead unison, but I would prefer a very slight tremolo.
The Acadian instrument is very well made. One of the construction features which I particularly like is the way the reed blocks are mounted. In addition to the customary wax, there are large-head screws which hold the reeds in place in case the wax softens from excess heat.
I should mention here that the so-called Cajun accordions are new versions of old German accordions. This is all explained by Marc Savoy on his web site.
Strolling through a local flea market one weekend, I saw some Pyramid guitar amplifiers offered at very reasonable prices. I didn't have enough cash in my pocket, but when I got home I hit the Internet. In very short order I found a vendor of Pyramid amplifiers and ordered the 800W model, which the manufacturer rates at 900 watts. There was no instruction book or other paperwork in the box, but operation was obvious. I got a mike and stand at Radio Shack and was very quickly in business. The one glitch was with the input jacks. To make this work, I had to push the plug in only part way.
Yes, this amplifier puts out the volume, but even better it has reverberation and distortion controls. It's fun to play with these. The reverb makes a single instrument sound like a group. The distortion can be adjusted to give a piercing sound. There are two input channels with separate controls for each, so it's like having a mixer box. I had wondered what some professional accordionists did to get certain sounds out of their instruments, but now I believe they do it with electronic reverberation and distortion.
Over the years I have accumulated a number of Hohner harmonicas. I got a neck frame so I could play them no hands. I played them for a while with a banjo, but now I play them with the accordion.
The Blues Harp seems to work best when playing with two accordion reeds, and the Marine Band with three reeds. This is a matter of balancing the volume so I can hear both instruments. Sometimes I play the Echo Harp, which is a double-reed tremolo instrument. It's not the easiest harmonica to play, but it works fine when I stay in practice. I like it best for playing treble chords an octave above the melody.
I always like to tell prospective button accordionists that they should learn the diatonic system on the harmonica before buying an accordion. A small Hohner harmonica is around $30, but if you know where to look you can find other brands for $10 or less. I found some good quality cheapies at Myrtle Beach, S. C., in musical gift shop at Broadway at the Beach. In West Columbia, S. C., there's a dealer in the Barnyard Flea Market who carries inexpensive brands, including some plastic harmonicas which I don't recommend.