Accordions popular again in all of USA since 1950.

[AccordionUprising]

I realized in my research that the polka originally emerged in the 1840s, then had a resurgence in the 1940s, so in about twenty years we should be due for the next polka-mania.

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There's a story that when a young Lawrence Welk was billed as "the world's greatest accordionist," he couldn't believe you were allowed to lie like that in show-business.

 

[Eddy Yates]

I realized in my research that the polka originally emerged in the 1840s, then had a resurgence in the 1940s, so in about twenty years we should be due for the next polka-mania.

---

There's a story that when a young Lawrence Welk was billed as "the world's greatest accordionist," he couldn't believe you were allowed to lie like that in show-business.

---

Oh, yeah. And every day in politics....

 

[maugein96]

Interestingly, John, here rockabilly has had a couple good revivals here in the past 10 years or so, and it must be just about time for a surf revival!  As has been mentioned, because of tex mex, zydeco, cajun, old time, etc. here the small button box is more popular than chromatic also.

Instrumental Surf never really caught on in the UK, as Hank Marvin was the one they all wanted to copy. In Scandinavia they managed to mix the two up to form a style known as "Rautalanka". Rockabilly was popular for a time and my uncle and two cousins used to travel the length and breadth of the UK following it. They all played guitar and bass and played on and off in rockabilly bands.  

I gave up playing for a long time and got back into it maybe 10 years ago, but only as a hobby, after I discovered that you could buy a half decent guitar for the equivalent price of a set of accordion bellows. It was only at that stage that I realised there had been a wealth of Surf instrumental music in the US that I'd never really heard of, although I had played stuff like Buddy Merrill did when I was younger. My father encouraged me to play it but heavy rock came on the scene and that was that. I learned a lot of stuff from You Tube during my own "revival" although it isn't all as simple as it looks (and sounds). I decided there was no way I was going to try and play all the old Hank Marvin stuff (again), and US Surf fitted the bill. 

My kids loved Cajun music, but it was only really popular here on CDs, and you'd never hear it live. Tex Mex and its variants got no exposure here at all, and to this day I couldn't tell the difference between Cajun and Zydeco, other than the fact that they sometimes use bigger accordions for Zydeco. 

In Scotland it's wall to wall PA with just about everything played in "super musette" register. Any time I see a player switch from the musette coupler I maybe take an interest in what they are doing, but there is an almost constant drone sound through all of the tunes in Scottish accordion, and it isn't for everybody. It sort of puts me on edge, but maybe that's exactly what it's meant to do. If you like bagpipes you might like it, but I like neither sound. There are a handful of CBA players, and probably a number of diatonic players, but none of the local styles really did it for me, so I just don't know what the ratios are.

 

[OuijaBoard]

Well, I'm still on price. And it is simply untrue that a 12k Euro outlay is "what lies ahead" for anyone who gets into accordion, or that anything less than 12k Euro is a "make do" item. There are drool worthy Beltunas, Brandonis, Saltarelles, Scandallis and others on offer at half that and less. And the dealers who offer such instruments in the US are turning them over.

We're not talking about rarefied use here. We're talking "popular." Button accordions are popular because they are portable and easy to interact with physically. The unisonorics that come closer to offering this experience are the ones people want at present. The giant refrigerators weighed down with cassotto, not so much. I guess this is a big factor in the inexplicable-to-yours-truly allure of MIDI, but that's another story.

 

[Tom]

I totally agree Ouija! Sure, a $12,000 accordion will sound and play better than a $3,000 one, and there are probably a few players on here that would truly benefit, but does every player need one?

 

[Eddy Yates]

In the U.S. you’ll find many more amateurs and collectors than pros who own very expensive guitars and pianos. I wonder if it’s the same with accordions.

 

[AccordionUprising]

Oh my, I'm spending a lot of time procrastinating here when I should be writing carefully crafted notes to famous accordionists to see if they'll say nice things to put on the back of my book. But here's one more long ramble of my thoughts. I don't know how accurate these are, it's mostly years before  my time, but this is what I've been able to piece together:

Historically, back in the "accordion bubble" of the 1940s-1960s, it was the hundreds of thousands of amateurs buying mid-range boxes that paid the bills. A few higher-end pros attracted attention and students, but like today with guitars and what-not, there aren't enough pros to keep the industry really thriving. I understand that was the trouble when the Cordovox organ accordions came along. They sold alright, but mostly to pros or semi-pros who already owned traditional accordions. Some traded for the "new improved electronic" model, and that meant there was one more used instrument flooding the market. When regular folks stopped buying regular instruments, the whole thing collapsed.

Nowadays, I think the expense and the challenge of incorporating the instrument into amplified situations remains one of the other biggest barriers. The revival today is based on cheap used models floating around which beginners can pick up and bang away on. When those all finally break down, or require hundreds or thousands of dollars of repair, there may make it hard for a lot of beginners. The big change I foresee is cheaper instruments from Asia or some other lower wage production sources. As quality there goes up, those will hopefully help fill that need for lower end instruments. How that will effect the more expensive brands I don't know.

The other issue I see is that without a significant sales, there isn't the network of teachers to support a lot of high-level students in N. America. Almost all the amateurs I know here is more or less self-taught. There's no accordion shop even in most sizable cities—including mine. The last shop in Vancouver closed when the 90 year old repair-guy retired. There's really no steady supply of teachers. There's no infrastructure to support the level of playing that once existed. It's a circle of related issues that haven't really changed since the 1960s.

The biggest shift I see here in English speaking North America, is that less people have the weird negative reaction to the instrument that used to be common. Most young people (like under 30, I've been saying this for more than ten years, so the age keeps getting higher) don't really know why they're supposed to not like the accordion. Most kids have never seen one played in person. The baby-boomer's (and their kids probably) prejudice is fading away. So that's nice. It won't bring back the glory days, but it makes it a little more fun to show off, rather than fighting for even a chance to be heard. When I encounter negative impressions of the accordion today, it feels like a little historical experience. "Oh! anti-accordion prejudice! How quaint.) The people who hated Lawrence Welk are older than he was when they developed their hatred. Nobody under 40 knows who Welk was anymore. So the instrument is a blank slate. Still has barriers, but a lot of the negative feeling is in the past. It's up to players now to see how it fits in today's world.

It will still be a niche instrument I think since it remains fairly challenging to play and tricky to amplify for modern electronic styles. Answers to the "what do you do to prevent feedback" question can costs more than a lot of electric instruments, and that's just to plug in. It's like paying hundreds of dollars for a guitar cable, and maybe it will work, or maybe not. That's a problem. It's just a harder instrument to mic. "The sound-tech's nightmare" was how my radio co-host describes his six or seven person acoustic/electric band. The accordion is kind of like that.

It's still worth it for the great qualities of the instrument! But the barriers are real.

Ok, tomorrow I'm gonna write those letters and get famous people to read my book (or turn me down). Wish me luck.

 

[maugein96]

I totally agree Ouija!  Sure, a $12,000 accordion will sound and play better than a $3,000 one, and there are probably a few players on here that would truly benefit, but does every player need one?

Tom,

In case you think I'm pulling that $12000 accordion out of a fantasy book, I currently own two French made accordions. 

One of them is a Cavagnolo Vedette 5 model, which they no longer manufacture. The modern equivalent is a compact version of it with 96 instead of 120 bass. It is an LMM accordion with the bassoon reeds in a tone chamber. The RRP of that accordion is currently 8670 Euros in its most basic form. If you want 5 rows of buttons instead of the standard 4, you're up over 9000 Euros straight away. Stick another bank of reeds in that accordion and you have the 12000 Euro accordion, and have to pay extra for any custom paint job, mirrored buttons etc. I picked up an old one last year in the UK for $1500, as they had been making them in the 120 bass format for a long time, and although French accordions are pretty rare in the UK nobody wants them (except this nobody and one or two others).

Now if you thought that Cavagnolo prices were high, they're just amateurs compared with Maugein. My other box is a Mini Sonora model. We're talking about a smaller 3/4 sized accordion, again LMM with 96 basses, and the L in a tone chamber. A basic 5 row version of one of those will set you back 10265 Euros. Put another bank of reeds in and you'll have the 13000 Euro accordion. Once again they have been making them for a very long time and I paid $5000 for that box (used) over 20 years ago. 

Now, considering most players worldwide aren't into French made accordions, and quite often frankly regard them as overpriced crap, the situation there is pretty obvious. A comparable Italian made instrument to French spec (nailed in reeds etc) will often be about half of the price, but not always. National pride still seems to require the pros to play French made instruments, unless your name is Galliano, declare that French accordions are in fact crap, and order one from Italy. He started a trend for French players to play Italian boxes, but then he would, with his background.  

The cheapest French made student model is the Cavagnolo Super Junior, which has a starting price of 3825 Euros, and for that you get a 4 row CBA, MM, with 80 basses. 

That $3000 accordion you mention is pure fantasy in France, although you can sometimes pick up a reasonable newish French box (if you really want one) here in the UK for about that money. All you need to do is wait a decade or two. Here in the UK we could drive over to France, but from Scotland that's a very long way on our congested roads in our overpopulated little island.

The few remaining French accordion stores are awash with used top of the range Cavagnolos and Maugeins, so the $12000 accordion is fast becoming fantasy in France too, when anybody with an idea of what to look for can get one for a third of the new price. I think you'll be able to work out what that means for Cavagnolo and Maugein, but hopefully not for a while yet. They might have another week or two left!

 

[OuijaBoard]

[[[The big change I foresee is cheaper instruments from Asia or some other lower wage production sources.]]]

This is already happening. In the sector I think of as the expensive cheapies, the Hohner Bravo PA line (or Nova CBA line) is extremely playable, giggable even, at about $1600 for a 34/72 PA or $1700 for a 120bass. Yes, the grille and some parts are flimsy, lightweight plastic but the playability is being delivered. The keyboard ergonomics on these instruments best many vintage Italian accordions.

Moving up, the aspirational can look to a gorgeous Beltuna from about $5500 for a 34/72 to around $7000 for a 120 bass. Scandallis can be had in the mid-$3000s. These prices are very expensive, but they're not 12K euros, which shakes down to about $18K US. I would respectfully submit that Maugein and Cavagnolo are not useful barometers for the rest of the world.

Fascinating and sad points about the dearth of teachers. Whether the online universe fills that gap well I guess remains to be seen.

 

[maugein96]

These prices are very expensive, but theyre not 12K euros, which shakes down to about $18K US. I would respectfully submit that Maugein and Cavagnolo are not useful barometers for the rest of the world.

I agree with you, but if you want to buy a new French box youre not dealing with the rest of the world.

Try and find a new Beltuna Balkan Star Serbian accordion for sale in either PA or CBA format the US then add about 30% for the European price. Im sure I saw one recently for $15000, but cannot find it now. If you are even a semi pro Balkan player you need one of these for the correct sound. There is no substitute.

Musical instruments tend to be considerably cheaper in the US than they are here.

Sorry, I stand corrected. Liberty Bellows have one for sale for $9000. When I find the price they are in Europe Ill update this post.

EDIT:- Failed, but top of the range Balkan boxes are available in Serbia and Croatia for about 4500 Euros on the second hand market. I would doubt whether many new ones are ordered in the Balkans, as they are very easy to come by used. However,check this out for an example of German prices, and that box has been around for more than a year or two. Is it a collectors item? I dont know, but I doubt whether theyll shift it quick.

https://www.musik-center.de/en/acco...a-v-b-griff-120-bass-uberholt-gebraucht.html/

Or this one?

https://www.musik-center.de/en/acco...-120-bass-converter-neuwertig-gebraucht.html/

 

[Tom]

It is not necessary to pay full retail price.

 

[maugein96]

It is not necessary to pay full retail price.

Correct. Theres over 800 Euros off this one and a free bottle of champagne:-

https://www.lamalleauxaccordeons.fr/en/326-hohner-fun-top-120.html

You can rent one if you want. All you need to do is put your house up as security!

Check the link to the customizing guide if its too bland straight out of the factory. 

My names on this Pigini, so dont bother ordering one as Ive put a block order in for 12.

https://www.lamalleauxaccordeons.fr/en/94-accordeon-a-convertisseurs-pigini.html 

Dont know how it works your side Tom, but Id be happy with this one, as its nearly the same age as I am.

https://www.lamalleauxaccordeons.fr/en/356-vedette-10-super-double-basson.html

You probably could haggle a bit, but were not in the same league as you are price wise over here.

If you play PA in the UK it is possible to pick up a decent instrument for around £3000, but I dont play PA.

Ive deliberately picked out top of the range models to illustrate just how dear musical instruments are in Europe. That Balkan Star in Liberty Bellows was a steal at $9000, and I see theyve sold it. It was on Irish eBay for 9000 Euros and they were even prepared to sell it to a UK buyer for £9000 (still a bargain here at around $11600). They are only made to order but I seriously doubt youd get even close to that price if you ordered one from a European address, even if you were the best haggler in the world.

We used to buy Fender and Gibson guitars from the US at less than half what we paid for them here, but our customs men (and your retailers) got wise to it.

 

[Tom]

Hmmmm, a little out of my league but they look nice!

 

[donn]

Moving up, the aspirational can look to a gorgeous Beltuna from about $5500 for a 34/72 to around $7000 for a 120 bass. Scandallis can be had in the mid-$3000s.

If you've been shopping for a tuba, this looks pretty good! $8000 will get you a pretty decent "band" tuba, but the more competitive players are in for considerably more. All for a big brass thing that produces what sounds like hugely amplified body noises. And what's scary is that I think I like my used Cavagnolo better than that Studio 200B, so now do I have a $7000 accordion to worry about!? I didn't want one! For a French style that would suit me better, I could feel something for the Piermaria Régent, which in France apparently would fetch 8400€ incl VAT.

Anyway, the guitar makes a kind of silly comparison. The accordion is a far more specialized instrument, and its brief popularity in the '50s seems to me more of a bizarre fluke, maybe as weird as the very brief passion for the saxophone in early 20th century US. Saxophone players aren't longing for those days to return, nor would we really benefit from another accordion craze.

The real problem is I think indeed the cost, and it's a problem that may be found with any similarly low volume high craft production item. It isn't that the cost of those high end accordions - and tubas, etc. - is so much greater than it ever has been, in inflation adjusted terms, but price standards have slipped. The elite tuba makers in Germany are seeing some pretty lean times, like the elite accordion makers in Italy. Having handed over accordion production to the Chinese, will we find them willing to meet the quality standards of their predecessors in Europe?

 

[Thomas N]

Custom 960 Excelsior 5/5 new - ordered from Italy in 2003 - 4 months to build and deliver - $8000 US
Roland FR-8X new - 2015 - $4800

I've had many other accordions and probably have spent $20,000 over the years for all of them but because I sold some and used that same money to purchase others I can't put a total on it.

The Victoria Poeta I was looking at was around $9000 US. The Petosa AM-1100 around $10,500 US.

So yes, they are expensive. The high end models depreciate faster than $100,000 sports cars. Selling one can be difficult at best.

For me, it's a piece of art that I obtain great enjoyment from. I play them for at least an hour a day - every day. I don't really like to buy used because I keep them for such a long time and am in a position in life to afford certain luxuries. I've had my Excelsior for 16 years now. Every time I go to sell it I just can't part with it.

That being said, I play my FR-8X most of the time. I use headphones, love the sounds, the light weight and the quick keyboard.

I dream that in retirement I will open up an accordion studio and teach. I don't know if I have it in me, however. I don't want to do Skype lessons. I don't really see the point unless you can't find an instructor anywhere - which is a very real problem now. Without somebody physically sitting in the same room and showing you a lot gets lost. Still better than nothing.

And then how many students could I get? How many can I handle? How much to charge? I dislike scheduling, missed appointments, payments and worst of all - students that don't practice or care.

I don't see the accordion ever becoming popular in the US again.

 

[maugein96]

Donn,

My reference to guitars was merely to give an indication of the comparative difference in retail prices between Europe and the US. The actual instrument concerned is of no real consequence. Whether they are high or low volume we pay through the nose here for the privilege of making a noise. In addition to that UK tax on musical instruments is generally higher than elsewhere in Europe. If we made Cavagnolos here they would probably be even dearer than they are in France. We'd need about 28 different tradesmen to make an accordion, and they would all be in different trade unions. Our car production went to the wall when it was discovered that half of the night shift went to work with their sleeping bags and alarm clocks. We are the best dodgers in the world, and proud of it.

The switch to Chinese production does not appear to have had the desired effect. A lot of knowledgeable people on here tell us to give Chinese made accordions a very wide berth, and I believe that attitude prevails throughout the accordion trade. Give us a shot at accordion making and we'll do you a great job for $40000 for a two voice 72 bass. You might need to wait for a few years due to strikes and work to rule situations, and the original quoted purchase price will probably double during that time, but you can't beat quality British craftsmanship. Or so they said when we had big industries here.

 

[cat]

One major impediment for accordian is its "common" repertoire/cultural associations and referrants (in north America). With its increasing presence in folk idioms, along with those playing trad, the acrdn is finding a fresh audience.

I'm a trad player and always see people respond to highly *rhythmic* music (dance tunes and grooves). But I don't always find this same audience reaction if I play more modern PA repertoire.

Personally, I don't much care for it either.

 

[Eddy Yates]

Don't know if the phenomenon of "house concerts" is thriving in the rest of the world like it is in the States. It is an ideal venue for solo accordion or small groups. No amplification necessary, people listen (and dance), the 40-60 people who can fit into a room really want to be there, they actually buy CDs (!), and you are respected.

 

[Morne]

Can we quantify popularity in order to compare it? We all know its less popular than before, but by how much? Was it ever really that popular compared to other instruments?

I found a random site quoting some numbers about the top instruments in terms of learning popularity in 2014:

1. Keyboard 30%
2. Piano 28%
3. Recorder 28%
4. Classical guitar (% missing)
5. Drum kit 14%
6. Electric Guitar 13%
7. Violin 12%
8. Percussion 6%
9. Bass Guitar 5%

Or just the most popular list (mostly the same instruments):

1. Electric guitar
2. Keyboard
3. Piano
4. Guitar
5. Drums
6. Violin
7. Saxophone
8. Flute
9. Cello
10. Clarinet

(Source: https://www.firsttutors.com/uk/musi...-of-music-lessons-and-some-interesting-facts/)

Just as an example, was the accordion ever more popular than any of those for any length of time? Are we talking about finding an accordion in every other household? Or are we still realistically talking about rounding-error level numbers here? 0.001% is less than 0.002%, but still?

I wonder, because how popular do we really want the accordion to be? Sure, there will be some benefits where it gets cheaper to buy while at the same time factories can make enough money to not outsource to the lowest bidder.

But how far do we want to go?

I fear some eschatological consequences should half the world decide to join in on an accordion-induced infernal din.

 

[maugein96]

Morne,

I think it varies from place to place, and as kids we actually were over-exposed to the instrument by the sheer number of sectarian marching accordion bands which proliferated in my home area of Scotland. It was probably the most popular instrument in parts of south west Scotland for quite some time on account of that, and was big business for the local accordion shops.

Infernal din just about sums it up, as 20 musette tuned accordions, a dozen flutes, and half a dozen drums is something you never really forget. When there was a procession of 20 or more bands suicide was a serious option, as scarcely any two were playing the same tune at the same time.

Never mind, I now have some idea what "eschatological consequences" means. In Scottish speak it tends to suggest a male with incontinence, but you can put down accordion as number 1 in South west Scotland from say 1930 through to about 1970.

For anybody who wishes to see the spectacle of 400 plus accordions all playing at the same time check out the "events" calendar for North Lanarkshire for the Saturday closest to the 12th July, or try and get a look in the "Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser" newspaper, at the people appearing in court on the Monday morning afterwards to see what you've missed. I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as it once was, and believe me it was bad.

It did, (and still does) do for the accordion what Attila the Hun did for humanity.