Any thoughts on New vs Used?

[eric]

So, I'm probably going to take the leap into the world of digital accordions (Roland 4x) and I see two options: New and Used. The used would save some money, but the new comes with a warranty. I live in a city where there are probably a number of Roland repair folks (Nashville, TN) but noone is listed as a seller here, so the accordion would be shipped. I imagine repairs for it would either be fine at a regular Roland place if it were circuit board related. Not so sure about the other stuff, though.

Any thoughts? Has anyone had a need for the warranty? From my understanding, electronic components are most likely to fail pretty early on, so the likely problems would come during the 90 day labor portion of the warranty. However, I guess that also means that, as long as the used accordion doesn't have any obvious issues and was played a reasonable amount before being sold, then it probably is pretty safe...so, maybe the warranty isn't too much of an issue.

Also, were there ever revisions to the FR4X that would maybe make the used accordion less desirable than the current version, depending on it's age?

 

[lmschgo]

For what it's worth, my FR-1X is now 4 years old and I have not had any electronic component problems requiring repairs. (I only play at home, so it has not been subjected to any inadvertent rough handling that might occur if I traveled outside my house)

 

[Valski]

So, I'm probably going to take the leap into the world of digital accordions (Roland 4x) and I see two options: New and Used. The used would save some money, but the new comes with a warranty. I live in a city where there are probably a number of Roland repair folks (Nashville, TN) but noone is listed as a seller here, so the accordion would be shipped. I imagine repairs for it would either be fine at a regular Roland place if it were circuit board related. Not so sure about the other stuff, though.

Any thoughts? Has anyone had a need for the warranty? From my understanding, electronic components are most likely to fail pretty early on, so the likely problems would come during the 90 day labor portion of the warranty. However, I guess that also means that, as long as the used accordion doesn't have any obvious issues and was played a reasonable amount before being sold, then it probably is pretty safe...so, maybe the warranty isn't too much of an issue.

Also, were there ever revisions to the FR4X that would maybe make the used accordion less desirable than the current version, depending on it's age?

Hi Eric, the Fr8x and the Fr4x both have the capability to expand or update their software so you shouldn't be concerned that you might get an out of date version. While not an expert, I have owned mine for about 5 years now and have picked up parts of the programming over time. I was told by a couple of dealers of these accordions that the main reason that they are sold is because a lot of players are unable to manage the electronics. My dealer sold me mine with the Richard Noel sets pre-installed because he knew that this would make the journey an enjoyable one.

As far as failure of the electronic components, this is unlikely to occur but since the Fr8x uses the large nickle cadmium battery which is installed inside the instrument, I am careful to ensure that it's plugged into a surge protected outlet. You won't have the same issue with the Fr4x since this uses a bank of AA batteries which are recharged externally. In fact because I have been very careful to recharge my instrument when the battery is drained, the battery still lasts for a full evening of a performance. On Saturday I played at a party and the battery lasted for over 5 hours and it was probably good for a couple more.

The reason why I have gone on about the batteries is because I think that this is your main concern. Also you should purchase the pre loaded sets as this will save you a lot of work and frustration and the accordion will sound amazing from the start. Good luck either option will work.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

It looks like Roland is not about to release any new models. Given the fact that they claim to have run out of some FR-8x boards, I’m beginning to wonder about when the same thing will happen to FR-4x parts at some point in the next few years. This, of course, sheds no light on the choice of new vs. used, but might construed as a warning against buying any Roland V-accordion. That’s not what I intend, but it’s worth noting.

I bought my FR-4x about three years ago. I bought it new from a Roland dealer and it has served me well with no issues, so I have little to say about buying one used except that if you have an opportunity to test the used one before you buy it, that’s preferable to buying it sight unseen. Also, some dealers will extend Roland’s new accordion warranty, and that’s a plus for buying it new from such a dealer, even if he charges more for it than other sources.

 

[dunlustin]

I have come across:

FR1XB: Very early models had a number of failures of the Bass Strap mounting coming away from the body. Some years ago I posted serial numbers of ‘boxes’ having failed ( Europe only). In Europe this was fixed by Roland and I know of one dealer in the US who did his own mod’ to fix.
FR4XB: I have had the ‘box’ go haywire – just weird sounds – this was after several ( many?) weeks not played with batteries in situ - fixed by replacing batteries and a reset. Also the bellows response became unreliable. This is covered in the ‘trouble shooting’ section of the manual. The fix is described, simple and effective.
FWIW: The FR1X Piano keyboard with 2 octaves is probably too small for many even tho’ offset by the transpose function and the octave switch. I found the Button version with 3 octaves met my needs but lusted after a 4X.

I enjoy my 4XB a lot but with hindsight maybe the 1XB would have done on balance, given – easier to handle, more acc sounds than I could use ( especially with the free extra downloads for the 1X ) not into the extras – orchestra, drums etc.
I have only amateur experience – more intensive users will know more. Don’t know of any revisions.

 

[pentaprism]

I currently have:

• FR-1xb - purchased June 2013 as a "demo" (but looked and felt new) from Music 123
• FR-2b - purchased Nov 2014 used from Craigslist (originally for a friend of mine but a few months later he gave up accordion and I bought it from him). I don't know how old it is.
• FR-7b - purchased Oct 2016 as "used" (but looked and felt new) from Roxy's Music

None of them has required any repair work.

 

[eric]

Thanks for the responses. I have decided to go with the used one. Looking forward to having some fun with it!

 

[JerryPH]

More important than new or used is.. .if used, how hard? If this was a pro musician's or one that is used hard several times a week, you can bet that issues will arise faster than if you buy from a private owner who plays 1-2 times a week.

That said, even very new ones are known to fail. Roland placed a lot of known defective sound card boards in their 8X. Sure they repaired and replaced them for free, but still.

There are no guarantees but if its a year or less old, used very little and the price is fair, I would say that is about as safe a bet as one could ask for.

 

[debra]

The newest Roland is the FR4x and was introduced in 2016, whereas the flagship FR8x was introduced in 2013. So it is likely that when you buy a "new" one it has been produced already quite some time ago. The Rolands are currently way overpriced for models from 2013 and 2016, and to me it appears Roland has lost interest in the V-Accordion. I would strongly suggest buying a used one from a private owner (not a professional, as Jerry already pointed out). The wear on electronics is not much more when it is used lightly compared to when it has been sitting on a shelf or in a warehouse for years. The used one has the advantage that any defects that show up within the first year or so have been found (and then hopefully repaired).
If you are not in a hurry I would hold off for a bit and see what Proxima comes out with, if ever...

 

[jozz]

I have the very early used FR1X, and it suits me just fine

Have fun with your choice later on!

 

[oldbayan]

I have a FR-18 (diatonic) that I bought second-hand, and a FR-1xb bought new, never had any issues after a few years of use. The FR-1xb is a mean little machine for its size, 37 treble notes (38 with B-griff) with a great sound engine.