Black Diamond CBA

[Daddy Long Les]

Hi,

Anyone know anything about Black Diamond accordions? Specifically their B system CBAs.

Les

 

[Soulsaver]

They are made in China. They say with with Italian reeds and supposedly with additional quality control, if that has any bearing..

 

[Adam-T]

Yep, the best of the Chinese but it`s no Weltmeister .. that white one at the music room is looking the best value (after a discount due to it being there so long)

 

[Soulsaver]

This one?
http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/pr ... ts_id/5779

 

[Soulsaver]

Yep, the best of the Chinese ...

We could start a thread on Black Diamond, but for now Adam, whats the basis for that opinion?

 

[Adam-T]

Treble Action (bass action to a smaller degree), bellows and overall feel - the BDs sound very good (better than the boxes they`re based on) but they`re still using Chinese mechanics which are a lot less refined than the new Weltmeisters ..

EDIT - Of course this is only my opinion based on brief experience (I`ve not used a B/D for any length of tme) but I feel that Black Diamond's PAs offer better value for money than the CBA , probably because the price difference between them and the likes of the Weltmeister Achat is wider - and that the Weltmeister 72 bass CBA is exceptionally good for the new Thomann price .. It must seem that I`m on a Weltmeister CBA Mission at the moment but compare the treble action feel and speed (which I feel is the heart of a CBA especially when learning) to a Pigini or other top of the range Italian box and you`ll see where I`m coming from , it`s closer than you`d imagine - OK it`s downhill from there (Bass action, bellows, reed response, build etc are no Pigini) but for the Money ........

 

[Daddy Long Les]

BD have offered me one on appro or I can pop up the road to Mersey Island to try one. Can't fault their service so far. Fast and courteous response to all emails. They don't have any audio demos of their CBAs but I like the sound of their PAs.

Trouble is my FR-18 has such an amazingly fast RH I think I'm going to find most real CBAs hard work!!

Just wish it had a proper stradella bass. What's the going rate for a FR series CBA?

 

[Adam-T]

Trouble is my FR-18 has such an amazingly fast RH I think Im going to find most real CBAs hard work!!

Don`t bank on it - my Pigini is almost as fast as a Roland and the Welty isn`t far behind .. real acoustic CBAs handle far better than the Rolands bellows wise of course unless you like that stiff , constant leakage feel the FR series have, it drove me nuts.

It`l be interesting to see how you like the BD .

 

[Daddy Long Les]

Yes the FR bellows are truly horrible. This is why I have programmed it as a CBA. Unless you're built like Conan the Barbarian I think it's very hard to play them in true melodeon style. I've tried all bellows settings and currently have them on "as stiff as they can go". At least in this way I can get a lot of notes out of the instrument without too much LH work.

The way I've set up my LH is not too bad but of course a proper stradella would be preferable.

I'll report back if I do borrow a BD. If I had the money I'd have craptiger's Pigini - now that sounds really, really nice!!

 

[TW]

Some posters have remarked about difficulty with the bellows of Roland Accordions.

I have no problem with their holding that opinion, I and others share a different view.

What I do find unneccessary is the promulgation of that view as if it were fact when it is just opinion.

 

[smdc66]

Hi,

Anyone know anything about Black Diamond accordions? Specifically their B system CBAs.

Les

they are a nice friendly bunch of box enthusiasts and would be happy to help im sure and give you tips on how and where to try one out {}

 

[Daddy Long Les]

Some posters have remarked about difficulty with the bellows of Roland Accordions.

I have no problem with their holding that opinion, I and others share a different view.

What I do find unneccessary is the promulgation of that view as if it were fact when it is just opinion.

Sorry TW. Didnt mean to give offence. Im sure that there are a lot of people who are fine with the Roland bellows. Its probably my playing and inexperience. As you rightly say its an opinion not a fact.

Les

 

[Daddy Long Les]

Hi,

Anyone know anything about Black Diamond accordions? Specifically their B system CBAs.

Les

they are a nice friendly bunch of box enthusiasts and would be happy to help im sure and give you tips on how and where to try one out {}[/quote]

I have found this to be true. I just wanted an opinion from a third party if possible.

 

[donn]

As you rightly say its an opinion not a fact.

As are most facts that we would ever bother to report. Easiest way to make it work, is to assume by common convention that if it was worth saying, it was an opinion.

 

[Adam-T]

Facts are proven things which are 100% True ..... Hohner Make accordions, Jarvo has a cat, Inverness is further than 3 metric kilometers away from Canterbury etc, stuff like that ....

Opinions are what We think about things which are true to us but not necessarily true to others such as .... Pigini, Beltuna & Brandoni are better than the rest of the Italian PA/CBA makers, Dry tuning of 3 reeds is a waste of reeds, Fireball XL5 was the best Gerry Anderson show & Thunderbirds was cheesy and overrated, CBAs are Cooler than PAs etc .

Then there are Urban Myths which often get perpetuated by people who either believe them genuinely through experience or read them and pass them BUT aren`t always true at all such as .. Avoid all Chinese Pokerworks, they`re rubbish, Swiss made Hohners sound better than German ones, it never stops raining in Scotland, Irish people are thick, Scousers are all Thieves, The English are a bunch of Whingers etc .....

 

[Glenn]

Opinions are what We think about things which are true to us but not necessarily true to others such as .... Pigini, Beltuna & Brandoni are better than the rest of the Italian PA/CBA makers, Dry tuning of 3 reeds is a waste of reeds, Fireball XL5 was the best Gerry Anderson show & Thunderbirds was cheesy and overrated, CBAs are Cooler than PAs etc .

Trouble is, opinions end up being facts (until proven otherwise) when people are unsure and simply want to exercise their right to acting like a sheep.
Thus say them too often and we lose our ability to judge for fear of being not one of the crowd. For instance, I think CBAs are cooler than PAs only when fitted with a refrigeration unit and a beer dispenser but Im too shy to say so

 

[Soulsaver]

BD have offered me one on appro or I can pop up the road to Mersey Island to try one. Cant fault their service so far. Fast and courteous response to all emails. They dont have any audio demos of their CBAs but I like the sound of their PAs.

Trouble is my FR-18 has such an amazingly fast RH I think Im going to find most real CBAs hard work!!

Just wish it had a proper stradella bass. Whats the going rate for a FR series CBA?

They did used to have audio demos of some models.

 

[Daddy Long Les]

Ok, Black Diamond are sending me a B system CBA to evaluate. With their permission I'm going to do a video review so I will post that on here when it's done. Juliet from BD has instructed me to be totally honest so I will be. I'm under no obligation whatsoever to buy the box and they will pick it up after I've had it for a week. Of course we both hope that won't be necessary!

I must say their customer service has been exemplary so far - more or less instant response to emails etc. friendly and courteous. Of course the proof of the pudding is in the eating so watch this space......

Whatever the outcome, there are many companies and shops who could learn a thing or two from Black Diamond's approach to a would-be customer.
:tup: :tup: :tup:

 

[Adam-T]

Whatever the outcome, there are many companies and shops who could learn a thing or two from Black Diamonds approach to a would-be customer.
:tup: :tup: :tup:

I`ll Drink to that !!!!!!!!! .. There seems to be a varaince of Customer service in the UK retail industry - care and consideration of this standard (like BD) at top end of the scale and Garages and Camera shops at the absolute other :shock: .

Funny thing is that Music shops vary from one end to the other, even funnier is that a single music shop can also vary depending on what you`re buying (and money isn`t the issue - some appear to take more care over selling you a set of strings for your strat than they would an expensive PA - weird )

Anyway, it`ll be very interesting to see what you think of the BD Les, it`ll be vauable to them as an experience from a total CBA Beginner buying a first box ..

 

[jarvo]

Ha.....I'll drink to that too....I bought a Vox Valvetronix VT15 tube amp about 18 months ago.....almost on the day after the warranty ran out it failed......the attitude was a shrug of the shoulders and do you want to buy something else !.....I replaced the tube but it still does not work.(15 beans down the swanee)....probably too expensive too effect an economical repair but the attitude was diabolical....in a bad mood now :evil: so going to have a grumpy prackyacktiss session {}