Cairdin Accordions

[Susan Dawson]

Hi there!
I am a button accordion player from Scotland. I play the small
Saltarelle (the Irish Bouebe b/c). I am interested in buying either a
Cairdin, which is a new make of button accordion made in Ireland or a
new Castagnari. Has anyone tried a Cairdin? I can't make my mind up!
What do you think of the Castagnari Button accordions i.e
reeds,action,responsiveness etc. Hope to hear from someone soon!

regards, Susan.
--
Susan Dawson

[Han Speek]

[Posted and mailed]

In article <6on41e$7...@d-and-d.com>,

Hi Susan,

Cairdin are based in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, Ireland (Rathkeale Enterprise
Centre, Bank Place, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, Ireland, tel./fax: 00353-96-63255)
but they also have an office and showroom in England (58 Blackbush Ave,
Chadwell Heath, Essex, RM6 5TT, England, tel./fax: 0181-2622270).

They make quite nice boxes, but I was slightly put off by their high prices,
compared even to what Italian-made boxes cost in Ireland (I've only just
returned from a 3-week vacation there).

My advice would be to forget the Cairdin, and have a look at some of the more
recently introduced Irish models made by Italian makers such as Mengascini,
Serenellini, Baffetti. Saltarelle has also a few new models, like a slightly
fancier version of their Nuage model (I've seen one in blue, only a few weeks
old, and it was way better than their usual Nuage models) that may be worth
checking out.

Castagnari make good boxes, but I've never liked their sound for Irish music.
But that's probably a matter of taste, as some players I met seem to be quite
happy with them.

Hope this helps,

Han.

P.S. Why not contact John Turner at "Sounds Interesting" ? He can probably
supply most of the brands I just mentioned, and give useful advice on what
might be suitable options for you. His e-mail is Jo...@melodeon.demon.co.uk

--
H. Speek, B.Sc. E-mail: h...@ice.el.utwente.nl,
Univ. of Twente, Dept. EL, ICE group H.S...@el.utwente.nl
The Netherlands WWW: http://www.ice.el.utwente.nl/~han/

[Tom McGough]

Hi, Susan. I heard a Cairdin at a concert in February. John Whelan was
playing it. It sounded absolutely beautiful. I was amazed that such a
little box could produce such a sweet, and loud, sound. But...I would
suggest you don't take *my* word for it, or anybody else's, for that
matter. You should hear for yourself with your own ears. If you can't
hear one live, then listen to them on a recording. But best if you can
listen to it live.

I have come to the conclusion that one shouldn't buy an accordion
without trying it first. The sound, the feel, the looks...whatever is
really important to you...should be discovered by you first hand.

If you'd like to hear John Whelan play, get a copy of his CD "Celtic
Crossroads" (Narada Lotus ND-61060). There are some really nice cuts,
including jigs and reels. I particularly like the sound of his
accordion on his beautiful waltz called "Passage of Time."

As to the comment about price that I read elsewhere, I believe you
should carefully shop around, compare the accordions for whatever
attributes are important to you (including price), and then make your
own decision. You may find that you like the sound (or the
responsiveness, or whatever) of the higher priced accordion so much that
you are willing to pay the difference. It's a personal decision, but
you should make it based on your own data.

Good luck!

Tom McGough
Columbus, IN

Susan Dawson wrote:
>
> Hi there!
> I am a button accordion player from Scotland. I play the small
> Saltarelle (the Irish Bouebe b/c). I am interested in buying either a
> Cairdin, which is a new make of button accordion made in Ireland or a
> new Castagnari. Has anyone tried a Cairdin? I can't make my mind up!
> What do you think of the Castagnari Button accordions i.e
> reeds,action,responsiveness etc. Hope to hear from someone soon!
>
> regards, Susan.

> --
> Susan Dawson