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Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: Craig Gordon on September 05, 2019, 03:37:03 AM

Title: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Craig Gordon on September 05, 2019, 03:37:03 AM
Good day. I am looking at my options for Saltarelle melodeons in GC. As I look all over online, I am finding two places that have a greater variety of GC instruments, that I am considering, in stock: www.lamalleauxaccordeons.fr (France) and https://folkfriends.com/en/ (Germany).

Their prices are very fair and they seem pleasant enough in my communication, but I am attempting due diligence here to see if anyone has any familiarity with either of these shops. Do you know them by experience, or at least by reputation, and what is it that you could recommend to me about them?

I know that most experience here is likely with UK shop owners, but as I consider my options, I wonder if anyone has any experiences this way? Thank you for any help you can offer. All the best.
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Steve_freereeder on September 05, 2019, 08:43:59 AM
Why not deal directly with Saltarelle? You cut out the middle man (e.g. the dealers you mention) who will have his margins to maintain.
Saltarelle is not a manufacturer, they simply arrange for instruments to be made for them to their specifications.

http://www.saltarelle.com/en/about-us
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Craig Gordon on September 05, 2019, 10:43:24 AM
Thank you, that is an option I hadn't considered. I have heard that it is a good idea to have your instrument setup, and that is a service I was thinking I would have in a middle-man. Do you think that a Saltarelle instrument would come properly setup directly from the 'manufacturer'? (I work and live in South Korea, and there is no one in country that I know of who could properly service it.
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Thrupenny Bit on September 05, 2019, 11:19:33 AM
The only trouble is, if it doesn't come set up, or there's a problem, then you have to send it back to the manufacturer.
In the UK this is a perpetual see-saw:
Do I buy direct and get it cheaper, or use a dealer who will charge more but takes on the responsibility should anything go wrong or not supplied as ordered?
Saying that, where you live might tip the balance to go directly to Saltarelle, as you can't just pop into the shop where you bought it as we can here!
Q
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Craig Gordon on September 05, 2019, 11:46:36 AM
Yes, that is exactly the discussion going on in my head now. That having been said, I would still love to hear if anyone has experiences with either of these vendors, but I would also appreciate any experiences directly with Saltarelle (especially along the lines of how the instrument came to you–was it set up or did you need to have it serviced right away?)

Thank you, All!
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: John MacKenzie (Cugiok) on September 05, 2019, 11:59:07 AM
My immediate thought is this. Why buy a new one which may or may not arrive set up well, when there are boxes around second hand, with an existing provenance, and at a lesser price too.

SJ
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Thrupenny Bit on September 05, 2019, 12:10:01 PM
SJ has a point, our esteemed fettlers on this forum regularly pick up second hand Saltarelles and they would be sorted before dispatching.
Q
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Theo on September 05, 2019, 12:41:43 PM
Useful information on this topic (http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,21254.msg259127.html#msg259127) including an initial contribution from Vincent Roux of Saltarelle


Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Graham Spencer on September 05, 2019, 12:53:30 PM
Do you think that a Saltarelle instrument would come properly setup directly from the 'manufacturer'?

Mine certainly didn't, by a long way; but that was in the 1980s, and I'm sure things will have changed by now.

Graham
Title: Re: Familiarity with these sellers?
Post by: Falconer on September 12, 2019, 02:21:50 PM
I purchased a new Castagnari GC+ from lamalleauxaccordeons a couple months ago and was very happy with the experience.  Mike sent me photos of multiple boxes, detailed descriptions and answered questions. The box came perfectly in tune with no problems. And it had the best packing job for shipping that I have ever seen. This was important for me as I am very far away and it would be too expensive to send it back for repairs. They mailed it via Laposte to the USPS and I paid no import duty on my end. Yay!
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