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[malcolmbebb]

Don't normally like to post about stuff on Ebay, but this is probably worth a mention.

A new box from Kay Albrecht in conjunction with Andreas of Fraton Accordions:

[triskel]

Ummm, I don't mean to knock the instrument (which may well be utterly wonderful to play!) but I think calling it a "new Kay Albrecht box" might be stretching it a bit Malcolm.

The listing only claims "This melodeon is manufactured in collaboration with Kay Albrecht", and there's nothing to say that Kay actually made any of it - nor does it have "the look" of one of that he did.

I'm also a bit surprised to see the anchor emblem on it, since that used to be a Hohner trade mark on accordons (which, as the "double anchor", they acquired with Kalbe in 1912), but I guess it's no longer in use by them...

By the way, both the eBay listing and the Fraton Accordions website get Kay's web address wrong, which is (of course!) https://aaccordion.com, and not aaccordions.com.

[Steve_freereeder]

Yes - I agree with Triskel: whatever the claims of Fraton Accordions, this is not a Kay Albrecht instrument, although Kay may well have had an advisory role in its development.

I have played one of the Fraton two-rows (similar to the e-bay listing) last year at on their Whitby Folk Week trade stand. It was quite nice but nothing really exceptional. However, I have also played a couple of the real Kay Albrecht boxes and they are truly wonderful instruments in terms of response, sound and superb workmanship. Highly recommended!