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Author Topic: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models  (Read 5116 times)

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triplet

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Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« on: October 13, 2008, 08:43:41 PM »

Has anyone ever tried any of the Castagnari 2 1/2 or 3 row models? I'm wondering how the Dony and the Benny compare - I can't figure out why the Dony should be so much heavier while having fewer buttons, all else being virtually equal.

Any thoughts gratefully received!
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BruceHenderson

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2008, 12:33:53 AM »

Has anyone ever tried any of the Castagnari 2 1/2 or 3 row models? I'm wondering how the Dony and the Benny compare - I can't figure out why the Dony should be so much heavier while having fewer buttons, all else being virtually equal.

Any thoughts gratefully received!

    The Benny has two reeds per note and a pretty "lightweight" bass.  It's fast as a rocket ship but it's not packing a lot of internals.  It's a wonderful melodeon but it's it's not a big, heavy multi-featured box.  Never played a Dony

BH NC USA
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I love one-rows!  Four reeds kick butt!!!!

melodyman

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2008, 08:05:07 AM »

I have had a Dony that I really didn't get on with.

However I recently bought a D/G Handry with a row of accidentals.
A much more balanced box with a lots of sound variations
The weight might be troublesome to some but to me its a joy.

Thank You Rees for unexpectedly supplying it.
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,Handry 12,Evo.

ganderbox

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2008, 10:50:08 AM »

I bought a D/G Dony about 9 years ago and its been my main box ever since. It sounds lovely, and it has a really powerful bass. Until then I had played a pokerwork and a Lily, and I found the Dony, being a bigger box, completely changed my style of playing...I found myself playing across the rows much more, never ran out of air, and I started doing a lot more with the basses.
I know a few people who play Bennys, but they don't have as good a sound quality as the Dony and personally I don't find them easy to play...maybe they are a bit too much in too small a package...but they are obviously very practical.
I think larger boxes generally sound better, because they have a bigger resonant cavity (if that is the right description). Dony is quite heavy at 4.1 kg, but that creates more problems in carrying it around than actually playing it. Buying an accordion rucksack for it was one of the best moves I made!   

Pauline
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Pauline from Cornwall

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Andy in Vermont

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2008, 12:12:40 PM »

Has anyone ever tried any of the Castagnari 2 1/2 or 3 row models? I'm wondering how the Dony and the Benny compare - I can't figure out why the Dony should be so much heavier while having fewer buttons, all else being virtually equal.

The Dony is bigger, so the box itself is quite a bit heavier.  If you are used to seeing full-sized boxes, the first time you see a Benny, it's small size will be a shock.  Also, if I'm not mistaken, the Dony has more bass reeds, including the deep bass reeds which add substantial weight.  If you get a chance to try a Dony and a Benny side-by-side, it would give you the best idea of which you prefer.  The added weight (of the Dony) matters to some people and not to others.  Same goes for the smaller button spacing of the Benny, and the question of full-sized bellows versus reduced size bellows.  Also, the sound of the bass of the Benny is thin, compared to fully-voiced basses.  The Benny is a great box if portability is an issue.
-Andy

triplet

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2008, 02:14:16 PM »

Thanks for all your really helpful comments! My problem is that I am caught between my Tommy, which has several huge advantages:  fantastic tone, tiny distances between buttons which makes for much better accuracy when making big jumps, and very light weight on the left arm, making for very sensitive rhythmic control.

On the hand, as it were, I also have a Saltarelle Pastourelle II which has the extra bit of a third row (which I have tuned to C# on a B/C system) and this is such a wonderful advantage to have to give a smoother bellows, e.g. the F# and C nat on the pull. And of course it's a dream to have 12 basses instead of 8.

Hence me looking at bigger castagnaris. The Benny seems akin to the Tommy in general proportions, but I don't necessarily want a full third row. And it looks quite weird! The keyboard is quite out of proportion, but I guess I can live with that.  After all it's the tonal quality of the Tommy that I'm loathe to abandon.

The Dony looks the biz - my only worry is that the weight on the left arm will be unmanageable, particularly after being used to the tommy. I can't find what the weight of the Pastourelle II is. It's not bad, but then it's only 2 voice.  Does the Dony have those tiny buttons like the Tommy? I guess not..

Thanks again!
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Caroline

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2008, 03:21:11 PM »


 I can't find what the weight of the Pastourelle II is.
Try getting on the bathroom scales with and without it ;D
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ganderbox

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2008, 05:12:28 PM »

According to an old Music Room catalogue I happen to have, a Pastourelle II weighs 3.1kg....the same as a Benny. Does that sound right?....seems very light for a full size 2 and a bit row 12 bass box.

Pauline 
« Last Edit: October 14, 2008, 05:16:42 PM by ganderbox »
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Pauline from Cornwall

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Stiamh

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2008, 09:09:11 PM »

According to an old Music Room catalogue I happen to have, a Pastourelle II weighs 3.1kg....the same as a Benny. Does that sound right?....seems very light for a full size 2 and a bit row 12 bass box.

It does seem odd, given that the Irish Bouebe weighs 3.1 kg (with 3 fewer treble buttons and 4 fewer basses). I just checked on Thierry Beuze's site (more information than the official Saltarelle site) and while he doesn't give the weight of the Pastourelle II, that of the Connemara II (pretty much the same box with a flat keyboard) is given as 3.2 kg. 

ganderbox

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2008, 10:30:15 AM »

Looking through the Salterelle boxes in the catalogue, it seems all their boxes are on the light side. They also seem narrower from front to back...the Pastourelle II is only 14.5cms, compared with 17cms for a Dony.

Pauline
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Pauline from Cornwall

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EeeJay

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Re: Castagnari 2 1/2 row models
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2008, 01:15:24 PM »

Benny now has a different design bass end, where the bellows are pinned at both ends, not glued to the LH case as previously... I'm sure this does not "reed share" (like this model used to do), because a third stop is now available as an option. So it seems they've cracked the R/L sound balance issues.

You can also get a Benny with 18 bass now. Mind you, I know someone who's had an 18 bass Benny for some time now, but I think it was some kind of one off/prototype... Judging from this clip on YouTube, I reckon the new 18 bass mechanism sounds very well balanced.

However, given the choice (and assuming it's a new purchase), you might want to consider a Dony, or a Rik/Evo, rather than a Benny. The bigger box allows the sound to resonate, and sounds somewhat different. Mind you, the weight/bulk can be an issue...

Re. width of Pastorelle 2 vs. Dony - the half row on the Dony is configured differently... I'm fairly certain the reeds are placed on a separate reedblock (like the older model Club accordions), hence it's wider, whereas the Pastourelle 2 / Connemara 2 / Cheviot have two long treble reedblocks, and the keys are configured to suit.

As for Saltarelles... the Irish Bouebe is quoted as wider too (15cm rather than 14.5cm)... possibly due to the "reverse sprung" arrangement (at least on the older models), whereas the Pastourelle 2 / Connemara 2 / Cheviot is just sprung off one rod.

Speaking about width... from personal experience... dependant on design (possibly more of an issue with 12 bass or more), if the bass reedblocks are in a shallow bass cabinet, and are angled over too close to the bellows, the valves can easily get trapped / deformed / dislodged, causing it to loose compression easily... so watch out for this...

Ed J
« Last Edit: March 18, 2011, 07:50:20 PM by EeeJay »
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