summercomfort (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
summercomfort) wrote2009-11-14 06:42 pm
summercomfort) wrote2009-11-14 06:42 pm
(no subject)
So it's getting to holiday season, and I was trying to figure out what to get Jono for the holidays. I'm not really big on present-giving at a designated time of the year, but I like the idea of a grand gesture once a year. I know he's really into music, and when Isaac came down last time, Isaac had suggested that Jono pick up the guitar. For some reason, guitar didn't feel ... right. Jono started with learning music theory, and all of these fingerings and chords just seemed like an extra step from the theory. It made more sense in my head to find an instrument where you can quickly bang out a melody, and where you can easily create a chord harmony. The thought rolled around in my head for the last few weeks, until on Wednesday night, I asked Jono, "So... I want to get you an instrument for Christmas/birthday. Would you like a guitar... or an accordion?"
"ACCORDION!!!" was the Jono response. Makes sense, as Weird Al and John Linnell both play accordion.
I looked online and ... man, accordions are pricey! The big professional ones *start* at $1000, and the "beginner" ones start at $400. Jeez! And apparently buying via the internet is not always recommended because it's composed of a bajillion parts that might wiggle and break in shipping.
By now Jono had found youtube videos of people playing Tetris with Accordion, and the super-cool theory-friendly bass note schematic and was getting increasingly excited. Even though the right hand chromatic button system is pretty cool and easy for transposing, Jono decided he wanted a piano accordion for transferable skills.
At this point, I'd found an ebay accordion that seemed to be in my price range (~$400), but Jono's like "so sketchy!", so I looked for info about the sketchy ebay accordions, and in the process, found an accordion shoppe in Oakland! With accordions ranging from $200 to $7000. So we made plans to visit on Saturday.
The rest of the week, Jono looked up a ton of accordion youtube videos and got increasingly excited. Until finally it's Saturday, so we hustle up the Oakland to the accordion shoppe.
It's the sketchiest storefront ever: you enter through a side door and it's an enclosed room in an empty warehouse. But this dude was there and we went in and there were a ton of accordions!
Jono quickly decided on a 34 key 72 bass accordion that's like this one, except red. That plus the instruction book came out to about $790, so I paid for part of it, and Jono paid the rest. It comes with a 1-year warranty, as well as a 75% trade-in deal. (So if Jono ever wants to upgrade...)
So now we have an accordion! It's pretty cool! :D
"ACCORDION!!!" was the Jono response. Makes sense, as Weird Al and John Linnell both play accordion.
I looked online and ... man, accordions are pricey! The big professional ones *start* at $1000, and the "beginner" ones start at $400. Jeez! And apparently buying via the internet is not always recommended because it's composed of a bajillion parts that might wiggle and break in shipping.
By now Jono had found youtube videos of people playing Tetris with Accordion, and the super-cool theory-friendly bass note schematic and was getting increasingly excited. Even though the right hand chromatic button system is pretty cool and easy for transposing, Jono decided he wanted a piano accordion for transferable skills.
At this point, I'd found an ebay accordion that seemed to be in my price range (~$400), but Jono's like "so sketchy!", so I looked for info about the sketchy ebay accordions, and in the process, found an accordion shoppe in Oakland! With accordions ranging from $200 to $7000. So we made plans to visit on Saturday.
The rest of the week, Jono looked up a ton of accordion youtube videos and got increasingly excited. Until finally it's Saturday, so we hustle up the Oakland to the accordion shoppe.
It's the sketchiest storefront ever: you enter through a side door and it's an enclosed room in an empty warehouse. But this dude was there and we went in and there were a ton of accordions!
Jono quickly decided on a 34 key 72 bass accordion that's like this one, except red. That plus the instruction book came out to about $790, so I paid for part of it, and Jono paid the rest. It comes with a 1-year warranty, as well as a 75% trade-in deal. (So if Jono ever wants to upgrade...)
So now we have an accordion! It's pretty cool! :D
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