The name 'Dancemaster' was chosen in honor of my long-time mentor and friend, the Irish setdancing legend, Dancemaster Timmy 'the Brit' McCarthy of Ballyvourney, Co. Cork. He is best known for his amazingly fun dancing workshops and the wild Kerry polkas he pumps out on his trademark '45 C#/D Paolo Soprani strapped to his chest as he dances about the floor while calling the dances - a feat that is both awesome and inspiring.
Compared to most other traditional instruments the 'box' is relatively easy to play, loud enough to be heard over the noise of the dancers, and (at least in the old days) quite affordable even for the modest budget of the humble traveling dancemaster. As such, it has long been the instrument of choice for the lone dancemaster.
Keeping in line with the original purpose of the dancemasters' favored instrument, I have set three primary objectives for my Dancemaster accordions: that they should be effortless to play, have a big sound, and be affordable even for the 'starving musician.'
Our 2-row ST and Forte models feature ergonomically proportioned bodies with short, lightweight bass ends, long bellows, light-touch fingerboards, and responsive Italian reeds custom tuned to order. The soundboards and reed blocks are designed and finished for optimal sound output. Regardless of model, each Dancemaster is made with great care using quality components of our own design.
The top-of-the-line Forte model features our unique custom made brass-alloy 'Forte' series treble reeds and the best quality components and accessories for the discerning accordion player. The body is based on the ergonomically designed ST model, featuring a very short and light bass end, and long bellows. The ST series is our value-priced model that packs tremendous quality into an unbelievably affordable package. Just as on the more expensive models, no attention is spared on the most critical components including the reeds, reed blocks, tuning and fingerboard design so you can be assured that every ST model performs as superbly as any high-end accordion. Furthermore, since our workshop is located right here in North America, our customers can count on us for a most responsive after-purchase service.
Thanks for taking a look.
Best regards,
Michael
