Looks like a fine example of the three voice grey that everyone is looking for but are these boxes worth the 6, 7 and 8 grand that people pay for them?
I often wonder that as well. I've never had the chance to play one, so at the moment I have no clue...mind now, when tuned to about 15-18 cents, the things do sound pretty good!
I played a few and they are amazing. when you think that some of the best box players like Mick McAuley, Tony McMahon, Mick Mulcahy, Danny Mahony, Colm Gannon and Billy McComiskey (to name but a few) all play either three voice or four voice grey paolos I tend to submit to the notion that they all cant be wrong! But its big money, maybe there's a status thing attached to owning one of these fine instruments..
It's great there is enough respect for an insturment of this quality. However like anything else, my sense is that for most players, myself included, the quality gained with an instrument of this caliber would be lost to the player whose skills are ordinary.
On the othe hand, a person with great skills (as some one said here about Sharon Shannon on the Box) could be masterful playing a washboard.
The old caution about a "poor workman blaming his tools" applies.
If you like the box and have the scratch, buy it. My sense is though that in the hands of someone without quality, it will still sound like cheapie.
I agree zippydw you're totally right. The 'mutton dressed as lamb' idea pops to mind! There aren't many of these boxes left floating around as nearly all have been snapped up by top traditional accordion players....and I know of a few here in Ireland that are grinding their teeth to get their hands on a second one! Most young boxplayers are playing galliards, cairdins or some other wooden box thats hot at the moment but which I doubt will hold their own as do the great grey paolos of the 40's and 50's. I agree that such a box must be in the hands of a great player to do it justice but when this is the case they can't be beaten and no modern box can compare to their tone and haunting, warm sound.
The Grey Paolo Soprani has now became a currency in it's own right. It doesn't matter what country you come from it's now a legitimate buy. Just like an expensive painting i suppose.
grey paolo on ebay
grey paolo on ebay
another great find for someone :
http://cgi.ebay.com/PAOLO-SOPRANI-B-C-BUTTON-ACCORDION-MELODEON-VERY-RARE_W0QQitemZ150290732576QQihZ005QQcategoryZ16218QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em122
# Posted on September 5th 2008 by hibbs21
Re: grey paolo on ebay
That price keeps going up and up.
# Posted on September 8th 2008 by upmine3
Re: grey paolo on ebay
Looks like a fine example of the three voice grey that everyone is looking for but are these boxes worth the 6, 7 and 8 grand that people pay for them?
# Posted on September 9th 2008 by csparpd
Re: grey paolo on ebay
I often wonder that as well. I've never had the chance to play one, so at the moment I have no clue...mind now, when tuned to about 15-18 cents, the things do sound pretty good!
# Posted on September 9th 2008 by hibbs21
Re: grey paolo on ebay
I played a few and they are amazing. when you think that some of the best box players like Mick McAuley, Tony McMahon, Mick Mulcahy, Danny Mahony, Colm Gannon and Billy McComiskey (to name but a few) all play either three voice or four voice grey paolos I tend to submit to the notion that they all cant be wrong! But its big money, maybe there's a status thing attached to owning one of these fine instruments..
# Posted on September 9th 2008 by csparpd
Re: grey paolo on ebay
It's great there is enough respect for an insturment of this quality. However like anything else, my sense is that for most players, myself included, the quality gained with an instrument of this caliber would be lost to the player whose skills are ordinary.
On the othe hand, a person with great skills (as some one said here about Sharon Shannon on the Box) could be masterful playing a washboard.
The old caution about a "poor workman blaming his tools" applies.
If you like the box and have the scratch, buy it. My sense is though that in the hands of someone without quality, it will still sound like cheapie.
# Posted on September 9th 2008 by zippydw
Re: grey paolo on ebay
I agree zippydw you're totally right. The 'mutton dressed as lamb' idea pops to mind! There aren't many of these boxes left floating around as nearly all have been snapped up by top traditional accordion players....and I know of a few here in Ireland that are grinding their teeth to get their hands on a second one! Most young boxplayers are playing galliards, cairdins or some other wooden box thats hot at the moment but which I doubt will hold their own as do the great grey paolos of the 40's and 50's. I agree that such a box must be in the hands of a great player to do it justice but when this is the case they can't be beaten and no modern box can compare to their tone and haunting, warm sound.
# Posted on September 9th 2008 by csparpd
Re: grey paolo on ebay
The Grey Paolo Soprani has now became a currency in it's own right. It doesn't matter what country you come from it's now a legitimate buy. Just like an expensive painting i suppose.
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by upmine3