B/C Button Accordions

How to choose your button accordion?

Every button accordion in this collection is a two row diatonic box built for Irish traditional music, so the choice comes down to four things. Settle them in order and you will land on the right Irish instrument.

• Tuning: B/C or C#/D
• Buttons: 21 or 23
• Voices: 2, 3 or 4
• Level: beginner through to professional

If you are buying your first box, start with tuning and level. The rest follows from there. The sections below take each decision in turn, and the Find Your Fit table further down matches a setup to your experience level.

How a button accordion works

A button accordion makes its sound from air, not strings or hammers. You work the bellows with your left arm, pushing and pulling to drive air across metal reeds, while your hands do two separate jobs.

• Treble side (right hand): the rows of buttons that carry the melody.
• Bass side (left hand): eight bass buttons that supply the chords and bass notes behind the tune.
• Bellows: the lungs of the instrument, shaping volume, rhythm and expression.

For a full tour of the reeds, valves and inner workings, see how a button accordion is built.

The Irish box is bisonoric, which means each button sounds a different note depending on whether you push or pull the bellows, much like a harmonica. That push and pull is what gives trad playing its lift and drive. To get started on the instrument itself, see our guide on how to learn to play the button accordion.

Diatonic vs chromatic button accordions

This is the first label people get tangled in, and it is simpler than it sounds.

A diatonic button accordion is bisonoric: each button gives one note on the push and a different note on the pull. The Irish two row box is diatonic, but because the two rows are tuned a semitone apart, every note of the chromatic scale is within reach across the combined layout. In practice it plays as a fully chromatic instrument.

A chromatic button accordion is a different family altogether. It is unisonoric, so each button sounds the same note on the push and the pull, and it is built for continental classical, jazz and European folk.

Every box in this collection is a diatonic two row instrument made for Irish music. If your interest runs to classical or continental styles, the piano accordion range is a better fit.

B/C or C#/D: choosing your tuning

Both tunings are right for Irish traditional music. The difference is in how the instrument feels under your hands, not in what it can play, so the choice is personal.

On a B/C button accordion the outer row is tuned to B and the inner row to C. It has a smooth, flowing sound, asks for more finger movement and less bellows work, and it is the system most teachers use and most sessions expect. For a first box, it is the safe and standard choice.

On a C#/D button accordion the outer row is C# and the inner row is D. It has a brighter, more cutting tone, asks for more bellows and less finger movement, and it sits at the heart of the Sliabh Luachra style and lively polka playing. It has been growing in popularity for years.

If your teacher plays one or the other, follow them. If you are starting cold, B/C is the more travelled road. For a fuller breakdown, read our guide to B/C or C#/D tuning.

21 or 23 button accordions?

Every box here has two rows of treble buttons and eight bass buttons. The only question is whether you want 21 or 23 treble buttons.

A 21 button accordion covers every note you need for traditional playing. It is lighter, simpler to find your way around, and the standard starting point for beginners.

A 23 button accordion adds two more treble buttons at the top end, which widens your range and your repertoire. It suits players who are progressing quickly, or who already know they will want the extra room.

Three row and 30 button boxes exist, but they sit outside the Irish trad mainstream. If even two rows feels like a lot at the start, a single row melodeon is a gentler way into the same family.

What 'voices' mean, and why they change the price

A voice is a reed that sounds when you press a button. The number of voices is the single biggest reason one box costs more than another; it changes the depth and volume of the sound.

A two voice box sounds two reeds per button for a bright, clear tone. It is light and forgiving, which is exactly what a beginner wants.

A three voice MMM box sounds three reeds per button. The tone is richer and fuller, with more depth and projection, which is why it suits intermediate and advanced players stepping up.

A four voice LMMM box, such as the Paolo Soprani Jubilee IV, sounds four reeds per button for concert grade volume and presence. This is professional territory.

McNeela boxes are built with hand selected Czech reeds. Paolo Soprani instruments use Italian Voci Armoniche Tipo a Mano reeds, hand finished for the finest response.

Find your fit: choose by level

The jump between tiers is not about looks. It is about reeds, voicing and construction, and it matters more the further your playing goes.

Beginner: McNeela's two voice boxes use Czech reeds for a clear, stable tone. They are lighter and more forgiving on the bellows, built to help early learning rather than fight it. Browse our beginner accordions.

Intermediate and advanced: Three voice MMM boxes bring richer tone and more projection, with a Paolo Soprani bass layout and Czech reeds. See the intermediate and advanced accordions.

Professional: The Paolo Soprani Jubilee III and Jubilee IV, Italian made with hand finished reeds. The four voice LMMM Jubilee IV is widely held to be the benchmark for Irish button accordion sound. Browse the premium range.

How much does a button accordion cost?

A good button accordion is an investment, and the spread is wide. Buying too cheap is a false economy: budget boxes drift out of tune, the bass can stick, and the bellows start to leak air before you have learned your first set.

Across the McNeela range, here is roughly what to expect.

The reason for the price spread is simple. As you go up, you are paying for better reeds, more voices and more hand finishing, all of which you can hear and feel as your playing develops.

Button Accordions Reviewed and played by Benny McCarthy

There is no better way to judge a box than to hear an expert play it. In the reviews below, Benny McCarthy, button accordion player with Danú, takes each McNeela model in hand, so you can hear his verdict and the sound of the instrument before you decide. He runs from the beginner two voice boxes through the three voice models for intermediate and advanced players, and up to the Paolo Soprani range at the top.

Benny also teaches the masterclass included with every box, and reviews the single row melodeon, if you are after a gentler start. To see the full range, browse all of our accordions.

Why buy your button accordion from McNeela

A button accordion has to earn its place in a session, so build quality is not a detail. Here is what stands behind every box in this collection.

• Made and curated in Dublin since 1979, with over forty years of instrument making behind the McNeela name.
• Built with hand selected Czech reeds, a Paolo Soprani bass layout and an American cherrywood frame, with hand finishing on the higher tiers.
• Backed by thousands of five star reviews and a support team that answers quickly, before and after you buy.
• Endorsed and played by Benny McCarthy of Danú, who also teaches the masterclass included with every instrument.

If you would rather play before you decide, the Baldoyle Industrial Estate showroom in Dublin is open to visitors. You can also read our customer reviews.

Shipping, try at home and after sales

Every button accordion ships with a protective case or gig bag and full access to the Benny McCarthy Irish Accordion Masterclass, a structured video course from one of Ireland's most respected players.

Try it at home for 30 days. If the box is not right for you, send it back. Every new instrument carries a one year guarantee against material defects, with servicing available after that for a small fee.

We ship worldwide: next day within Ireland, three to five days to the UK, and around seven days to the rest of the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Melodeon and accessories nudge

Still deciding? A single row melodeon is a gentler start in the same family. And whichever box you choose, a good strap and a hard case are worth adding from day one.