Years ago I bought a Cajun-style Hero for $19 from Dusty Strings in Seattle. I played it while walking around, waiting for buses, etc. Folks loved it, took my picture, asked questions, good missionary work for a squeezebox.
I sold it to a friend when I moved, and used to wish that someone made something just a small bit nicer and in a better key. Almost wondered whether it would be worth it to spend $100-$150 to tune it to D and polish it up a bit.
I heard a rumor that Dancemaster has done such projects, any confirmation?
When I talked to Michael, I got the impression that he would rather do that kind of work than building them. I do know that he takes great pride in his workmanship. I bought a B/C box from him and couldn’t be happier with it. Give him a call.
I’ve got a couple of Hero type accordions that I’ve taped over one set of reeds so they sound more like a concertina. They sound pretty good that way, but they’re still in C.
I agree though, it would be great if someone made a similar box that was a little more professional and in D. You can really play most tunes with just 7 buttons (assuming you don’t need a C-natural). Nice and simple (like a whistle!), but able to play quite a range of stuff (like a whistle!).