G'day Dave the gnome,

This is speculation from the other side of the world, but I suspect that we need to define exactly which period we are discussing. Here, in Australia, there was a a progression in popular instruments among rural workers - including drovers and stockmen (the Australian equivalents to cowboys ... a term which here means a young boy or an infirm old man who looks after a few milkers back at the homestead).

The early favourite was the concertina, because of its portability, which allowed it to be carried in a saddle bag. The button accordion became more popular after the goldrush days (say, post 1870s) probably because of the level of German immigration in this period. The button accordion was more at home in the settler's house, but still was portable enough to travel with a horseman.

The 20th century and closer settlement saw larger instruments - the piano accordion and modern guitars (made with tougher glues and some amount of plywood,that didn't disintegrate with the first weather change).

I suspect that a similar progression occurred in America.

Regards,

Bob Bolton