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LateToTheGame

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  • Gender
    Female
  • Interests
    Concertina, wooden flute, whistle et al
  • Location
    Chicagoland

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Chatty concertinist

Chatty concertinist (4/6)

  1. I never did get on with switching back and forth between systems. But I think you can change the system you play with a bit of practice.
  2. I am assuming I am seeing the reflection of the surface it is on and assume it is quite shiny. But that reflection might confuse some. Good luck with the sale!
  3. Are you talking new or used? Back in the 50s in the USA people were convinced that the piano accordion was going to be what the guitar eventually became, the instrument that every cool teen would want. With the Lawrence Welk show encouraging parents every Sunday night, they bought in and got the kids accordion lessons. Fast forward 50 years and those piano accordions have been tossed in dumpsters, given to the Salvation Army and Goodwill, but somehow still seem to pop up in Granny's attic to get listed on eBay. While the characters may differ in South Wales, trajectory may have been the similar. And piano accordions have gone on to establish themselves in musical traditions in South America, Mexico and the Southwestern US in a way that remains popular today. European traditional music in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Poland spring to mind as well. That is actually are large number of players world wide. So you get the economy of scale in a factory setting. While the current explosion of Irish Trad adds thousands of players into the mix, the numbers just aren't there. Currently, most Anglo concertinas beyond beginners are still made in small shops of a few craftspeople or just one. Add to that all the little fiddly bits crammed into that tiny space and you've got something that is very labor intensive.
  4. I have one of these. Mine sounds very nice and is very nimble. Good luck on the sale. This should be very nice. And if they are moving up from a beginning model with a Wheatstone layout, they won't have to relearn their top row first three keys on the right hand. I have been very happy playing a wheatstone layout for ages. This could easily be a lifetime concertina for someone.
  5. This is looks like an example of the issue...
  6. Do you have measurements? It might help. I thought wrote a reply about making one out of plywood or the insulated lunch and grocery bags out there, Polar Bear and Coleman have various sizes and levels of quality. but I don't see it posted. I had a thought about a Singer Featherweight sewing machine case. The old ones are actually sold at a premium, but a repro is possibly affordable. But it may be too big for you.
  7. C/G anglos are the best choice for Irish music. There are exceptions when pros or folk who want to play solo pick an instrument in a different key. But if you want to play along with 95% of the Traditional Irish Music out there, C/G anglo is the instrument for you. Maybe that is 99.4% haha. There will be players of other systems that swear they can play on other systems, and if they have other systems in their possession already it makes sense for them. But if you want to start off with the system most pros, session players and living room players use it is the C/G.
  8. I think when we jump we should leap if we can afford it. The difference between beginner's instruments the clover is pretty huge. And a lot of people can be quite happy with the Clover as a lifetime instrument.
  9. If you want the actual projected waiting time it is best to actually use the contact info and ask. Websites are sometimes up to date, sometimes not, and things change all the time. Many makers get piles of email from serious and not serious inquiries, so be pleasant and be patient.
  10. I would be fun to know where it has gone. I hope it has a happy home.
  11. As many have said above, finding the alternative notes on the anglo keyboard is going to help a lot. There are ways to play almost all the most common notes on both a push and a pull. As you get more familiar with the keyboard this will make sense. The lower F# and the middle C# are likely the only common ones with one button/direction since you are working with the Wheatstone keyboard. I say common because I am thinking like a Irish Trad player. You will find more single notes as you lean into the flats. But here is where I play devil's advocate. You have a Phoenix now and shifting back to an English may set you back a few bucks. But if you want to find a quality English you will be able to get a nice quality vintage English for less than an equivalent quality antique anglo. This is due to market demand. The worldwide popularity of Irish Trad music has made nice vintage anglos scarce and prices rise quite high. And while new makers of custom instruments need to charge about the same for an Anglo as they do for an English, an excellent English can be purchased relatively reasonably. And for what you are attempting to do, an English might be just the ticket. Check out the English concertina listings at The Button Box in MA, and feel free to call and ask questions. They may have some great advice for you, whichever system you stick with.
  12. I would wonder if using a PVA archival grade glue would be good if you are going PVA, the price difference between the craft stuff and the archival grade is not that significant. It is formulated to have a neutral PH.
  13. All of us, especially when we are older need to take things slow. As my name implies I am of a similar age, but started 10 or 15 years ago +- depending on how you count downtime. It is very important to get yourself into the proper hand position to avoid injury. I would suggest you book an online lesson with a concertina player to specifically deal with wrist position and angles and all that good stuff. I was fortunate enough to start my lessons with an All Ireland pro who had learned from his stuff from the great players of his generation and the generation before him. He was very good at setting me straight on how to avoid injury. One of his early lessons was how to hold the wrists solidly with most movement coming from the arms and fingers, and exactly how to angle the wrist as you hold the concertina towards your lap. These details will help you avoid stress injury. If there is no great player nearby, covid has given a lot of great players and teachers a lot of experience teaching online through zoom. Even if the budget won't allow an extended set of lessons, many teachers are good at getting you started. Nothing beats having someone watch you and notice details about your posture we might not notice ourselves.
  14. Check with Barleycorn Concertinas. If you don't see it on their page contact them directly. They often have things that are not listed.
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