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Second Morse Ec. Which One?


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I started with a Jackie four years ago, based on what I read in these forums, and I was hooked. Last year I bought my Albion treble. I kept the Jackie because I travel out of state for my job, and I keep the Jackie at my client site, so I don't risk the Albion with regular travel (and because I rapidly got spoiled with the convenience factor of not hauling the Jackie back and forth). A few months ago I started taking music lessons from a violin/mandolin/guitar player, who is astonished at finding herself teaching a concertina player but plays the kind of music I like, mainly contra dance tunes. (Concertinas are rather rare in Olympia, WA.)

 

Now I find myself frustrated when I practice at home on the Albion and go to lessons with a Jackie. The missing accidentals and slower action are increasingly noticeable, the longer I work with my teacher. I want another concertina. Since I'm not likely to go all the way to Massachusetts anytime soon, I'm again looking to order one without having played it first. I love my Albion treble, so sticking with Morse seems a safe bet. Also, the two wheatstones I've had the privilege of playing were a lot heavier.

 

I've read all the forum topics I could find on the Geordie and the Albion and baritones versus the higher ranges. I've listened to YouTube videos with each.

 

I'm now rather inclined to the Geordie baritone right now. It looks like I can just play an octave lower and have the same fingering on songs I'm learning with my teacher. In some long far off future when I'm not traveling full time and would have both in the same state, having the flexibility to switch between them based on the song or who I'm playing with seems like a good thing to have. I also used to be a choir singer, and learning to accompany myself is attractive, too. Having a more mellow tone than with the treble might be good with some audiences, also.

 

Thoughts? Recommendations?

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I love my Albion treble, so sticking with Morse seems a safe bet. Also, the two wheatstones I've had the privilege of playing were a lot heavierI'm now rather inclined to the Geordie baritone right now. It looks like I can just play an octave lower and have the same fingering on songs I'm learning with my teacher. In some long far off future when I'm not traveling full time and would have both in the same state, having the flexibility to switch between them based on the song or who I'm playing with seems like a good thing to have. I also used to be a choir singer, and learning to accompany myself is attractive, too. Having a more mellow tone than with the treble might be good with some audiences, also.

 

 

Thoughts? Recommendations?

 

Looks to me like you've thought this through and know what you want to do. It's really clear that you need a good instrument at both locations. Same fingering but different ranges makes sense. Then it's just a matter of deciding which instrument you want at which location. However, if you think you might want a treble in both locations, buy another one! Later on, when you're in one location, you can trade one in for one in another range.

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Hi, would have posted a bit sooner but didn't get to the computer for a while.

 

Shannon, I have both the Morse Albion (treble) English, and the Geordie Baritone English. Have only had the Geordie a few months or so.

 

I love them both.. but, I'm very glad that I do have BOTH. At first, I thought it'd be an 'either/or' thing, and one would replace the other, as a favorite.

 

The action of the Geordie, since it is slightly larger and includes some deeper/lower notes, takes a bit more pressure than does the Albion. So, after playing the Geordie, when I pick up the Albion, it's such a breeze! Not to say that I don't find the action of the Geordie easy -- it's also great.

 

So, I'm glad I have both -- The Albion is 'lighter' to play, and I'm more used to it. But, the Geordie has a greater dimension of sound.

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I have played both although I own neither, they are splendid instruments and my choice without doubt would be the baritone to compliment the treble. One of these days you may have the opportunity to play with an ensemble and having the choice of which part to play is a good thing. I have a Jack baritone (my main instrument is a Wheatstone Tenor/Treble Æola) and it's pretty hard to get it going properly but I love the pitch. Baritone - you know it makes sense! ;)

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i keep asking this stuff because i, too, have been eyeing the geordies. what i really want is a loud, metal-ended, "anglo" sounding EC, but one with lower notes as well as higher notes up to "high C" or at least "high b and high b-flat." . Tenor 48s are super-rare, and Tenor 56s are rare in the metal-ended dance-music-loud "anglo" timbre i'm looking for. so i'm wondering about the geordie tenor 45 which has a perfect note range for my purposes ( i would also be wondering about the geordie bari if only it also had the high "b" and high "b-flat").....i've also been eyeing the AC Norman tenor 45, also wood ends, disappointingly. i really want metal ends, but i'm not sure i'm going to get the metal-ended "anglo"-sounding EC i want in my note range...i love wheatstones, but the only one i think has the lungs and timbre i'm looking for just now is the Model 21, and i've never seen one with lower notes...

Edited by ceemonster
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Hi, would have posted a bit sooner but didn't get to the computer for a while.

 

Shannon, I have both the Morse Albion (treble) English, and the Geordie Baritone English. Have only had the Geordie a few months or so.

 

I love them both.. but, I'm very glad that I do have BOTH. At first, I thought it'd be an 'either/or' thing, and one would replace the other, as a favorite.

 

The action of the Geordie, since it is slightly larger and includes some deeper/lower notes, takes a bit more pressure than does the Albion. So, after playing the Geordie, when I pick up the Albion, it's such a breeze! Not to say that I don't find the action of the Geordie easy -- it's also great.

 

So, I'm glad I have both -- The Albion is 'lighter' to play, and I'm more used to it. But, the Geordie has a greater dimension of sound.

Thank you very much for your post. Sounds like if I have the Geordie at home and the Albion at work, I will have a "breezy" instead of frustrating time in my lessons. :-).

 

Geordie it is. Thanks everyone!

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looks like a gent on the video section just posted a link to fifteen newly-up Youtube clips of the Morse Geordie Baritone in action. there's a little glitch with the compression or whatever they call it (not that i could even get a video up onto the web in my state of ignorance), but you can kinda get a nice idea...

 

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  • 7 months later...

Just a brief update...

 

Now that I've had both my Morse Albion Treble English and my Morse Geordie Baritone English for a longer period of time --

 

I may have made it sound too much like there wasn't a noticeable difference in playing the two. I would say today that the Geordie is definitely a little bit more of a workout for me (if I didn't already say that). The Albion feels like a lighter creature, after a session with the Geordie.

 

Some tunes are easier to play on the Albion, if they're fast, though some tunes will sound better on the Geordie, at times.

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I can't answer your question about which instrument would suit your needs (although I enjoy the sound of a baritone) but perhaps I can still be of help. You mentioned playing contra dance tunes, and that concertinas are rare in Olympia, WA. They might not be quite as rare as you think! I used to live there and there is a lively music scene, but as a part-timer it can be hard to find connections.

 

I assume you've found the contra dances at the South Bay Grange in Olympia, but just in case:

http://www.olympiadance.org/

I don't recall a concertina at these dances, but I would certainly have welcomed it. I expect others would too.

Dances in Tacoma too, really not that far away.

http://www.tacomacontradance.org/

 

And another link to folk music in Olympia, Several different venues, all with lovely people.

http://home.comcast.net/~burtdabard/

At the "medium-rare" sessions you are likely to find concertina players, although more likely anglo than english I imagine, as it will be mostly Irish music. I never saw a concertina at the Black Hills Picking Party, but good music just the same, worth checking out, to see if you are comfortable joining in. The monthly shanty sing is for chorus rich sea songs that everyone can join in on, often not accompanied, but sometimes people accompany themselves on concertina, Usually anglo. You'll also see the Hootenanny Revival at Traditions Cafe. These started after I moved away, but I know some of the people involved, and they must be a good time. If you haven't been to any of the evening concerts at Traditions Cafe, you need to find your way there too. An amazingly intimate setting, considering some of the excellent talent that plays there.

http://www.traditionsfairtrade.com/pages/tradhome.html?../events/index.php~Content

Edited by Tradewinds Ted
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