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Stagi Anglos


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Yes.

 

At least the metal-ended ones sound pretty concertina-like and stay in tune for decades.

 

They do have teething troubles, but nothing that a mechanically-minded owner can't fix. And after that, they're a bit quirky. You have to make a habit of ensuring that the buttons are all perpendicular to the ends before you start playing. If you bear that in mind, they give good service.

 

I say "they," but actually I've only ever played my own. So my expertise is anecdotal.

 

The only other hybrid I've ever tried was a Rochelle. The Stagi is far superior in look, feel (e.g. playability) and sound.

 

The quality of the reeds of my Stagi only really became apparent after I had ruined the bellows with leather balsam, and fitted a replacement bellows from Concertina Connection. Volume and bellows control increased noticeably. So I have to say that the original Stagi bellows are perhaps not top quality, but they did their job before I ruined them.

 

Just my 1 cent (hardly enough for 2 cents!)

 

Cheers,

John

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They can be.

 

I had a Stagi, Hohner and Gremlin 30 button models. all similar in design and construction at the time (1990's) albeit in different keys. The action was the real problem with all of them as the buttons kept going out of vertical and wobbling, due ,in my view, to the poor design of the pivot and pivot point and poor use of materials (aluminium) that had little resistance to torsion or bending. I did make a replacement set of hand rests for the Gremlin which improved playability, although the sound of all of them was acceptable, certainly good enough for Morris.

The Hohner was probably the best of them and lasted me 10 years before i had enough to buy a Rosewood Lachenal. All three were moved on very soon after. I haven't tried one since the mid 2000's so they might have improved in the meantime. I have no problem with the Rochelle I sometimes use except it is an early one with a small air hole that loudly sucks or blows air when used and the low A buzzes. I recently tried both a Scarlatti and a Stephanelli 30 button but found that I could not reach the inner row of buttons (I have long fingers).

Mike

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I have three old Stagis, and like them all. A black 30 button I paid 90 bucks for, maybe 25-30 years old. Sweet tone, sort of slow action, but people like the sound. Another 125 bucks got me a metal-ended, which does sound much more like a concertina, and is faster actioned. When I realized I needed to play in G and D, without cross-fingering chromosome, I got a Bastari 40 button in G and D (the sibling of Stagi) and it is really quite nice. Made me spring for a newer Morse in G and D, but I will keep the Bastari as a spare and grand-child's starter box. All in all, the Stagi/Bastari product has been very good to me. I almost got the Stagi Hayden Duet, but is was, unlike the anglos, heavy and "stodgy" with none of the charm I got for 400 bucks with the CC Elise. Go figure.....

 

David

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