Jay

Hmm, I recall about 25 or more years ago (ripply flashback video effect)... There used to be a shop in Seattle's Pike Place public market called Fiddler's Roundhouse. They had a practise Uilliann pipes set, just the chanter, bellows and bag. They let me try my luck with it and I found that I could either remember to pump the bellows, squeeze the bag or twiddle my fingers around on the chanter but not all three at once. Also I kept trying to pump the bellows in the rythm of the tune I had in mind rather than according to the air needs of the bag. It's a good thing I wasn't chewing gum at that time or else I might not have lived to tell about it. I still have the brass Generation tin whistle I bought there that day. The shop finally closed down because too many folk musicians and buskers just hung out there and none of then had any money to spend. Still it was a most interesting place. -Jay P.S. I had the creeping crud these last few weeks myself.

Mise Mac Catháin: Well, there you have it. Choosing a style of instrument is very much a matter of personal preference, experience, and the heart, as you can see! (LOL) I suggest taking the lad on a trip to a shop that sells a lot of instruments, and let him get his hands on an anglo and an English- and maybe a duet or two- and see how *he* feels. Some places will even rent instruments, or send them to you to try before you buy. If you're in the US I recommend The Button Box in Mass. or Homewood Music in Alabama (see the Buyers Guide here, and I'd call ahead to see what they have on hand, and whether they have any to rent or will let you test-drive them. I've had no experience with either of these businesses, but Richard and Bob have good reputations and I'd feel comfortable dealing with either one of them. Even if you then decide to get an eBay and/or Chinese cheapie, and least the boy himself will have an idea of what he wants, and what he feels would be easiest to learn and/or most apropos for the music he wants to play. He'll be more inclined to practise on it then (maybe). -Jay

Now there's an idea. Hmmm. The concertina doesn't have as many reeds as the Cajun accordion, but it has way more buttons. Hmmm.

Item number: 2564284418 , and a fine-looking instrument it is, too.

I'm learning to play that wonderful Louisiana handmade Cajun box that you see piccies of on my site. The one by Lee Begnaud. My concertina's been moved to the back burner for a while. Those darn Cajuns are so friendly that they're inadvertently putting pressure on me to learn to play the accordion. The guy I bought it from keeps asking me if I got the music out of it that he put in there for me, and the accordionist in a band whose CD I just bought invited me to come down and jam with them. So I have my work cut out for me.

Yes, that's the Herrington "Edgley Special". I like it just fine, although as a newbie I'm having a bit of a problem extrapolating from the tutors and tapes that are for 30-buttons. I think I'll appreciate it more later, after I can *really* play. Meanwhile I still have my 30-button Bastari to help me with learning. If you already know your way around on an anglo, mostly play Irish tunes, and want to save money then I recommend the 24-button. Mine was $250 less than the 30 button cost. I've been bad about practising, though- I've been paying more attention to my accordion lately. Hope the 'tina doesn't get too jealous. -Jay

I have a site Freereed.org that has discussion forums set up and just waiting to be used. There's one there for PA. Feel free to use it.

The Dippers should just sell them on eBay. Maybe all together in a "case lot". (runs away)

The Maestro looks like a 30-button Anglo. The Stradi looks like a bandoneon.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...gory=16218&rd=1 Looks interesting. Been up for three days with no bids yet. This might be a worthwhile restoration project if a person could pick it up cheaply enough, and it isn't wormy. What do you think? -Jay

You might look in a fabric store, too, and see if they have any leather. They're bound to have some woven nylon strapping such is used on backpacks for their shoulder straps.

One Bastari WS15 30-button anglo, one Herrington anglo with the 24-button Edgley system keyboard, and three Cajun-style accordions (with my baby being a Louisiana handmade in C by Lee Begnaud from Lake Charles). Plus a Casey Burns keyless Irish flute (nice straight-grain blackwood w/silver mounts), assorted tin whistles, and old cheap mandolin and a set of plastic Scottish bagpipes stashed away in a closet somewhere.

I agree with Chris. Harold goes the extra mile for his customers, and building a leather-free 'tina would probably intrigue him.