RELCOLLECT

I surrender due to the pre-pun-derance of wit ranged against me!

Concertinas as "Chick Magnets"....hmmm. I've never heard those words used in that context before! Maybe that song that goes;"Momma's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night" is more literal than I previously assumed.... Thoughts, Ladies? Sean Connery in a kilt or Jeff Stallard with a concertina? Defend your preferences in 50 words or less. You may begin.

Apparently, I have more work to do than I thought.... (all I wanted was a damn pickle!)

Bonjour ! Je fais des excuses pour mon Français misérable. Est-ce que je peux prendre des cornichon?

On the draw it both supports AND seperates! Helen: I fear you have the wrong Greg! I'm not going to the Catskills. Perhaps Greg J??? (I wouldn't even try to spell his last name without peeking!) No need to study up! Greg "RelCollect" Knipe PS - I was surprised to not get boo'd for the "Flowers for Algar-non" remark. You must all be very pun-tolerant!

Heck, I don't spell that well in English either. That's a troublesome word for me in particular...no matter how I spell it, it still looks wrong! I've been learning a very little French; so far I can greet some one, apologize for my bad French, and asK for a pickle.....I still have some work to do.

You could devise a harness to help you support it...you could call it an Algar-bra!

Check the schedule of events at www.aworldafair.org . It's at the Dayton convention center. Apparently, this is only thursday ( I thought it was friday) the concert is Saturday night. Sorry to mislead! Let me know if you're going...the wife, her parents (Canuckians you know) and I (token American) are going togoether, and would love to meet you! PS- 12 import Beers for sale on premises!!

Just a note on a concert saturday night. La Bottine Souriante will be performing at 8pm at the Dayton Convention center. Admission $5, and includes admission to an International food festival before the concert. I've got my tickets! For CD info, check the Button Box.... edited for having the wrong date.

Should we send flowers?

But, Stephen...it seems as if you have extra. I'm merely offering you free off-site storage. Think of it as a disaster plan....should a tsunami wipe out Ireland, your collection's legacy would live on with me. I really only have your best interests in mind, you know.

I tend towards liking anachronistic things. I value handcrafted items over mass-produced, and was never much interested in having what everyone else has. As for my imminent conversion to vintage-concertinaism, someone else will have to finance it for the time being! perhaps we could take up a collection...

Actually, I hadn't named my concertina yet but I think I'll call it Vader! (It's black, and if you open and close the bellows w/o hitting a button it makes that wheezing noise) Seriously, though...I'm a antique dealer as a sideline...my whole family are. I perfectly understand the allure of vintage things....Heck I've got a whole house and garage full of them to prove that! I simply don't see buying another concertina of any vintage anytime soon. I'll see if I can master the one I have, then when I'm good enough to make it worthwhile, I'll consider it.

[ I'll never embrace the dark side as Darth Stallard has! (Closest smiley to Vader's mask) Greg

You might want to consider how Wim Wakker mounts straps on the Jackie series: a small strip of leather is doubled over through a small "d" ring, and the free ends are punched and inserted between the wood concertina ends and one of the retaining screws on each said end. No new holes, etc. I use this strap method on my Jackie when standing and find it very handy.

Ideally, I'd take the Jeffries, sell it to the lady at a small discount over retail, pocket the cash and go home to my wife and her veritable menagerie of pets... No point in wasting a expert instrument on "London Bridge" and scale excercises!

For me, it was the first car I helped my father work on...a pumpkin orange 1967 Mini that we transplanted a 1500 cc Austin America motor and Weber carb into...I was hooked on machines ever since. I still own my first sports car and my first motorcycle....as well as the first instrument I ever owned! My wife doesn't appreciate the sensory pleasures of objects as I do. One person's treasure is another's clutter!

I feel this way about many well-made machines, regardless of age (though age gives things an additional alllure sometimes). I think that a concertina is a complete sensory experience: visually pleasing , with enough pure geometry to look a balanced whole, and enough "organic" fretwork to please the eye artistically; a solid heft of weight (purposeful-feeling) and a directly "connected" feeling as it is played..a union of thought and response almost; and certainly a variety of pleasant odors, such as wood, leather, etc...most of the smells that seem to inspire memories for me at least. My Jackie is still new, but the wear and patina of age will most likely only add to the "shabby ambience" that I like in well-maintained but well-used tools and machines.

On a related note: is there any maintenence required of bellow leather? I'm thinking baseball gloves here...should they be oiled (Glov-olium, etc) or dressed like a car seat at all? Just curious, nothing needs done on mine yet.... Greg

I guess I'm once again the non-conformist....I've got free symphony tickets for tomorrow night. I almost never get to go (too pricey) and the wife and I are really looking forward to it! Greg

Mr. Brook will now have to ignore all of you, since you had nothing further to contribute that related directly to his original post. I merely hope that I wasn't the one to upset people (but I suspect I am). I had previously avoided replying to this entry because either: a) I'm the one being ignored, and my reply would be ignored anyway. or By putting in my opinion, I play into his "non-productive remarks" catagory. Sorry to stick my nose in!

Morgana: As a goatee'd EC player, the third illustration from the left is now my desktop wallpaper! Thanks! It really made me smile! Greg

Actually, it is listed as a derivitive of the Jackie, in their "Jackie" link on the home page. The fingerings, etc are identical, just sounds an octave lower tone. I've already emailed to see if the Jackie trade-in policy holds for trading a Jackie on a Jack....I fancy the lower tone! Let me know about what they go for on Ebay! Greg

Well, I'm still playing no a Jackie (though I am a total beginner!) and I am impressed with it's build quality, and I do like it's sound, though I haven't tons of experience to compare it to. Mr. Wakker is very easy to work with, and they do offer the full price back if you trade up through their company later on....one of the reasons I bought mine is that a used (but well-maintained) Jackie seems to cost the same as a new one. A low-risk, reasonably low-investment solution to my budgetary issues! Greg

Congrats, Jeff! I'm still memorising note/button correlation, and hope to someday be where you are now! May things become easier for you from here! Greg