Defra

Just listening to this on bandcamp and I'm really impressed with the excellent playing, sensitive accompaniment and mix of styles. I can't believe you also played all the supporting instruments too. Thanks for posting! Dean

Very nice - thanks for posting that. What are the traditional instruments used for this type of music in your region? Dean

An interesting question that I have also been pondering. At the high prices of good hybrids, I would be hoping that it would be possible to replace parts and maintain them in the same way as proper vintage concertinas. It's a shame that none of us will still be around in another 100 years to find out how they stand the test of time.

The Peacock Duet seems to have been out for exactly a year now. Has anybody bought one and if so, what are the general opinions? I'd like to read some reviews and hear any sound clips, apart from the very good one on the ButtonBox website. Cheers, Dean

That's a beautiful looking instrument, Geoff. How would that fretwork have been cut out back in the'20s? May I ask what the strips of velcro are for - to attach some kind of muting device? Cheers, Dean

Thanks for all the responses which continue to give me much food for thought and help in my continuing search. Dean

And from a seller with an excellent reputation. Thanks for pointing this out Steve and Daniel. The helpful comments I've received from members of this forum have convinced me I need to hold out for a model with a least 48 buttons. Dean

Thanks Marien, this is just the type of advice I need because information is so hard to come by and living in France, I'm very unlikely to get to try before I buy. Best regards, Dean

I'm looking to buy a new concertina and while I wanted to hold onto my lovely old Lachenal, I've realised that I'll need to sell it to fund my new purchase. I bought it only a few months ago in restored condition, tuned to modern concert pitch from Chris Algar at Barleycorn Concertinas in England. Here's how he described it: "This is a rare and unusual Lachenal English concertina from around 1880-serial number 20829. It has rosewood ends, bone buttons, brass reeds and 4 fold bellows. It has been restored and is tuned to concert pitch. What is unusual about it is that it appears to have been made in the 1880's and yet it has all the design hallmarks of a concertina from the 1840-50 period. It has pine baffles behind the fret and is stamped for," Chappell & Co, 50 New Bond St London W" These baffles give it that beautiful "early" tone. It is very gentle and mellow as the sound has to get past the baffles. It would make a wonderful instrument for song accompaniment as it plays quickly enough, will not compete with a voice and the tone is so pretty." The tuning is spot on, the bellows are fine and the woodwork is undamaged, save for minor marking. No issues to report. No case, I'm afraid, but will be securely packaged in a double box. Reduced! I'm looking for 550 euros, or the equivalent in pounds sterling, which includes insured postage within Europe. I'd consider offers from further afield but postage would be extra. I'll try to record a sound file if required. Thanks for looking Dean

I'm looking for a smaller Crane duet concertina as my first foray into the world of duets. Please let me know if you have a 42 or 48 button model in good condition and properly tuned that you are looking to sell (I may even consider a 35 button model). I live in France. Thanks, Dean

Another great tune and a new one to me. I really appreciate the work that goes into this topic and hope that it continues for a long time to come. I've been working on each of the monthly tunes and have learnt a lot from the different interpretations with different types of concertina but with only 3 months' experience under my belt, I'm not ready to post a recording yet. For this reason, I haven't felt qualified to vote on the choice of tune. There may be other people in my position, so please don't take the lack of votes to mean a lack of interest in the TOTM. Long may it continue! Dean

Thanks for posting - the tasters on the website sound great, with the EC and fiddle combining beautifully. I look forward to discovering the whole album. Good luck with it! Dean

Does this instrument have steel or brass reeds? Thanks. Dean

Surely your decision's quite easy - you've only got the time aspect to think about - you've already got a beautiful instrument in your possession that may or may not need just an overhaul/tuning. I'd say go for it and if it doesn't work out, you'd have no trouble selling it later. Dean

Lovely tune and great playing. Looking forward to seeing what comes next. Dean

Thanks for raising this point SJM and for the answers so far. This is exactly what is causing me the greatest difficulty at the moment and so any pointers are gratefully received. Dean

Just wanted to thank you and all contributors for introducing this tune of the month. I'm a recent beginner to the EC and I'm going to be using these tunes (when they're within my abilities) to give a real focus to my learning and as a way of building up a good repertoire. The current offering is just perfect for that and I'm enjoying working on it each day. Hearing the different takes on the same tune is fascinating. Cheers, Dean

Thanks Geoff and Blue-Eyed Sailor, Yes, the repairs were carried out 4 years ago by the Boîte d'Accordéon in Paris and I was thinking about going to take a look at it, but the seller is near Lyon which is a long journey for me and I'm busy with work, so for now I'm not taking it any further. Compared to the prices of similar instruments, though, the price of €1,800, negotiable, seems reasonable to me. Anyway, I'd be grateful if someone would buy it and put me out of my misery! Thanks again for the responses.

Just wondering if there are any Edeophone experts out there... I've been considering making an offer on a late-model Edeophone (actually working out whether I can afford to make an offer), but I'm a bit concerned about the metal ends. On photos of other examples I've seen, the metal ends stop about 1 cm before the outer wooden edges of the ends, but on this one, the metal end plates extend right to the edge. Has anyone encountered this before and is it normal for a late model Edeophone (serial number 60,000ish)? Finally, what is the consensus about the quality of these late instruments? I was wondering whether the quality might have been starting to fall off? Many thanks, Dean

Thanks, Ceemonster, you're right in that the lower notes cause the most discomfort. Since my first post, I have loosened up the thumb straps and been more flexible about using the finger troughs. I think it will be best to dispense with them altogether but I'm not yet capable of that. I have also decided to stick with the EC rather than move to the duet, as I'm very happy with my little Lachenal and the system is well suited to what I like to play. As you mentioned, I was also worried about over-stressing the right hand. I'm hoping that adapting my technique and practicing in short bursts will do the trick and I'm glad to report there already seems to be a bit of an improvement. The problem is putting the instrument down after only 20 minutes! Cheers, Dean

Wonderful - you've opened up a real treasure trove here. I can't believe the quality of recordings made in the earliest years of the last century. Thank you! Dean

Many thanks for the very helpful answers. I'm going to persist with the EC, try varying my hand position etc. and building up some stamina. It's really unfair of me to blame my hand pains on the concertina when they were caused by my job! I've probably just caught another dose of Instrument Acquisition Syndrome, which I'm all too familiar with from my experience with various stringed instruments. I cured that by learning to make my own mandolins and tenor guitars (although not to professional standard), sadly that is not an option with concertinas. Geoff, many thanks for the insights, which are very helpful in light of your background. I'm in the Charente-Maritime so not a million miles away from you and I'd love to meet up some time, but first I need to get more proficient as I'm still very much a rank beginner. Best regards, Dean

Hi from a new member, In fact, I'm new to the concertina world in general, having played first the fiddle and then the mandolin & tenor guitar for quite a while. The chances of trying out a concertina where I live in France before buying were non-existent, so after a lot of research and much indecision, I took the plunge just a few weeks ago and bought a lovely old Lachenal tutor English concertina through Chris Algar on Ebay and have been really enjoying learning some scales and my first simple tunes. Only one problem: I work long hours as a technical translator typing all day and have minor repetitive strain injury in both hands and wrists. Trouble is, playing the EC seems to aggravate it, although this may still be due to being a novice. Having learnt from overdoing it on my other instruments, I try to keep my sessions short - 20-30 mins or so. I also play sitting down with the concertina on my knee. So I'm in a bit of a quandry about whether to carry on and see if I can work through it or trade in the EC and try a 46 button duet concertina which at least looks to be a bit more comfortable to play. I nearly weakened yesterday and went for the Wheatstone 46b duet offered by Chris Algar on Ebay, but realised I didn't know enough about it. I did consider the duet initially but ruled it out on grounds of being too difficult and not being sure whether it would be suitable for the music I like to play: basically British Isles folk and American old-time music, but no classical or music-hall. I'm not interested in the Anglo system, much as I enjoy listening to it. My budget is limited and I couldn't afford to keep the EC as well, so if I'm to change, the trade-in would be the only way to go. Any thoughts from the experts? Is the duet easier on the hands (I'm thinking McCann due to pricing and availability)? Is it hellishly difficult to learn compared to the English and bearing in mind I have never played the piano? Would a 46 button instrument be suited to my tastes in music? I'd like to try chordal accompaniment, but keep it quite basic. Any opinions, even of the "Stop thinking about it so much and get on with playing" variety would be gratefully received. Dean

Many thanks for posting these - they made a great start to my Sunday morning. Wonderful tunes and playing.

Hi Charlie, Is your concertina still for sale. If so, could you please send more details about the condition and any issues? Thanks! Best regards, Dean