jmyersgoucheredu

No need for such humor. It was an interesteing topic with many interesting opinions expressed and some were done in excellent writing. When you will start a topic of such interest, then you can sprinkle it with some jokes. The main idea is not necessarily who are you to tell me what to buy, but rather "who am I to justify such an instrument"? Well, thank you so much. Between Mr. McCabe telling us what instrument we can play and you telling us what we can say, I'm sure the world will be a safer and nicer place. Have a nice day! Jeff

Gee, Mr. McCabe, I sure wish music was as important to me as it is to you. Maybe you could give me some lessons on the concertina. I promise I only have a Morse Anglo, but if you think that's too advanced for my playing, I will trade it for a Stagi or perhaps a kazoo or a bodhran. Maybe you could put a seal of approval on the instrument with your very own signature! I'll cancel my order for a Wheatstone today so that I can help make better instruments available by decreasing the demand for them. Truly yours in sincere humility, Jeff Myers P.S.--Do you think you could possibly spare a cup of your ego? P.P.S.--My daughters play Irish trad on the fiddle even better than you do on the concertina (if such a thing is imaginable). It's quite unfair they don't own strads. Do you think you could do something about this deplorable situation if there are a few moments when you are not devoting your life to music?

Paul, does the RSS feed automatically update? I ask because I compared the topics listed on the feed with those on the forum, and they didn't match. The feed topics seemed to be older. Jeff Myers

Tee hee- she'd better stand in line! My daughter's in love with him, too! She gleefully came home to tell me about the concertina scene. One daughter likes Captain Jack, and the other likes Will Turner. I didn't notice the bellows papers. I thought it looked like a Morse, but I guess not. Jeff Myers P.S.--Terrible movie, by the way. Lacks all the charm of the first episode.

Toshiba has just come out with a player called the Gigabeat S. It's getting great reviews: Gigabeat S review Jeff Myers

No, it is "buy it now". First one who bids, gets it. Yes, but you have to bid the asking price, which means it isn't really an auction. Jeff

I notice that the Concertina Connection midi anglo on eBay has been there nearly a week without any takers. Is this just because of the price? If it were a bit less expensive, I'd be tempted. Jeff Myers

I'm looking for a picture frame (5x7) that has a concertina- or other squeezebox-related motif. Anyone know where (especially on the web) I might find such an item? Thanks, Jeff Myers

I always bring the concertina because my wife insists. She brings her fiddle and wants to play everywhere, even in places I don't feel comfortable playing. Jeff Myers

That was me, Jim. I would have replied sooner, but I (and my concertina) have been traveling in Greece and ignoring the computer. Hope to dance to your music again soon. Jeff Myers

My girls (12 and 14), who both play Irish and English Country on the fiddle (and don't listen to contemporary pop stuff) say my playing "is fine." When and where I play, however, "is a different matter," especially if they're sleeping. I swear I never play until after 10:00 AM! Guess that's still early for teenagers. Jeff Myers

Fair enough, Jim, all that you say. I guess I would just have told Oddball (sp?) that waiting is part of the game; be patient, and you'll eventually have a great instrument. Jeff Myers

Good grief! Someone's been waiting for an instrument for 10 years, growing older all the time, gets a little frustrated and says a few things on this list. Suddenly, some people act like he accused Mother Teresa (sp?) of child molestation. I sympathize with the wonderful work for little reward that all of the instrument makers do for all of us. But I also sympathize with a guy who sees his musical life passing by as he waits and waits. The truth is that none of us knows the facts in this particular case. And accusing someone of slander without knowing those facts sounds dangerously close to slander itself to me. Jeff Myers

Well, I can. Layout is linked below, built by Bob Tedrow to my design. --Dave <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Bob Tedrow also made a special layout for me, and I am on the Wheatstone waiting list for a similar layout. Jeff Myers

My girls actually had one of these when they were about two. They loved it. But beware: they both now play the fiddle (although my oldest has begun to pick out Playford tunes on my concertina). Jeff Myers P.S.--I guess congratulations are due by now!

I believe I heard from Jim Coogan (player and seller of Irish button boxes) that some years ago someone (Suttner?) had made a special-order anglo to mimic the Irish button box layout. I think the tuning was B/C, but I'm not sure. I believe the concertina came into his possession and he sold it a number of years ago. In any event, I have only a vague recollection of this. Jeff Myers

Nice pictures! Brought back some great memories. Did you play your concertina in Rome? Jeff

Was in Rome this summer. What a delightful place! In addition to all of the usual places, be sure to call ahead (24 hours) for a reservation for the Borghese Gallery. It's a wonderful museum in a beautiful park. The subway is very convenient, and there will probably be a PA player in the car at some point. Give her a nice tip! With envy at the fun you're going to have, Jeff Myers P.S.--Outside the tourist areas, the food is better and cheaper.

On the way to Italy, my family and I were playing concertina and fiddle in the waiting area at Dulles. No one seemed to mind. In fact, when we stopped, some high-school kids took out a guitar and started singing. Jeff Myers

Bill, you should have used my strategy. When I told my wife I wanted to play the bagpipes, she was quite willing to buy me a squeezebox. You must really love her! Jeff Myers

How do you pronounce the ch in Lachenal? I had always thought it was like the ch in Bach until I met someone last night who was playing one. She pronounced it like the ch's in church. Phonetically confused (and I'm seeing Pygmalion in a couple days), Jeff Myers

My family and I just returned from two weeks in Italy. We brought my concertina and a violin. Since our hotel in Florence was across the street from the Dublin Bar, we got out the instruments and started playing some Irish tunes, me on the concertina and my wife and daughters taking turns with the fiddle. We made seven euros! A couple days later, my wife and I played along the canal in Venice. We didn't open a case up for money (the kids weren't there), but an old fellow did stop by twice, conveying to us (he had no English, and my Italian is a bit rusty) that he used to play a PA. Of course, my report of his enthusiasm for our music must be qualified by the fact that he was wearing a hearing-aid. My oldest daughter said, "I thought so." Jeff Myers P.S.--Oh, one tourist took a video of us playing. She's probably showing "the Venetian street musicians" to friends and family.

Bill, not only does a friend in the office next to me often tell me to stop strangling that cat, but my sister-in-law's cat gave me the oddest look when it first heard my concertina and then ran away in terror and wasn't seen for two days. Perhaps there is something about cats and concertinas. If your wife is a cat lover, perhaps the sound really is too painful to bear. On the other hand, I have to admit that people who have heard me play have been known to disappear for days, and some of them were dog lovers! Jeff Myers

Don't forget Chris Droney's The Fertile Rock! Jeff Myers

Jim, I'd love to but for two problems: First, I don't think I'm quite good enough for prime time. Second, I'm ill and won't be going anywhere tonight. I'll look for you the next time we dance to the open band. I'll be the guy in the black kilt. Jeff Myers