mwatersworld

I too found the Minstrel buttons narrow and a little painful at first. I also play a Morse Hayden Beaumont on which the buttons are larger and more comfortable. With that said, I have become used to the Minstrel and no longer feel discomfort. I think the Minstrel is an excellent intermediate instrument and a significant step up from the Rochelle.

Since I'm in the market for an Anglo a step up from the Rochelle I inquired and received the following reply from Concertina Connection: "The Minstrel is the economy version of the Clover, it has standard bellows, instead of the Wakker bellows, delrin buttons (vs. metal capped traditional), it has the same reeds and action. The performance values (airflow, dynamics, harmonic spectrum, etc.) is comparable to all the hybrids out there, but at a much lower price.” Promising indeed.

Steven - Thanks for posting this. I'm really enjoying listening. It's always good to hear other Hayden Duet players. I'm curious about what kind of accordion you used to first write "Evergreen"? I'm a poor CBA player but often find myself going back and forwards between the two instruments and changing the arrangements where necessary. Do you have any of your music available on sheet? Thanks, Mark

Is there anyone in the Bay Area who plays Hayden Duet and is interested in getting together? I acquired my Elise about six months ago (previously a melodeon player) and have been making steady albeit slow progress. Would love to find a teacher but equally happy just to meet and play along with others. I live in Sacramento but happy to come to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Many thanks, Mark

Many thanks. I found the thread and photo essay on Bob's website. I hope no one takes any of my comments to mean that the Rochelle is anything less than a wonderful instrument and great value for the money when compared to other starter concertinas. I was simply wondering what can be done to make it better at modest cost. It would be good to hear from others who may have made modifications to their Rochelle or perhaps even reasons for simply leaving it alone.

I'm new to the concertina although my melodeon squeezing goes back many years. Like many before me, I bought a Rochelle before taking a bigger financial plunge. Perhaps because of my melodeon experience, I was a little underwhelmed by the Reed response and volume. The bellows also seem very stiff, especially on the draw, although I know these will loosen up over time. I seem to be making rapid progress and I'm loving the convenience and portability that the concertina offers over the button box. Having to make my own chords is also making me a better musician. However, I can’t help but wonder if the learning curve would be a little less steep without the added challenges. Given, this is an entry level instrument and certainly very good value for the money. No complaints in that regard. But since the next “step up” involves an expenditure of thousands of dollars more I am wondering if there are any tweaks that can be done either by me or a professional that would make the Rochelle more rewarding and perhaps a little easier to play? Is it worth pouring any money into? Can a Rochelle be customized to the extent that it might even become a keeper? Do the new reeds offered on the Concertina Connection website make a dramatic difference or would regapping and a little tuning be sufficient? Does anyone have any photos or information on customized Rochelles? Many thanks in advance. Mark