Margaret Dexter Waldbauer

I love it. I would just love to go to his shop. I read his facebook page and he's REALLY into fly fishing now.

Hi Doug, I didn't get a layout choice I just bought it as is "surprise!" I think it would bother me more if I was a better player, but I'm such a beginner I think I've already gotten used to it. I feel like just how you did when you got your Edgley... a treat and plays like butter. And the box IS nice! Now all I need is practice practice practice.

Aloha Steven and thank you for taking time to write! I hope you are enjoying being in Texas after 25 years here that is a real switch. My husband is an avid birder, and wants to visit Texas for the birding. Yes it was Gary Coover! As luck would have it Gary is coming to the big island in a couple of weeks for work and is bringing 2 of his concertinas to try and I will have my Swan and the Tedrow, so it will be a concertina fandango here in Captain Cook soon and I can't wait. I am so grateful for this website and forum. I would never have been brave enough to buy a concertina on ebay without everyones posts and Gary encouraging me to "go for it"! I started dancing with Hawaii Irish Dance in 2017, and then made my first trip to Ireland in 2018 to attend Edwina Guckian's Seanos dance workshop in Carrick on Shannon, and an old friend from nyc who helps out at the Feakle Festival yearly encouraged me to extend my trip a week to attend the festival. So I soaked up set dancing, and I learned what a "box" was and got to see Caitlin Nic Gabbhan play and dance with her feet at the same time. Most of my videos of her are of her feet- but got home and couldn't stop thinking about the concertina, ordered the Swan, and started my lessons online. So yes... slow beginner, but steadfast-- still trying just tap one foot and play at the same time. I love it.

I started with the Swan and had played nothing else so I had nothing to compare it to. I started as a complete beginner (though I do play other instruments -piano, guitar, tin whistle, clarinet). I learned with Caitlin Nic Gabbhans beginner course online, and now about ready to be moving along to the improver course. At one point I had a key stick and was bummed about that, but McNeela responded to my email with instructions on how to fix this, and it was easily remedied. No problems reaching the air button and no trouble with fingering. I recently found a Tedrow on ebay and got that as a step up and wow, I do really like it more than the Swan, but I feel like the Swan did well by me for a good year and 1/2, and could have kept playing it, but something about trying something else got into me and so it goes. I am glad that I didn't start with the Wren, I imagine I would have set it aside and not continued if that were the case. Hope this is helpful.

I got the Tedrow today and I'm over the moon happy with it. The case and the concertina are like new and It plays like a dream. The only concertina I have played is my Swan which did me well and got me through the beginner course with Catlin Nic Gabbhan and now I might almost be ready for the improver course. It has the Jeffries layout which is new for me but I'll get it. Thank you for your posts encouragement and info about the Tedrow, it's really a pleasure to play.

HI there, thank you so much for your responses. I went ahead and bought theTedrow, and have fingers crossed. It has a 30 day return so if I don't like it I can send her back. I was lucky to connect with another concertina player here in hawaii on this forum today and it looks like he may be able to take a look at it also before the return date is up. I'm excited! Thank you !!

Hi, I've been playing a swan concertina for about a year, I'm a beginner player, but I've about outgrown it, and ready for my second concertina. I'm in hawaii so I can't just go around trying concertinas, most people don't even know what one is here. I'm wondering about looking on ebay or other sites and how to go about getting one. If a concertina has a 30 day return, I could get it and send it back if I don't like it but not sure how to tell if it's good or not except for playing, and again, just a beginner, so not sure what else to look for. Any tips?