Galley Wench

Great advice from everyone - many thanks. When I got home from work yesterday I discovered that that hubby already has a microvox box and one mic that he used to use on his acoustic basouki but now he has a semi acoustic it is redundant so just ordered another mic from mircovox (its the same mic for a bousouki as for a concertina) and thought I would give that system a try. If this doesn't work I would like to try to do what John says but sorry to be thick John what do you mean by XYed? Do you have a picture of the mic set up that you use? Cheers

I know that this has been asked before but I'm beggered if I can find it. Can anyone suggest how to amplify a concertina for stage performance particularly as part of a band. One microphone on a stand does not pick up enough, two takes up too much room so what system is best for attaching to concertinas. I do change concertina's so need something that I can move from one to another - budget is tight so nothing too flash. Here's hoping someone can help.

Thanks for the ideas it has given me something to work on. Much appreciated.

Hi everyone I am looking for some Polish Folk tunes to play on my English concertina. I need the sheet music with the melody line and preferably a cd of the tunes as I can read the dots on sheet music (very slowly) but I am not very good at the pacing etc. Can anyone point me in the right direction. Cheers

A buyer contacted me last week and offerred the price I had quoted. I would have thought that if he did not think it good value he would have made a lower offer. The concertina new today is £269.99 so I think the buyer got a decent deal. Many thanks for your interest.

Hi I have now exchanged my two 'spare' Lachenals for an Edeophone and a Morse Baritone so have no use for the Jack Baritone that I bought about a year or two ago. I am therefore selling it for £130 plus delivery. Anyone interested just send me a message direct.

I am selling a Lachenal 56 (notes extending up as opposed to a tenor treble with the lower notes) English Treble Concertina number 57208. It has a lovely tone and beautiful rosewood ends. I bought it from the Music Room three years ago and paid £1,300 for it. It is in a modern hard case. I havn't got round to taking any pictures but before I do and put on ebay I wondered if anyone was interested. I am also selling a brass read concertina in its original case with key it is thought to be a lachenal under the label of Barnett Samuel - I paid £450 for it about 2 years ago, which was probably a little over its true value but it really is very beautiful and the box and original key attracted me. This concertina has hardly been played in its lifetime. The buttons still have the notes clearly marked on them and it still has its original thumb straps. The gentleman I purchased this from bought it from someone in New Zealand and suspect that it went out there at the turn of the 19th Century and was just kept in its box. He used to play it for singing along to - alas I have not played it as much as I thought I would. I am willing to let it go for what I paid for it in the hope that someone will get more pleasure from playing it. The reason I am selling these two is because I have and Aoela that I love and find so easy to play and these two are just left in their boxes rarely being played. I think it is silly for me to keep them if I do not intend to play and as I am looking to purchase an Edeophone I think it is time that I offered these for someone else to play. I keep meaning to get round to taking photos and just don't find the time. Please don't ask me to take them apart as I am not confident in my ability to do this. I have details of what was done to the 56 Key lachenal when the Music Room purchased it and there is no reason why the internal condition should not have remained the same. Oh well I have waffled enough so if anyone is interested please contact me.

I know you are both right. You know what its like - you see and you want - no in fact you convince yourself you need! I do however need another concertina as I am playing in a band and whilst I have a couple of trebles they are not as responsive as the Aoela (so once again you are right I need to try them out) so I am looking for something that I can use if it goes in for repair but will also add something different and I thought this Baritone might just do that. I did get in touch with Chris last month and he appears to have some suitable concertinas so I really must make the effort to have a drive down to see what he has. I did get my Aeola from him and it is wonderful. Cheers

I have been looking at this baritone concertina on ebay and wondered if any of you can advise me regarding its value and weather or not it would make a good addition to my Aeola http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...A:IT&ih=007 Cheers

On my English concertina if I am playing a tune in G and move all my fingers down one row (or up one row for that matter) what key am I then playing in? I thought I had just moved down and Octave but hubby seems to think that I am changing key completely and as I passed my tutor book on with my Jackie I cannot check to see what I thought I was taught. Cheers

Yes but in its redecoration the atmosphere has gone. I know that now pubs are smokeless they can decorate in insipid beige but did they really have to go and do it? I appreciate the clean air particularly as I don't smoke anymore - both hubby and I gave up when hubby had a heart attack in Sidmouth last year on the Friday night of the festival - nothing to do with the music I hasten to add! but I think the atmosphere was much more relaxed before they decorated. The pool table was moved out to the bar so there was less room in there. I did however think the music was an excellent mix at the Radway this year - nice to hear some brass.

I have both and I don't notice any difference. Cheers Carol

What a wondrously bizarre image! English music and song interspersed with the crunching of puppadoms and the sizzle of tikkas. Anne and I once did an English folk club night in a fish restaurant in Washington DC (apparently the nearest the organisers could get to the ambiance of an English pub in DC) but I think this is better! Chris Yes it does conjure up a rather bizarre image well that is until you find out that the curry and concert does not actually take place at the same time - shame I rather liked the idea of having dinner at the same time as listening to Spiers and Bowden. Apparently curry in one room and concert in another can't remember which comes first. The restaurant is huge and reputed to be the largest in the world - seats about 1,000 and thats with plenty of space - the building was originally a chapel so I am hoping for some wonderful acoustics.

The new shop is across the road (roughly) from the old one and is next to the main car park but off the road. It is much bigger than the old one. When I visited in July they had put all their concertina's in a cases that you could not access with out asking. I mentioned that this made the concertinas difficult to have a proper look at and they thanked me for the comment and said they would pass it on - as I only live 10 miles away and my sister actually lives in Cleckheaton I will be visiting again to see if I can get to the concertinas and sit for an hour and have a play like I used to at the old shop. Hubby and I have tickets for a Spier and Bowden concert at the Indian restaurant in Cleckheaton (one of the events arranged to celebrate the shop opening) - great restaurant and Spier and Bowden - need I say more!

Quote "Bear in mind that I have unusually small hands, even for a female, and that my pinky is only 2 inches long" Having done a quick survey round the office (ok so I am on holiday after 5 pm today and am getting demob happy) anyway most of the girls in our office have little pinkies that are only 2". I have only been playing for just over a year and always play sitting resting one end on one knee. I don't grip the concertina but just use the thumb straps and pinky plate for control. My pinky fingers slide along the finger plate and I do need to bring in my right little pinky to play a note when playing Jerusalem. I have not really experienced any problems with aching pinky fingers but that might be because I don't play standing up (or perhaps I don't play enough at all )- the test will come when I move onto trying that!

Well folks, I will be leaving the office at 5 pm today going home and loading the camper van and then setting off for a stop over in Tewkesbury on Thursday completing our journey to Sidmouth on Friday. Hope to see some of you there

I have to say the photo in your profile of you playing on the beach is really atnmospheric. Look forward to seeing you. Chris Thanks Chris - it was taken on the Isle of Arran in May this year. But can you tell me why it has come out so big on the profile - was going to post a couple of shots but got a bit confused when this one appeared taking up more than the screen. Also don't let the photo fool you - I was playing whilst this was taken (Flowers of the Forest - I think) but I am still very much at the beginner stage. Might bring my box to the pub but might just turn up with braver OH and his bouzouki to test the water first

Hi I am new to Sidmouth this year and still new to the English concertina - Lots of things booked but I am sure we have some 'free' time so will try and find my way to the Radway. Cheers

I started with the English last year and have struggled to find many cd's or tutorial's in either book or cd format. I started with the Jackie and its instruction book which was great and then just played songs that I knew so at least I could get the timing right. I do still, in the main, need to have heard the music but I am getting better at picking up new tunes. Having fallen in love with the English concertina I bought a very nice Lachenel and recently a Wheatstone Aeola Tenor Trebble so I swopped my Jackie with another CNet member for a introductory level Anglo - I have discovered that the problem now is that there seems to be so much material about that I am not sure which to get to help me! Have only just attemped to play it last night since receiving it about a month ago and me thinks I might struggle with the push pull concept, but I am prepared to give it a good go. Good luck with the English and hope you enjoy playing it.

[ Whatever we purchase will probably be our last; I don't forsee ever "trading up," or at least doing so very soon. We intend to spend $400 to $1,000. Bet you won't be saying this when your wife gets into playing the concertina - its very addictive - be warned! I had never played an instrument until I picked up the concertina last year and my first purchase was a Jackie, this is an excellent starter instrument from a beginners point of view. During the last year I have purchased a couple of really nice concertina's but they were quite expensive. I have also got the Jack Baritone (a tad on the deep side for me and difficult to get the really low notes out) which I have now abandoned for a Tenor Treble (much more expensive though..........much) which is more suited to what I wanted to play. I play mostly folk songs and accompany my husband on the guitar or bazouki. I love the English concertina and have found it so easy to learn to play, but in my attempt to understand the Anglo I have agreed to exchange my Jackie with someone for a starter Anglo so that I can see what all the fuss is about. Good luck in your quest and I hope your wife really enjoys her gift Anglo or English!

WOW! Thanks for all the suggestions. This should keep me busy for a while. Really appreciate the help

Hi there Does anyone know of any software that enables the writing of music i.e. dots on lines etc. I have composed (sounds good eh - but Ive only done simple melodies) a number of tunes to songs written by my hubby and we want to be able to put them to print. Personally I know very little about reading music and still have to write the letter beneath the dots but these songs have been written for a Folk Musical (also written by hubby) based on a folk tale from Rydale (North Yorkshire) called Sarkless Kitty and if we want to put this play on we will need some proper written music for 'real' musicians to follow.