Jim Besser

In my experience: there's significantly more variability in vintage instruments, in terms of reliability. For top quality vintage boxes sold by reliable dealers/restorers, problems are more likely to be minor than catastrophic - loose shims, misalignments, etc., but you will almost certainly have to do more DIY tweaking that you would with a new modern hybrid. Still, a well restored Jeffries can be pretty much bullet proof. Lower end vintage instruments, and those maintained/ restored by amateurs, can be problematic. Top quality hybrids - Morse and Edgley are the ones I've owned - are pretty much trouble free, once you get past new-instrument glitches and warranty fixes. I have Morse GD and CG concertinas that I use for Morris playing, which means they get a fair amount of abuse (played at maximum volume and in bad weather, getting bounced around in pubs, etc). In 15 years or so, the CG was opened only once - a DIY repair to a pad that came loose - and the GD has had only one problem, a back-to-the-shop repair last year for a reed that went wonky. The Morse has the disadvantage of waxed-in reeds, which limits your (or at least my) ability to do some repairs, but in 15 years, that hasn't been a problem for me. My Dipper-restored Lachenal requires frequent minor adjustments/fixes, had a broken rivet and a collapsed bellows; my Jeffries has been terrifyingly reliable, but it gets checked over and fine tuned by Greg J ever few years. So: the odds is that you will spend more time and money on repairs/tweaks with a good vintage instrument than with a new or fully refurbished modern hybrid; with a lower end vintage box or one not well maintained/restored, the risk goes way up.

An interesting and important point. I would say this: the best modern hybrid Anglos are as responsive / fast as excellent vintage instruments - for CGs. I've played boxes by Morse, Edgley, Tedrow, Wakker, and Wolverton, and these instruments are very responsive. My experience has been that GD hybrids, especially the lower notes, are generally less responsive than well set up vintage instruments.. I've owned two hybrid GDs over the years, and on both, there is a noticeable lag when sounding low notes. Interestingly, the BUtton Box seems to have solved this problem with their baritone Anglos; my Morse CG baritone is just about as responsive as my standard CG.

Wolf is correct - recordings won't tell you much. Concertinas are funny beasts. I hear enormous differences in sound between my Jeffries GD and my Morse hybrid GD when I"m playing, or when someone else is playing my instruments.. But when recorded it's hard to tell the difference. Played thru a big PA system at a dance, it's almost impossible. If practical, a trip to the Button Box would be the best way to answer your question, although lately they have not had many vintage instruments in stock. In general, my feeling is this: a good hybrid (Morse, Edgley, Wolverton, etc.) will almost certainly give you outstanding reliability and playability; restored vintage instruments have much more variability, especially at the lower end of the price range. If those are critical factors for you, a modern hybrid is a great option. If you're playing at ITM sessions, an additional factor is that these instruments all have sufficient volume to hold your own; many lower-end vintage instruments do, as well, but again, there's a lot of variability. If the sound of traditional reeds is more important to you - and I get this; I prefer the sound myself - then a restored vintage instrument is probably your best choice, but you will have to be much more careful in selecting the right instrument. I've said this before: while I hear a huge difference been traditional and accordion reeds, many of the people I play with are deaf to the distinction. When my Jeffries was in the shop, I brought the Morse to band rehearsals and nobody noticed the difference. We enthusiasts obsess about these things, but they probably aren't nearly as important to the folks we play with or those who are listening.

I know what you mean. I'm not fond of playing in Gm on my CG - limited chording options for harmonic playing - but to my ear, Gm tunes often sound particularly pleasing. I"m not sure why this might be - how different is Gm from Am? - but there you have it.

How do I get on in F? Unhappily, mostly. I have 30 button CGs. Playing melody in F generally is fine; doing good chords and bass runs in F is a skill I have yet to master.

The Dipper Shantyman low F/C is back at the Button Box - it's second or third go-round there, I believe. I've played a lot of fine concertinas over the years, but nothing to compare to this beauty. The tone is low, very organ-like, deeply resonant; the action is buttery smooth. If I had more use for an F/C - and an extra $8000 lying around - I would buy it in an instant.

Be patient - Frank is busy with a number of hobbies and projects. But he's a good guy to do business with.

I played a prototype, years ago, and liked it. Last month, Frank brought a more recent one to the Northeast Squeeze In, and I had a short go on it. I am not an Irish player, but I can say this: the one I played is an excellent instrument - fast, great action and very light. The sound was clearly that of a traditional reeded instrument (there were Edgley hybrids among attendees, and the difference was very clear). Frank played a set for the evening concert, and I thought the sound was great. I don't know if it's the right instrument for you, but from my vantage point, it is an excellent concertina well suited to fast Irish playing.

Thanks, that's all useful information. And you're absolutely right about quality mics. Over they years I've tried all kinds of arrangements - the Microvox, 1 or 2 SM57s, etc. - but the best sound I ever had was with a single KSM 137 in the hands of a real pro. My hope with my new 137 is that I can improve sound, reduce feedback - and make setup as simple as possible. I want to play music, not fiddle endlessly with equipment and get tangled up in cables and beltpacks! And at my next gig, I'm going to use the hybrids. What I've realized is that while the sound of a Jeffries is bliss to me, dancers in a crowded, noisy hall, hearing the music thru a big PA, can't tell the difference.

Interesting, and it makes sense. That leads me to another question: I frequently hear that systems like the Microvox are particularly susceptible to feedback. Why would stick-on mic be more problematic than mics on stands?

Good theory, Alan! I'm also wondering about the character of the sound: the pure tone of concertina reeds vs. the overtone-laden tone of accordion reeds. As I noted, the difference in feedback was striking. Your experience with condenser mics is interesting. For me, I have two data points. In the big dance hall where we frequently play, the very good sound guy generally sets me up with a single AKG535 condenser mic on a stand, and the sound is pretty good, without a lot of trouble with feedback. He is able to do this with skillful EQ even though he is mostly using old and not top-rank equipment. In two gigs at Washington's Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, where the Microvox clip ons couldn't produce enough output for their system, a single Shure KSM137 produced the best sound I've had: a clear, strong sound without the harshness of the Microvoxs and without feedback.. Of course, a lot of the latter good experience is because they were using top professional gear throughout the system, on an acoustically excellent stage, and because they are sound professionals who have the experience and expertise to deal with hard-to-mic instruments. Which leads to another conclusion: here on c.net, we have discussed the best systems for amplifying a concertina for many years, with no strong consensus about the best approach, and part of the reason is that we are just not sound professionals, and we're generally using less than optimal PA systems. So we're always seeking the magic microphone that can offset our deficiencies. A skillful professional can get good sound out of a variety of mic systems. I'm going to give the Shure a try at an upcoming dance in a very noisy, acoustically hot hall; that should be a good test.

I'll be there; can't wait.

I've used the 2 mics/stands setup many times, and it works, but sound guys tell me there's too much variation in volume as the bellows move in and out. A top sound guy I've worked with - he does both studio and live sound - insists that a single really good mic on a stand over the middle of the bellows is the best solution, although not perfect. My new setup is a single Shure KSM137; the sound tech at a very large venue last year used one when my Microvox failed, and the results were excellent. But my question remains: are accordion reeds inherently less susceptible to feedback than traditional reeds? My recent experience says yes, but I'd be interested in knowing if there's any science to back this up.

Yep, I do that, too. The Tonebone EQ helps. I'm hoping my new setup will be an improvement - a single, high quality condenser mic that several sound techs have used when working with me. What's so frustrating about the Microvox setup is the variability; the same configuration works fine in some halls, terribly in others. I really want to simplify things while working to reduce the feedback problem. Another factor is that I hate getting tangled up with all the cables when using an attached system.

I'm wondering if there is something about the tone produced by accordion reeds that makes them less susceptible to feedback than traditional reeds. Situation: playing at a ceilidh the other night, in a big, acoustically challenging hall with a fairly rudimentary sound system. I was using my usual setup - Microvox clip ons to a Radial Tonebone DI with EQ to the system, with big wedge monitor and several hotspots. It's a very loud band - brass, drums, electric guitar - and my problem is always getting enough volume from the concertina in the monitors , so I can hear myself, without producing feedback. In this instance, I assume the dynamics of the hall made the problem more acute. As an experiment, I switched from the Jeffries anglo - traditional reeds - to a similarly pitched Morse, with accordion reeds. The problem didn't disappear, but I was able to crank up monitor volume on the concertina a few notches without feedback. I was much more able to hear myself. Is there some characteristic of the sound of accordion reeds that might make them less susceptible to feedback than traditional reeds? Is it the more complex, overtoney sound? I'm beginning to think that hybrid concertinas play better with diverse sound systems than traditional reeds. I'm fed up with the variability of the Microvoxes - they work OK in some situations/venues, very poorly in others, and not at all in at least one - for some reason, on some PA systems, the Microvox just doesn't produce enough output. I am switching to a high quality condenser mic that the sound pros at a gig last year used on the concertina with much better results. But I'm also wondering if there are sonic advantages when amplifying the hybrid that outweigh my personal preference for traditional reeds.

I own ceilis and have played Clovers; both are fine instruments that are well suited to what you want to play. The differences are pretty minor. I gravitate to the ceilis because of their light weight and easy playability, but honestly, either one would be great. The Rochelle is a mixed bag; it's better than other super-cheap instruments, but it is a very stiff, awkward instrument; if you progress quickly in ITM, you will outgrow it very fast, and at a Noel Hill session, it would definitely impede your progress. I haven't dealt with the Concertina Connection, so can't comment on their customer service; the Button Box customer service is excellent, and their trade up plan is backed up with a sizeable inventory. The hybrid vs traditional instrument debate is endless. I own and play both, and will say this (again): while my Jeffries is a superb player with the sound I prefer, the Morse boxes (and undoubtedly the Clovers) are more playable and more reliable than a majority of the vintage concertinas I have played over the years. A low-end vintage box may have that classic sound, but chances are it'll be a slower and less reliable instrument. Everything in life involves trade offs. My subjective view is that for most players who have limited budgets, a good hybrid is a better choice than a low priced vintage instrument.

Every instrument has its purists, that's for sure. As for concertinas, good hybrids sound great, good vintage instruments sound great; they're just different. We're really lucky this modern world offers us so many choices. As a side note: when playing, or when I listen to someone else playing my instruments, I perceive a strong difference in sound between my Jeffries GD and my Morse GD. But when recorded, I can't tell which is which, and I know from friends that when I'm playing for dances, thru a big PA system, the differences in sound pretty much disappear.

I had a chance to play Gary's Wolverton, and it is indeed a fine sounding and playing instrument, a welcome addition to the universe of available concertinas. This hybrid-vs-traditional-reeded debate is endless, in part because it is so very subjective. I play both, and like both, for different reasons. And the people I play with have a wide range of opinions about how they sound. Some really can't tell the difference; some prefer the sound of the hybrids, some the sound of the traditional instruments. I gravitate to the traditional side, but when I pick up an instrument to play just for fun, it's generally one of the Morse hybrids. Responding to the OP's question: there is no one-size-fits-all answer. It's a mix of what makes you happiest, what you can afford, what's available. Start with the assumption that the good hybrids (Morse, Wolverton, Edgley, Tedrow, etc.) are every bit as playable as the best vintage instruments, and in many cases may be more mechanically reliable. If you like the sound of the hybrids, and that's what you can afford, the choice is obvious. Personally, I find the sound of a good CG hybrid is very close to the sound produced by a traditional CG instrument; there's much more of a difference between GD hybrids and traditional instruments. One's not better than the other, just different. But again, it's all subjective.

In most of the English sessions I've attended, GDs predominate. I've always brought both CG and GD to English sessions, but rarely take out the CG.

I'm anything but a science geek, but what I believe is this: a concertina with traditional reeds produces a very pure tone without a lot of overtones, and this cuts through ambient sound more effectively than a more overtony sound - like that produced by accordion reeds. Many years ago, I sat on the outdoor patio of a pub in London, Ont., and a friend and I did a little test. I was playing a Morse hybrid GD, with accordion reeds; my friend was playing a vintage Jeffries GD. Sitting at the table, my Morse sounded every bit as loud as the Jeffries, maybe louder. But friends who were listening said that away from the immediate area, the Jeffries was much more audible. I don't know anything about the physics of sound, but I'm speculating that the purity of the sound of traditional concertina reeds projects with special effectiveness.

Randy Stein and I are demonstrating that English and Anglo concertinas can coexist, and jazz/classical players and trad musicians can have a great time playing together. Our new duo - 2Many Buttons - playing at the Department of Agriculture farmers market in downtown Washington, DC.

This was posted on Facebook by the International Concertina Association today: Sad news to hear that David Cornell also has passed away last week after a long illness. He was an excellent musician, orginally opera singer en look here for lots of his work for Duet concertina: http://www.concertina.com/cornell/ http://www.concertina.org/sound-archive/ I remember his performances at the Northeast Squeeze In; he was an amazing performer..

A few years back, I worked with Alan to get some recordings of the late Big Nick Robertshaw on 'Duet International." Unfortunately, Nick - my predecessor as musician for the Foggy Bottom Morris Men and the consummate player of the Jeffries duet - never got into a recording studio. What we have is an informal recording he made in his barn. A few of these are his own compositions - 'Beer that Tastes Like Beer" has become something of an anthem among American Morris sides, for obvious reasons. http://rememberbignick.pbworks.com/w/page/10496931/A Night with Big Nick Nick had 3 Jeffries duets, I believe, but mostly gigged on the one he bought at a pawn shop in England decades ago for some ridiculously low price. The way he told it, he brought it to Colin Dipper to be fettled and told him that he wanted the loudest concertina in the world. I believe Dipper succeeded; at Morris events, you could hear his playing blocks away. Nick had a daring, robust playing style. He obviously didn't believe in the minimal use of chords of many Morris squeezers, as you can see here as he plays for Foggy Bottom - one of the dancers is his son. Here he is in an English pub, and you can see how he played the living daylights out of his concertina. I remember many times watching him perform major surgery on his concertina in the middle of a gig to fix something. He did not play gently. I believe he had his Jeffries set up in an unusual tuning; I don't know the details, but believe Gary Coover does.

Randy Stein and I are doing an Introduction to Concertinas workshop for the School of Musical Traditions in Rockville, Md. on June 22. Aimed at beginners and those who have just gotten the itch to play, we'll cover the basics: what concertina system is right for you? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? What resources are available for learning concertina? How much money do you need to spend to start down this road? And we'll teach a few simple tunes. There will be several loaner instruments available for those who need them. Randy plays English, and focuses on jazz, pop and classical; I play Anglo, with an emphasis on traditional dance music, with a side interest in ragtime. So we cover a pretty wide range of styles. If you know anybody in the Washington/ Baltimore area who might be interested, pass this on! Here's the link .

An interesting question that's been on my mind a lot lately; last year I started a new band that is focusing entirely on the rich body of 'neo-trad' music emanating from England, France, Belgium and the Scandi countries. It seems to me that in the US, the folk scare of the 1960s - the Kingston Trio and its ilk - became fossilized and factionalized; across the pond, there was an early recognition that bringing in diverse influences enriched the music. So in England you had the influence of the folk rock surge, and the infiltration of French influences into the English trad scene, and more recently, Scandi and others. In the US, there is a robust oldtime scene, but it seems dominated by purists who are offended by the melding of other traditions into oldtime music; the same goes for the lively Irish scene. Maybe it's that in Europe and the UK, people tend to think of "trad" music as something that's always evolving; in the US, "folk" is seen by its practitioners more as a cultural relic, not to be tampered with, and by younger people as something that only old guys like me do. Maybe there's a fundamental cultural difference; in Europe, the melding of influences is part of life; in the US, we are all in our walled-off little niches. As Craig notes above, in my area - Washington DC - there is a lot of diverse music going on, but it seems to me that there is very, very little. cross fertilization. Which, to my way of thinking, is too bad.