Marcus

Hi folks, Last year I purchased a Clover Anglo kit with the Wakker bellows upgrade. I built the kit despite being technically challenged, but have never really bothered to tweak the action and fine tuned the reeds. I have a Morse Ceili in C/G and I'm looking to fund the purchase of a G/D. I was wondering if there would be any interest in purchasing the Clover as is and completing the job? The kit itself cost $1400 with the Wakker bellows an additional $240 from Concertina Connection. I could split the cost of shipping via courier. Just putting it out there as an option - I'm open to offers. Thanks - I'll try and post a few pictures later on.

Concertina Connection make great bellows. Bob Tedrow does too.

I agree with Howard! I've never had to change the hand straps on my anglo and play it every day! I've had it for going on six years.

Here I am enjoying the spoils of my other passion - Spearfishing!

Nice instrument. I like the Salvation Army logo.

Can you fit in a quick trip to Bermuda? I'm sure I could find somewhere nice for you to stay! I could do with a week long one on one Masterclass! lol

That is a beautiful instrument with an unusual pedigree! If only I was rich!

Just goes to show you don't need an expensive instrument to make great music!

Thanks to my lessons with Jody Kruskal I've been exploring old time music and was given the website "Sugar in the Gourd" as a resource. One of the bands features on this web radio was Sheeshum and Lotus and I really enjoyed their fiddle and banjo album. I downloaded their newer album "Everytime!" and it's full of fantastic blues harmonica. I was wondering if anyone has experimented with the blues on concertina? I realize that any note bending would be impossible, but it might be interesting to try some basic blues. After all Bertram Levy did say that an anglo is really just harmonicas with a bellows in between!

Where'd you find that beauty Andy?

Great tunes Alan. So great to hear!

No video - only audio! And badly played at that! Excited to be playing an instrument I put together! That's my excuse any way!

Let's see if this works. It's very rough, but it's the first tunes to come out of my homemade Clover - excuse all the mistakes! http://soundcloud.com/marcuss-concertina/testing-the-clover

After swapping a few reeds around I have a result! It's a little rough (like my playing!) but it feels great to have built it myself. There's loads of adjustments to make and it can only get better. How do we post audio within the forum?

That's really good to know Ken! And it explains the fact that I couldn't force anything that even resembled a tune out of my instrument!

So I finished assembling the instrument and now the real work begins! I'm sure that a couple - if not all the reeds are in upside down! At least it sounds that way! I only had one drone note which was very surprising but it's a bit breathy at the moment. I'm sure there will be plenty of tweaking going on over the next few weeks and months.

Placed my order too - looking forward to hearing the Australian and South African recordings the most!

Looks lovely.

I'll bet you are Ben! It's a beautiful instrument and Koot certainly does it justice!

So the very first fancy bend I was attempting ended in disaster and I have a snapped lever! Hopefully spares will be on their way soon!

Looks very much the same as mine! I used Danish Oil. Installed the chamois gaskets and reed pans. Riveted the levers to the posts and am about to start assembling the action. I think my rivets may be a little too tight, so adjustment may be necessary. Laying out the levers on the action board is proving to be quite the puzzle! I am in awe of the craftsmen who turn out the beautiful instruments we play! I'm sure mine won't be quite the same quality!

I agree - Mick Bramich's book and cd are great. I also found Frank Edgely's book to be a really good introduction. John William's DVD was really good also.

More recently I've been listening to a lot of Boer concertina. There's some great stuff on YouTube and some wonderful recordings by Danie Grey on iTunes.