Evangeline

Thank you all for your replies! We just got back from Homewood Music with a lovely Tedrow concertina. My son is enjoying it very much!

Thank you all for your replies. I should have mentioned that we are looking for a c/g Anglo concertina. He plays Irish traditional. I think we have written off getting a vintage concertina at this point. Factors we are considering: - He won't be able to play one first. Even if a video could convey the sound perfectly, it still wouldn't let him feel the playability of the instrument. - Shipping, insurance and import costs will eat into our budget. - We read that they may be more susceptible to humidity changes (we heat with wood, so our house gets very dry in winter, and summers in TN are extremely humid). Kensington is giving us something to think about. Maybe he can hold out a bit longer and we can save up for that? We were hoping to do a road trip that direction this summer anyway. In the meantime, he will try to play as many different concertinas as he can and we will likely plan a trip to visit Bob Tedrow sometime next month. Thanks again!

My 14 yr old son has been playing a McNeela Wren for about 2 years now and his teacher says he has reached the point where the instrument is limiting him. Our budget for a new instrument is $2000 - $3000 and of course we want to get the best we can for that. Our local options seem to be limited (Tennessee, USA). Homewood music in Birmingham AL is about a 3hr drive away and they currently have a ICC Clare in our price range and an ICC Vintage just outside it. We've also been looking at used instruments through Barleycorn. The question is - would it be better to get a newer instrument that he can actually see and play in person first? Or would one of Barleycorn's used instruments in the same price range be better in the long run, even though he couldn't try it out first? I am hoping we could at least hear a sample played in a video recording to get an idea of the sound. Thanks for your input. -Evangeline