meltzer

I reckon you'll get one, too. For all the talk about these being basic instruments (which is no doubt true), they still have "that sound," and can have a kind of responsiveness that you just won't find on their lower-end equivalents today. I am the (genuinely) proud owner of a basic Lachenal (except mine's a 30-key anglo), and it just does far more than the modern "student" instrument I had first. Plus the five-fold bellows give me a lot more air to play with than the 7-fold bellows of my learner box, not least because of the quality of the reeds. Now, no doubt as I improve as a player (I hope!), I'll come up against its limitations -- to an extent this is already happening as my chords get a bit bigger & more adventurous for song accompaniment. But I'll never want a box that I can play at 100mph because that doesn't interest me. (I have a melodeon for doing that )

Oh blimey. All those low notes. And some of them would be "drones" for the obvious minor keys on a G/D box. *drools* Unfortunately I am skint, so I'll have to let this one pass.

So does it play the same notes strumming up the strings as it does down?

Although this said, aren't the usual Sally Ann neckstrap attachments like little eyelet things? Hmm.

I reckon so -- especially since the description says it's ex-Salvation Army. All that playing outdoors.

I think you'd be better off sticking with the Rochelle for the time being, given your budget. Unless continental Europe is a haven for cheap 30k anglos, which somehow I doubt. I bought a "basic" Lachenal a few months back (fully restored, and a lovely little box) for the best part of 800 sterling. I'm sorry to say, but I doubt you'll find much for 800 euros -- unless you were willing to go down to a 26 key instrument, and even then you might struggle.

We look forward to your new career as a soprano.

Maybe some hand/finger stretching exercises might be an alternative to messing about with your 'tina. Is your span greater on your right hand than your left, and are you right-handed? I say this because my span on my left hand is about a finger's breadth wider than on my right, because I'm left-handed, and also my music teacher at school made us do finger exercises -- touching the little & index fingers in front of & behind the other fingers as quickly as possible.

Dodgy ground this, are you actually saying that anglo concertina is for musical tree swingers? :lol: No, just me. This is another thread, like, but I'd be genuinely interested to know how EC players work out countermelodies, accompaniments, etc.

Oi! Some of us like being able to work out chords without needing a slide rule, you know.

Cheers for that, Peter. I might very well take you up on that. My work takes me to Manchester quite a lot and the train stops at Stoke-on-Trent, so I reckon the thing to do when I'm ready to make the switch, travel home via the hallowed garden shed of Barleycorn.

Cheers for the responses. Helpful about the brass reed issue. Try before you buy. Oh yes. But I just need a few things to fret about to feed into the months of prevarication that go with these things. For me, anyway.

Yeah, I know. I've only had my 30k mahogany-ended steel-reed Lachenal for a few months.... But I was just wondering about where to go when I'm in a position to 'upgrade.' I'd stress that I love the tone of the Lachenal, and I don't want anything too loud -- it'll be for song accompaniment. I suppose I have a few questions/concerns: - * is there a signifinant difference in the performance of a rosewood-ended Lachenal, or am I paying for a fancier finish? * as well as the completely different tone I got when PeterT let me loose on his Wheatstone was the amount of air I had to play with. Would I get this with a better -quality Lachenal, or would I have to switch makes? * would switching to a higher quality brass-reeded instrument be an option? I got my current 'tina from Chris Algar, so could do the part-exchange thing. However, it would mean replacing my only decent instrument, so I suppose that what I'm after is "what I've got now, but better," rather than another kind of 'tina entirely.

thankyou I am actually 57, [born the same day as the drummer in Genesis Phil Collins] but just feel 99,and happy birthday to R Cowlin. I was born on the same day that The Beatles decided to split up. It set the tone for my lifelong contribution to music.

Well, he is according to the birthdays thing at the bottom of the page. Happy birthday, Dick.

Perhaps I should start a poll so that people could decide what key I was playing in. Anyone who's familiar with the tune, the whole of the first line was a run on the "pull." My poor 5-fold bellows.

Cheers, Peter. Obviously seeing you playing across the rows like that was something of an inspiration. On balance, I'm not entirely sure it was in F at all. I started playing the thing on the C row but it was too low for my voice. But it was in the "pull" major key on the C row, which would be a G with a flatted 7th. So..... I tried in on the G row, reaching across to the C row for the lower notes, but it was a fraction too high. That would have made it in "pull" D. So..... taking it down a tone would mean it was back in C again. Hang on, that can't be right. OK, the low note in the chord on the left hand was a "pull" on the accidental row on the lowest note.... so that makes it (checks fingering chart)... er... actually it was an F all along. Unless the low note wasn't the tonic of the chord. It's a minefield, I tells ya. So that means I wasn't taking it a tone down, I was taking it a flatted third up, but singing it an octave lower. Hang on again, that's what it would have been in F all along. (Compared to playing it on the C row) * Anyway, it was an attempt at "Gypsy laddie" to the same tune as on the John Kirkpatrick/Sue Harris album Shreds & patches (but without the skill). Not sure I'd be able to play it again anyway. * See everyone? This is what happens when English anglo players think about what they're doing too much.

Just thought I'd share that with you. Bit of a milestone & all that. Feel free to congratulate me, buy me a small present, etc.

Prepay or travelcard? Could be important if things get dirty.

Jesus, it doesn't get any better, does it?

Just imagining an earnest American 'tina player visiting the land of his fathers for the first time. Tentatively, he sits down on the edge of a session, and begins to play quietly (unlikely I know, but stick with me on this one). After a while, he comes to the attention of one of the regulars. "Lovely wee box," he says, "What is it?"

Thanks to Peter, my troublesome reed (which was indeed a bit loose, and fixed with the 'bit of paper' trick) is now sounding well. And making some of the others sound a bit woozy in comparison. Thanks also for letting my untutored fingers loose on some lovely instruments, & for hospitality.

Then again, you might prefer to go for a modern instrument. In that case, I'd go for a (Johnny) Depper.

Or, if you haven't got enough pieces of eight for one of those, maybe a Lachenaaaaarrrrrghl.