meltzer

Englishes do seem to go for cheap compared to anglos. Makes me wish I was better at maths sometimes.

260178875202 ^ That looks a decent one (can't C&P a link for some reason). 32 button rosewood-ended Lachenal, restored by the owner. (Not me, btw -- I've been bidding, and the reserve must be out of my price range). Public-spirited gesture by me, there.

It's not a concertina, I know -- but it's got concertina playing on it, so I hope it's OK. Anyway, it's not available on Amazon or direct from the record label anymore. Also I can't imagine anyone who had it would want to part with it, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. Details here: - http://www.free-reed.co.uk/frtcd14

Sir, I salute your bellows control.

I should add Steve Gardham (co-editor of the recent EFDSS reissue of the song collection Marrowbones -- buy it now if you haven't already ) as an influence, as it was him that let me get my grubby little (13 year-old, IIRC) paws on his beautiful vintage anglo, more than 20 years ago. That gave me the push-pull bug, although I went for a melodeon first. Can't even remember what make his box was, other than that it had an unfeasible number of buttons -- definitely way more than 30.

I'm bidding on that. She looks a lovely instrument.

I didn't even know Louis Killen played the tina. A gap in my musical education I'll have to address, I think. As for John Kirkpatrick, that Shreds & patches album he did with Sue Harris in the 70s (was it?) is one of my all-time favourites, and one of the first folk LPs I borrowed from my local library when I was a nipper. That version of "Game of all fours" on there is a superb tina arrangement.

I play my 30 key anglo mostly for song accompaniment, & for me it has to be Peter Bellamy. Not in the sense of trying to sound like him (some may be pleased to hear), but playing quite "thick" sometimes unorthodox chords & picking out the melody sometimes. I also like playing left-hand singlenote harmonies & countermelodies. It says in one of the sets of notes to a PB album that Peter played "almost as if he'd never heard how a concertina should be played" or something along those lines -- which appeals to me in a number of ways. My favourite music is pretty much unaccompanied anyway -- The Watersons being my all-time favourites -- so I suppose I try & use my tina to capture something of the richness of that style of harmony, with constantly-shifting & crossing vocal lines. Not saying I can do it, like (who could?), but it's fun to try. The first tina player I ever really heard was Alistair Anderson playing the English, which absolutely blew me away. But not in a way that made me want to do likewise. Plus I'm a convert from the melodeon, so push-pull suits me a bit better.

Cheers for that, doodle. Yeah, given the amount of £ that changes hands, I'd definitely want a little play before I parted with my hard-earned. One of the reasons I registered on here is precisely the dialogue about various EBay items, and warnings about the various bandits that hang around on there. Plus of course, doing something to counteract the loneliness of being the only tina player in the village. Or block of flats, in my case.

Cheers for that, Steve.

Time for an upgrade from my "student" instrument, I think. Not bothered about concert pitch (it's for accompanying me singing*), and appearance is less important than playability. I lack the time & the skill to do my own repairs, though. I'm based in South East London, and can travel to London/South East England for a little play before I part with my hard-earned. Cash on collection for the right instrument, with the appropriate donation to the boards as well, natch. I don't want to put my e-mail up on here, cos it's my work one, but post on the thread or send me a message on the boards and we can take it from there. Yours hopefully.... * some would say that, under those circumstances, it doesn't need to be in tune, either.

Given the number of threads on here about scammers, and the high prices that 30+ key instruments go for, is it worth me even looking anymore? Always nice for a bit of window shopping, mind. If anyone would like to restore my faith in human nature by relaying a positive EBay Anglo-purchase experience, please feel free.