Tim Hall

Just for another data point, the good folks at the Buttonbox were recently asking USD1350 for a used Morse C/G. Tim

My Tedrow aeola model has cloth baffles fitted, as shown on Bob's aeola web page. Since I got mine second-hand, I don't know whether they were an option or standard. I love the tone. Tim

These are neat little instruments - if you open them up, you can tape off one bank of reeds for a "dry" sound. I think there's a document on the Web that details this procedure, but I haven't looked for it for years. You can also get these in "D" from one source that I know of - www.irishdancemaster.com. This company imports Chinese button accordions, and has made a deal with the factory for a batch of the 7-button minis in D. The only downside is that they're more expensive ($40). Best, Tim Hall

Slacker. Tim

What about that 52-button Hayden duet Bob Tedrow showed off on the forum and on his website? Although there wasn't anything in the photos for scale, it didn't look abnormally large. Bob - are you listening? What's the size spec on the Hayden? Tim

The instrument is sold - Thanks! Tim

This is a gorgeous instrument in full playing condition. 42 keys, wooden ends, metal buttons. The range is from C to e on the left hand (an octave and a third) and from c to c2 on the right hand (two full octaves). It's a nice small duet - light, portable, a good sound, in tune at A440, and a heck of a lot of fun. I just bought this from Barleycorn Concertinas, so you know it's in good condition. Comes with a vintage, if not original, locking blocked case which stores the instrument the right way round (not one of the standard Lachenal hexagonal cases). So why am I selling it? Well, my wife just quit her salaried job to open a new small business, and her accounts receiveable aren't quite keeping up with the payables. So, I'm going to have to put off the Crane duet for a while. I'd like to get out of it what I put in, which is USD$1200 including shipping to the lower 48 states. If you're overseas, I'll share the shipping cost with you. Pictures available via email to any who ask for them. Let me know if there are specific views you'd like. Just in case anyone wants to verify that this isn't a scam, you can find me on the Web at my employer's website - the University of Louisville law school. Look for the faculty listings, and you can verify my email address and identity. I'd rather not put this on Ebay given the current concertina climate (why did the scammers pick concertinas, for heaven's sake?), so if anyone here might like it, drop me a line. Best, Tim Hall hallt@louisville.edu

I might have bid on this one, but the bellows were full of leeks. Tim

I just received a new small Crane Duet from Barleycorn Concertinas (refurbished 42 key wooden ended Lachenal), and got the usual excellent service from Chris, but, in a first for me (after buying several instruments from overseas, concertinas and others), the package came with a customs bill attached ($43 on a declared value of GBP500.). Have I just been lucky so far that the instruments came through without attracting Customs attention, or do others routinely pay on import concertinas? I know there's an exemption from import duty for bagpipes, I suppose it would be too much to hope for that there's an equivalent for concertinas? The other odd thing is that the concertina was delivered to me with the form attached, but it's clear from the instructions that the addressee is supposed to pay before delivery, and it's the postmaster's job to collect the duty and send it in. I suppose I should just be happy I received the darn thing. Tim

Well, the exchange rate is horrible right now (from the USA), but other than that, I've had no problems in several trans-Atlantic transactions, concertina-related and other. The international postal system gets things here just fine, and the customs process (whatever it is) has always been invisible to me. Now, I've got a Crane Duet coming from Barleycorn as we speak, so I hope this pattern holds. One issue which has come up from time to time has been payment. While most commercial dealers in the UK will accept a wire transfer, American banks tend to be a bit less techno-savvy than Euro ones, and at least outside major cities, I've found this to be a serious pain. Further complicating matters is that most small businesses, like musical instrument makers and dealers, find credit card service and setup fees to be onerous. One alternative that I've used happily is www.cashbycourier.com. This is a Canadian service that will send you a bank check in quite a few foreign currencies by overnight mail. Of course, you pay for it, but I've found them reasonable (more than a VISA, but less than Thomas Cook or American Express). The convenience of next-day delivery is nice, and they're sticklers for credit card accuracy and fraud prevention. I've got no relationship to this company other than as a satisfied customer. Good luck, Tim Hall