anton

The English has crossed my mind. I know everyone says the Anglo is more intuitive, better for irish music. But i am coming from square one as far as concertinas are concerned. I played a bit of harmonica, but its been mostly string and wind instruments. To be honest, the concept of an English mentally makes more sense. Same direction push and pull, change a button and get a different note. With an English when playing a scale you alternate sides, right? But i have not spent any time on either, so perhaps i stick with an anglo. About what instrument to get. Having played guitar i know what you guys are saying about getting the best instrument possible. What are some of the cheaper hybrid conertinas? The Morse one looks real nice, is that about cheap as it gets at that level? Gonna keep saving and see. I see you alls point, but i also see the point in the FAQ where the writer says the most important is to get you playing now. Perhaps a 20 key C/G till i get the money for a Morse? Does the 20 key have the same layout as a 30 key minus the accidentals? If so i could just learn my C and G tunes till i get a thirty key. anton

Thanks for advice guys. Basically i want to get a concertina in the near future without shelling out a ton of money It seems that the Stagi 15 LN meets my needs for now. It would be nice to get a hyrbrid model like you guys are talking about, but i dont want to spend that much money at the moment. The mandolin will probably be more my main instrument for faster tunes, but it seems to me the concertina would be real nice for slower tunes, as well as for playing on ones own. Sometimes i think i should just stick with the flute, as i can already play it, but i found playing flute on my own not very fun. Thanks Richard, for the suggestion on the Stagi. While i do not want to invest $1500 at the moment, i do want an instrument that is in tune and in good working order. I am going to keep an eye out for a 15 LN at your store. anton

Hey Everyone, I posted this over in another thread, but i figured since i am new i would give it its own topic. I am 25 and live in Tallahassee, FL. Guitar is my main instrument. I played classical guitar thru high school and in two years of college until i discovered celtic trad music. What i mainly do these days is take celtic tunes that i like and arrange them for solo guitar, kinda like Steve Baughman or Martin Simpson. That being more of a solo or duo thing, i also play mandolin and rhythm guitar so i can participate in sessions. Mandolin is my main melody instrument for sessions. I used to play classical flute when i was younger, so i picked up an irish flute recently and can play it fairly well. I learned some tunes on it, but for some reason was not really driven to do it alot. So enter the concertina. I still have the desire to play a trad irish instrument that sustains. I like how the concertina sounds, and the fact that you can play multiple notes at the same time on it. I would probably still use the mando for faster tunes, but it would be nice to use the concertina for tunes like The Drunker Gauger, which i have been playing lately. I really like how Paddy League and Grey Larsen play it on Dark of the Moon So thats me. I would like to get just a basic beginner 30 key C/G concertina. It looks like Stagi is my only choice. I was basically just looking at the Button Box, but Hobgoblin Music also has them, for a bit less. What do you guys think? I should prob just go with the Button Box. anton

Sure. I am 25 and live in Tallahassee, FL. Guitar is my main instrument. I played classical guitar thru high school and in two years of college until i discovered celtic trad music. What i mainly do these days is take celtic tunes that i like and arrange them for solo guitar, kinda like Steve Baughman or Martin Simpson. That being more of a solo or duo thing, i also play mandolin and rhythm guitar so i can participate in sessions. Mandolin is my main melody instrument for sessions. I used to play classical flute when i was younger, so i picked up an irish flute recently and can play it fairly well. I learned some tunes on it, but for some reason was not really driven to do it alot. So enter the concertina. I still have the desire to play a sustaining trad irish instrument. I like how the concertina sounds, and the fact that you can play multiple notes on it. I would probably still use the mando for faster tunes, but it would be nice to use the concertina for tunes like The Drunker Gauger, which i have been playing lately. I really like how Paddy League and Grey Larsen play it on Dark of the Moon So thats me. I would like to get just a basic beginner 30 key C/G concertina. It looks like Stagi is my only choice. I was basically just looking at the Button Box, but Hobgoblin Music also has them, for a bit less. What do you guys think? I should prob just go with the Button Box. anton

Thanks for the advice. Looks like i will just get a concertina from the Button Box or someplace similar. I was thinking a 30 key Anglo Stagi. That way i am not investing a ton of money up front. The Button Box seems like a reputable place, but there are also similar instruments in the buy/sell forum for significantly less. What do you all reccomend? The thing about the Button Box is that i won't get burned, and the instrument has been serviced and is in tune. anton

Hey everyone, I am interested in the concertina. I have been playing irish music for a few years, mostly on guitar and mandolin, but also some flute and whistle. In process of reading up on anglo concertinas i found my local trad music shop has one. I went yesterday to check it out. It looks to be a 20 key Wheatstone in C/G. Still in the original case. It has steel reeds and the end plates look to be mahagony. I played a few notes, though i dont actually play concertina. Everything sounded ok, though i noticed that when i gently squeezed it together while not having any buttons depressed it still played a note. Is that normal? Shouldnt i have to push a button in order for the air to leave the bellows? Any idea on the value of something like this. The owner wanted around $500 for it. I am thinking ideally i want a 30 key, so i can be more or less chormatic. anton