Honora Marmor

Hello-- Academic questions from a fledgling concertina shopper: For example: this concertina has been on ebay for a while now: http://cgi.ebay.com/30-KEY-ADRIANS-CONCERTINA-ACCORDION-1930S-PLAYS-/380319689949?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588cd1ecdd. There is nothing said for it on the seller's part that would incline me to buy it, except as window-dressing, and the price is a little high for that. My question is: When there is so little in the way of musical information about an instrument, and the seller has not taken the trouble to provide more--such as key, possible makers--should one suspect a disingenuous strategy? The seller dates it by the accompanying manual, which is not valid at all. Finally, in trying to do a little research, I noticed how much this concertina resembles chemnitzers in it's look. That seems to be where you see those angled off corners and pearl, anyway. The only concertinas I found that look a little like this are a couple of Corelli--inexpensive midcentury instrument?

Sorry, I was meaning on my right! You should have seen me in square-dancing class. If you would be kind enough to look at a picture, alas my camera is on loan, but you could look at the the Stagi W15LN at http://www.buttonbox.com/other-concertinas.html. The only way I can reach the air adequately is to force the strap forward, hard into the root of my thumb. Scepticism about my whining is reasonable, because beginners are all too willing to blame their instrument and don't know better. If you like, we can blame it on the size of my hand/thumb, but the truth is, I've got 'Man Hands' (Seinfeld).

Thanks to all who considered my message and replied. I will keep looking for a better concertina. In the mean time, it would help a lot to move my palm rest on the right around 1 cm forward--not to reach the buttons, I'm OK there--but to reach the air button more naturally and easily. I think this will help.

Hello-- I am thinking of trying to move the palm rest on the left side of my Anglo. I am not having a problem reaching the buttons, but the air button is around 1 cm too far away from my thumb to be used with any grace. I am a bookbinder and have good tools and sense of how it might be done. Any particularly strong warnings about doing this myself? The only other way I could improve the situation would be to somehow change the button to a lever that extends back a bit, but I don't see this done anywhere. Also--in my roving around I saw a recommendation for a manual and now cannot locate it--any recommendations there, or for online sources? Though I am really a beginner with the concertina, I may be able to help with leather pairing, skiving, and adhesive questions in the long run. Thanks for your time.

Hello Everyone: I have just joined this forum after reading various posts for the last few months. By way of introduction, I bought a C/G concertina on Canal St. in New Orleans when I was a waitress in the 1970 something--I think it cost $80! Over the years I learned to pay it decently, avoiding the lower keys, which only made strange rattling honks. I took it apart and repaired it several times when what seemed to be merely rubber bands holding the keys to the levers inside began to dry out and break. It had a reedy sweet tone that I liked, and big somewhat leaky bellows. Then friend of mine got a 20 button G/D in good working order, and he let me use it for a while--I loved having the lower range and considered trying to find a Baritone Anglo, but was told that Baritone Anglos are rare, and I would probably have to go to a high end concertina maker and special order one. I decided on a more modest upgrade, and have a G/D 30 button Anglo Stagi now. Because I still consider myself a beginner, and am uneasy with online purchases in excess of a month's rent, a tuned and checked Stagi from the Button Box seemed like a pretty good thing. And it has been a good thing, only--the more I play and learn, the more the 6 fold bellows are proving to be a torment. I don't play in the Irish style--for accompanying singing, I have developed a style favoring lower notes and chords--I can sometimes find an alternative, such as a pressed 'd' chord, in a song that has too many drawn chords to balance the bellows action, but not always, and often the alternative moves the chord higher, which may not be what we need. I was not quick enough when an Edgley G/D was offered for sale here earlier in the month with one more bellows fold, someone else got it. I realize that would have been a better instrument all around, but pertaining to this problem: would that one more fold make much difference? I would really appreciate feedback. There is no one in this area that teaches or knows much about the instrument.

Hello Everyone: I have just joined this forum after reading various posts for the last few months. By way of introduction, I bought a C/G concertina on Canal St. in New Orleans when I was a waitress in the 1970 something--I think it cost $80! Over the years I learned to pay it decently, avoiding the lower keys, which only made strange rattling honks. I took it apart and repaired it several times when what seemed to be merely rubber bands holding the keys to the levers inside began to dry out and break. It had a reedy sweet tone that I liked, and big somewhat leaky bellows. Then friend of mine got a 20 button G/D in good working order, and he let me use it for a while--I loved having the lower range and considered trying to find a Baritone Anglo, but was told that Baritone Anglos are rare, and I would probably have to go to a high end concertina maker and special order one. I decided on a more modest upgrade, and have a G/D 30 button Anglo Stagi now. Because I still consider myself a beginner, and am uneasy with online purchases in excess of a month's rent, a tuned and checked Stagi from the Button Box seemed like a pretty good thing. And it has been a good thing, only--the more I play and learn, the more the 6 fold bellows are proving to be a torment. I don't play in the Irish style--for accompanying singing, I have developed a style favoring lower notes and chords--I can sometimes find an alternative, such as a pressed 'd' chord, in a song that has too many drawn chords to balance the bellows action, but not always, and often the alternative moves the chord higher, which may not be what we need. I was not quick enough when an Edgley G/D was offered for sale here earlier in the month with one more bellows fold, someone else got it. I realize that would have been a better instrument all around, but pertaining to this problem: would that one more fold make much difference? I would really appreciate feedback. There is no one in this area that teaches or knows much about the instrument.