Next Step in buying?

[Long Haired David]

At the end of March I am going to the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust Melodions and More day. Hopefully I can get some real help with my concertina playing.

 

I am concious that I am using a £75 Blue and Yellow 20 key Stagi that I picked up on EBay but I wouldn't have spent any more to find out if I liked this activity. I have decided that I love it and can spend 2 hours every evening just playing tunes - not well - lots of mistakes - but it will get better.

 

I am assuming that my concertina will stand out but I am not sure that that matters. Now I have been casting around to see what I can do next and thinking about what could be better with my instrument. It seems to me that my bellows is/are fairly firm and that it would make for easier playing if they were somewhat softer but when I look at instrument specs, the ones with leather bellows are all up at £1,000 and I am NEVER going to pay that just to sit at home and amuse myself (I am 65 coming on 66 so have no pretentions of pblic playing).

 

I have seen mention of Rochelle instruments and can see a 30 key one for £300. As I would not be able to try one of these before purchase (arthritis in the knees and hips limits how far I want to go), has anyone any opinions on whether this would be a good move?

 

David

[Daniel Hersh]

At the end of March I am going to the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust Melodions and More day. Hopefully I can get some real help with my concertina playing.

 

I am concious that I am using a £75 Blue and Yellow 20 key Stagi that I picked up on EBay but I wouldn't have spent any more to find out if I liked this activity. I have decided that I love it and can spend 2 hours every evening just playing tunes - not well - lots of mistakes - but it will get better.

 

I am assuming that my concertina will stand out but I am not sure that that matters. Now I have been casting around to see what I can do next and thinking about what could be better with my instrument. It seems to me that my bellows is/are fairly firm and that it would make for easier playing if they were somewhat softer but when I look at instrument specs, the ones with leather bellows are all up at £1,000 and I am NEVER going to pay that just to sit at home and amuse myself (I am 65 coming on 66 so have no pretentions of pblic playing).

 

I have seen mention of Rochelle instruments and can see a 30 key one for £300. As I would not be able to try one of these before purchase (arthritis in the knees and hips limits how far I want to go), has anyone any opinions on whether this would be a good move?

 

David

My opinion is that it would be a good move, for a variety of reasons (10 more buttons, more reliable instrument, and probably the less-stiff bellows that you're looking for). You might be able to get a better price than that too. It's still a good idea to try one first if you can find one to try out.

[NoNaYet]

A Rochelle is a great starter instrument (that's what I did), but you will be very surprised when you enventually upgrade from that.

 

However, 300 pounds sounds high to me. The are going for about $360 on this side of the Atlantic.

 

NNY

[Ralph Jordan]

Yes, I agree. Moving up to a 30 key opens up so much more possibilities. As to pricing, I'll leave that to the more informed, but, I know you'll have a great time in East Anglia. Really welcoming people.

We're not so bad, us folkies!

[Long Haired David]

Thanks for your replies. I can't find a Rochelle any cheaper than £294 so I will just have to save up and get one after the Melodions and More weekend. In the meantime, I will concentrate on playing accurately (oh and learning the penny whistle!)

 

David

[Chris Drinkwater]

Thanks for your replies. I can't find a Rochelle any cheaper than £294 so I will just have to save up and get one after the Melodions and More weekend. In the meantime, I will concentrate on playing accurately (oh and learning the penny whistle!)

 

David

 

 

Hi David

I believe that Theo Gibb, a member of this forum, and a melodoeon and concertina repairer, based in Gateshead, N.E. England, is an agent for the Rochelle anglo and sells them new at a cheaper price than they were previously on sale in the UK in music shops. It might be worthwhile contacting him. The link to his website is here.

 

Chris

[Theo]

 

Hi David

I believe that Theo Gibb, a member of this forum, and a melodoeon and concertina repairer, based in Gateshead, N.E. England, is an agent for the Rochelle anglo and sells them new at a cheaper price than they were previously on sale in the UK in music shops. It might be worthwhile contacting him. The link to his website is here.

 

Chris

 

Not any more, in the UK you can get them from the Music Room (£294) or Chris Algar

[Woody]

I can't find any information on it but there was mention of this instrument which might prove to be an alternative (though even more expensive than the Rochelle).

[Chris Drinkwater]

 

Hi David

I believe that Theo Gibb, a member of this forum, and a melodoeon and concertina repairer, based in Gateshead, N.E. England, is an agent for the Rochelle anglo and sells them new at a cheaper price than they were previously on sale in the UK in music shops. It might be worthwhile contacting him. The link to his website is here.

 

Chris

 

Not any more, in the UK you can get them from the Music Room (£294) or Chris Algar

 

That helps to explain why I couldn't see any mention of them on your website, Theo. Why is that? Not worth your while?

 

Chris

[Stephen Chambers]

I can't find any information on it but there was mention of this instrument which might prove to be an alternative (though even more expensive than the Rochelle).

 

Only, has anybody actually seen one yet? (I've got one on order, for McNeill's, but it didn't arrive with my last order off Gremlin.)

[malcolmbebb]

I have a Rochelle and it's way ahead of a similar-to-yours £80 box that we bought a while ago for a daughter. It is quite playable. They are fairly large, but not excessively so. I don't know if the price you saw is for the latest model, which has better reeds and I believe a larger (=easier and quieter) air valve.

 

I would suggest that you won't go far wrong with one.

Edited February 6, 2011 by malcolmbee

[Woody]

I can't find any information on it but there was mention of this instrument which might prove to be an alternative (though even more expensive than the Rochelle).

 

Only, has anybody actually seen one yet? (I've got one on order, for McNeill's, but it didn't arrive with my last order off Gremlin.)

I can't even find mention of it on the Hobgoblin or Gremlin websites

[Daniel Hersh]

Hi David

I believe that Theo Gibb, a member of this forum, and a melodoeon and concertina repairer, based in Gateshead, N.E. England, is an agent for the Rochelle anglo and sells them new at a cheaper price than they were previously on sale in the UK in music shops. It might be worthwhile contacting him. The link to his website is here.

 

Chris

 

Not any more, in the UK you can get them from the Music Room (£294) or Chris Algar

Or from Celtic Chords for £290, though I don't know anything about that dealer other than what I see on their web site.

[Mike Franch]

David,

 

I am also an older new student. I started lesson in October 2009 at age 68 and have been having a ball. I can relate to your instant love of the instrument and spending all the time you can playing. You might appreciate the following quote. It's about a different type of concertina and I suspect a different kind of music than must users of this list play, but it rings true to me:

 

"Most concertina players know immediately, from the first push of a button, if they 'are' concertina players. You seem to be born a concertina player, which means you die a concertina player. It's a love between player and instrument, a love that never ends!" (Steve Litwin & Mark Kohan, "The Chemnitzer Concertina: Polka Music's Workhorse,"

http://www.polamjournal.com/polka/chemnitz.html)

 

I hope you find an affordable and satisfactory concertina soon.

 

Mike

[Theo]

 

Not any more, in the UK you can get them from the Music Room (£294) or Chris Algar

 

That helps to explain why I couldn't see any mention of them on your website, Theo. Why is that? Not worth your while?

 

Chris

 

No, the opposite in a way. I was spending a significant amount of time talking to customers, packing and arranging deliveries, and especially in checking every instrument when it arrived and dealing with various minor problems. I was forced to choose between being a repairer and tuner or a retailer, and I chose the former.

[Chris Drinkwater]

I can see why you chose to remain a repairer and restorer, in that case, especially if you are working on your own. Too time consuming.

 

Chris

[LDT]

At the end of March I am going to the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust Melodions and More day. Hopefully I can get some real help with my concertina playing.

 

I am concious that I am using a £75 Blue and Yellow 20 key Stagi that I picked up on EBay but I wouldn't have spent any more to find out if I liked this activity. I have decided that I love it and can spend 2 hours every evening just playing tunes - not well - lots of mistakes - but it will get better.

 

I am assuming that my concertina will stand out but I am not sure that that matters. Now I have been casting around to see what I can do next and thinking about what could be better with my instrument. It seems to me that my bellows is/are fairly firm and that it would make for easier playing if they were somewhat softer but when I look at instrument specs, the ones with leather bellows are all up at £1,000 and I am NEVER going to pay that just to sit at home and amuse myself (I am 65 coming on 66 so have no pretentions of pblic playing).

 

I have seen mention of Rochelle instruments and can see a 30 key one for £300. As I would not be able to try one of these before purchase (arthritis in the knees and hips limits how far I want to go), has anyone any opinions on whether this would be a good move?

 

David

I'll be going to melodeons & more for the 3rd time in march. First time I went I had one of the cheap 30buttons from hobgoblin (bellows were stiff at first but after about a year they were okay) and had learnt the tunes in the wrong key. (Oy! no laughing).

I now have a Tedrow C/G which has helped my playing...as sometime the old scarlatti (I sold it last year...but if it came up for sale again I'd buy it back in a heartbeat) had trouble keeping up with me.

 

Which classes have you chosen?

 

btw. try as many concertina's at M&M as you can gives you an idea of what you want.

[Alex West]

Or from Celtic Chords for £290, though I don't know anything about that dealer other than what I see on their web site.

 

I can vouch for Celtic Chords. The proprietor, Pete Murray is an irregular visitor here but well known in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire music scene and has had his business for a few years. He's an enthusiastic and skilled melodeon, concertina and guitar player, runs a good business and tries hard to give good service. I think he's only recently taken on a dealership for Wim Wakker's instruments but has placed more than one order so is getting repeat business. He knows his concertinas!

 

Alex West