lxnx Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 I've been lurking for a while, reading as much as I could from similar threads, and was hoping to get some advice on what to get as my first anglo concertina. I live near the south coast of England, but don't really know any concertina players around here I can ask for advice. Based on the style of music I want to play, I'm looking for a 30 button C/G anglo, somewhere in the range of £500 to £1500. I'd rather spend more and get a nice instrument that will stay with me for years (and ideally a reasonable resale value in case things go wrong!), rather than a cheap instrument which would frustrate me while learning (or frustrate my partner's ears...). I play a bunch of stringed instruments, but have no experience on anything with bellows, so the concertina is very much new to me. I've seen quite a few very cheap models (<£200) that people say to avoid, and a lot of top range models (£3000-£5000) which are apparently great (but way too expensive for a beginner!), but I don't know much about anything in between those extremes. Any advice, or pointers to shops/dealers/makers in the UK that I should be looking at would be much appreciated. Happy to buy new or second hand, though I'd want to buy from someone reputable since I'd be unable to judge the quality of an instrument myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 This might be a starting point... Good luck with your search! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johanna Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Many of the "intermediate/mid-range" models listed here are within your price range. If you want a vintage instrument, there's this one. Or you could check with Chris Algar of Barleycorn Concertinas to see if he has anything you might be interested in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Or you could check with Chris Algar of Barleycorn Concertinas to see if he has anything you might be interested in. I always recommend Chris. He always has the greatest selection; his prices are fair; he's expert at fitting the instrument to a person's needs (both musical and financial); and if (at the moment) he doesn't have something that he believes will suit you, he'll say so and won't try to sell you something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Or you could check with Chris Algar of Barleycorn Concertinas to see if he has anything you might be interested in. I always recommend Chris. He always has the greatest selection; his prices are fair; he's expert at fitting the instrument to a person's needs (both musical and financial); and if (at the moment) he doesn't have something that he believes will suit you, he'll say so and won't try to sell you something else. This is certainly real good and reliable advice - as long as you are inclined to buy a vintage model, which I would strongly recommend as long as you can afford it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxnx Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Thanks all for the advice, sounds like Chris Algar of Barleycorn will be my first port of call, he certainly comes highly recommended! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 I have this Lachenal for sale, slightly outside your budget, but I do have some wriggle room on the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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