Upgrading My Anglo

[StuJanis]

About 4 years ago my wife bought me a Rochelle Anglo from Concertina Connection, and while I'm OK on the handful of tunes I know on the anglo, it's time to take a step up. Part of taking a step up involves upgrading my instrument. I've been a hammered dulcimer player and teacher for almost 30 years and I always tell my dulcimer students who want to upgrade that the best way to pick an instrument is to play a bunch of them and decide what they like. And the best way to do that is to go to a dulcimer festival. I suspect a similar approach makes sense for concertinas, too. I don't have enough vacation left to attend a week-long event this year, so I'm wondering if anyone can recommend an upcoming one-day or weekend event (in the US).

 

Or if you have other ideas about where to try out instruments I'll take them, too! There don't seem to be too many options in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Hobgoblin Music in Redwing, MN, lists anglos on their website but it's not clear if they have them in house or if most of them are in Hobgoblin UK locations.

 

Thanks,

Stu Janis

 

[gcoover]

Your best bet would be to go to one of the concertina gatherings like the Northeast Squeeze-In or the Old Pal Concertina Weekend, where there will be lots of folks with lots of instruments by different makers.