department of WackyIdeas Posted September 22, 2022 Share Posted September 22, 2022 Thanks to help from people in this forum, I was able to locate and make contact with the owner of Concertine Italia. Last Thursday, I visited the factory and spent a couple of hours talking with the two women who make pretty much every part of their instruments, with the exception of the reeds and reed blocks. A lot of people helped me along the way. I'm especially thankful to my new friend Enrico, who thought a visit to a concertina factory would be a good adventure and offered to drive me there, and to serve as translator. I can speak a little Italian but quickly got lost in the specifics. The owner, Mrs. Simona, is an awesome person as is her only full time employee Rosalia. Together they make a range of instruments including an adorable tiny 18 button chromatic, and the Italian organetto. They say that their most popular model is the Hayden. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I think you will like these awesome makers as much as I do. You can find the video at 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 This is a lovely film and well worth watching; and what a fascinating workshop, run by just a few very enthusiastic people! . A beautiful part of the world too... ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
department of WackyIdeas Posted September 24, 2022 Author Share Posted September 24, 2022 Indeed...Le Marche is not a very well known part of Italy. It is beautiful and I only met nice people there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Morrison Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 (edited) I am a retailer of Stagi concertinas and can say that the quality is second to none. Long gone are the out of tune cluncky instruments, now just high concertinas that play beautifully. The video is excellent and helps to show the real word "Handmade". Well done to the filmmaker ! https://redcowmusic.co.uk/product/stagi-concertinas/ Steve Morrison-Red Cow Music Edited September 25, 2022 by Steve Morrison 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, Steve Morrison said: I am a retailer of Stagi concertinas and can say that the quality is second to none. Long gone are the out of tune cluncky instruments, now just high concertinas that play beautifully. If so, then the company has a considerable image problem to get past. I still remember Rich Morse’s comments in these forums about The Button Box needing to overhaul and tune all their Stagi instruments before offering them for sale. One would think Mrs. Simona and company might do better to drop the “Stagi” moniker and rebrand. Edited September 25, 2022 by David Barnert Changed “resale” to “sale” in 2nd sentence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 I think that the video notes that Concertine Italia uses laser cutting to make the ends. If so, then it should be easy to change the files that feed the laser cutter to make ends with a better button orientation. I have not seen the internals of a Concertine Italia Hayden but I think that they are using the same sort of action mechanism as on the old Stagi's - an aluminium version of an accordion action mechanism. If so, then maybe they could just re-orient this action mechanism under the new button locations, move the holes under the new pad location and move the existing little reed blocks under the new holes. Easy for me to say, sitting in my armchair thousands of miles away, but what the hell! Oh, and plus one for dropping the Stagi brand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Simona Italia Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 On 9/23/2022 at 9:29 PM, SIMON GABRIELOW said: This is a lovely film and well worth watching; and what a fascinating workshop, run by just a few very enthusiastic people! . A beautiful part of the world too... ! Thank you very much!!! best regards from Italy, SIMONA & ROSALIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 It is possibly good business practice to, for a time at least, keep a known brand name for a while; which people may notice or remember (...(and trust).. then after building back an existing customer base ( which transfers over from previous business model).. changes of name could then be considered at later time; maybe little competition could be run ( with Italia company) approval then.. to find another name ( if need be) from the Stagi.? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveRo Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 As a former Stagi Hayden player I found the video fascinating, though disappointing for what it didn't show. The OP wrote that the Hayden is their most popular model. On their website they list 21 concertinas, if which just one is a Heyden: https://www.concertineitalia.it/en/concertinas-concertine-italia/ So the Hayden may be their most popular model while being a small minority of concertinas they sell. I wonder what they meant? It's not clear, but I assume that Concertine Italia have no design capabilty, they are just making the models they have inherited. That's clearly a big limitation. As well as a better 46 key Hayden I would like to see a model to fill the gap left by the end of Beaumont production. That would give their existing and future Hayden 46 players an upgrade path. But it would have to be properly designed, not like the current one. If it were light enough, I might buy one. The OP also wrote, in the earlier thread that Japan is 'a major market'. I wonder if it's the biggest market? Does the Stagi brand name have a poor reputation - apart from on this forum? I've no idea. I'm surprised they would drop it without some market research, unless they legally have to. 'Concertine Italia' is not a sensible brand name IMO - too long and unmemorable. Perhaps 'Recanati', or something that sounds good in Japanese? Anyway, I wish Concertine Italia success. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 17 minutes ago, DaveRo said: On their website they list 21 concertinas, if which just one is a Heyden: https://www.concertineitalia.it/en/concertinas-concertine-italia/ Clicking the “All Models” button in the “Hayden Duet 46” box brings up a picture of a 40-key Anglo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveRo Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 Indeed, as I told Mrs Simona a while ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 I would love to see some detailed photographs of the insides of a Stagi Hayden. In particular, I am interested in how things are attached to the action board. How are the reed blocks attached to the action board? How is the action mechanism attached to the action board? Is there a Stagi Hayden owner out there that could take some photographs for me? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 6 hours ago, David Barnert said: Clicking the “All Models” button in the “Hayden Duet 46” box brings up a picture of a 40-key Anglo. Here is their Hayden page: https://www.concertineitalia.it/en/hayden-duet-46-concertina/hayden-duet-46-concertina-concertine-italia/ . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 (edited) On 9/22/2022 at 11:58 AM, department of WackyIdeas said: Thanks to help from people in this forum, I was able to locate and make contact with the owner of Concertine Italia. Last Thursday, I visited the factory and spent a couple of hours talking with the two women who make pretty much every part of their instruments, with the exception of the reeds and reed blocks. A lot of people helped me along the way. I'm especially thankful to my new friend Enrico, who thought a visit to a concertina factory would be a good adventure and offered to drive me there, and to serve as translator. I can speak a little Italian but quickly got lost in the specifics. The owner, Mrs. Simona, is an awesome person as is her only full time employee Rosalia. Together they make a range of instruments including an adorable tiny 18 button chromatic, and the Italian organetto. They say that their most popular model is the Hayden. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I think you will like these awesome makers as much as I do. Thanks very much for doing this! I had always thought of the Stagi/Brunner firm as a bit of a "black box", with rumors occasionally floating around but not much firm information about how they actually operated. It's interesting to me that Concertine Italia has part-time specialists coming into to fine-tune (and install?) the reeds and to do the wood work. I suspect this is tied into the fact that they're in a major free-reed manufacturing region. Google Maps says that the accordion-making center Castelfidardo is a 15-minute drive from Recanati, and 15 minutes farther away is Osimo, where the reed-maker Cagnoni is located. Edited September 27, 2022 by Daniel Hersh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Simona Italia Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 On 9/27/2022 at 3:43 PM, David Barnert said: Clicking the “All Models” button in the “Hayden Duet 46” box brings up a picture of a 40-key Anglo. HI ! THANK YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE. IT'S AN ERROR, MADE FROM OUR INFORMATIC TECHINICIAN FOR OUR SITE. NOW, WE WILL WRITE TO HIM TO PUT THE RIGHT PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! REGARDS FROM ITALY !!! SIMONA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Simona Italia Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 On 9/27/2022 at 11:03 PM, Daniel Hersh said: Thanks very much for doing this! I had always thought of the Stagi/Brunner firm as a bit of a "black box", with rumors occasionally floating around but not much firm information about how they actually operated. It's interesting to me that Concertine Italia has part-time specialists coming into to fine-tune (and install?) the reeds and to do the wood work. I suspect this is tied into the fact that they're in a major free-reed manufacturing region. Google Maps says that the accordion-making center Castelfidardo is a 15-minute drive from Recanati, and 15 minutes farther away is Osimo, where the reed-maker Cagnoni is located. HI !!! IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT US, PLEASE,DO NOT HESITATE AND WRITE US!!! YES, OUR TOWN , RECANATI IS VERY NEAR FROM CASTELFIDARDO ( HOUSE OF ACCORDIONS) ... AND IN CASTELFIDARDO THERE ARE MANY PRODUCER OF ACCORDIONS (BUT ONLY US WE ARE MAKING HANDMADE CONCERTINAS...) AND MANY TUNER FOR REEDS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEST REGARDS, MRS SIMONA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Simona Italia Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 On 9/27/2022 at 7:28 PM, Don Taylor said: I would love to see some detailed photographs of the insides of a Stagi Hayden. In particular, I am interested in how things are attached to the action board. How are the reed blocks attached to the action board? How is the action mechanism attached to the action board? Is there a Stagi Hayden owner out there that could take some photographs for me? HI MR DON ! I'M SIMONA AND I'M THE OWNER FROM CONCERTINE ITALIA, UNIQUE PRODUCER OF HANDMADE CONCERTINAS IN ITALY ( BRAND STAGI AND BASTARI AT THE MOMENT ) IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CONCERTINAS, YOU CAN WRITE ME AT: concertineitalia@gmail.com . DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US !!! THANK YOU. BEST REGARDS, MRS SIMONA CONCERTINE ITALIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Simona Italia Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 On 9/27/2022 at 3:22 PM, DaveRo said: As a former Stagi Hayden player I found the video fascinating, though disappointing for what it didn't show. The OP wrote that the Hayden is their most popular model. On their website they list 21 concertinas, if which just one is a Heyden: https://www.concertineitalia.it/en/concertinas-concertine-italia/ So the Hayden may be their most popular model while being a small minority of concertinas they sell. I wonder what they meant? It's not clear, but I assume that Concertine Italia have no design capabilty, they are just making the models they have inherited. That's clearly a big limitation. As well as a better 46 key Hayden I would like to see a model to fill the gap left by the end of Beaumont production. That would give their existing and future Hayden 46 players an upgrade path. But it would have to be properly designed, not like the current one. If it were light enough, I might buy one. The OP also wrote, in the earlier thread that Japan is 'a major market'. I wonder if it's the biggest market? Does the Stagi brand name have a poor reputation - apart from on this forum? I've no idea. I'm surprised they would drop it without some market research, unless they legally have to. 'Concertine Italia' is not a sensible brand name IMO - too long and unmemorable. Perhaps 'Recanati', or something that sounds good in Japanese? Anyway, I wish Concertine Italia success. HI ! I'M MRS SIMONA AND I'M THE OWNER FROM CONCERTINE ITALIA, UNIQUE PRODUCER OF HANDMADE CONCERTINAS IN ITALY ( BRAND STAGI AND BASTARI AT THE MOMENT ) IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US, YOU CAN WRITE ME AT: concertineitalia@gmail.com . THANK YOU. BEST REGARDS, SIMONA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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