McCarthy Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 (edited) 5/14/23 - I have found a 48 button crane to suit my purposes and this thread has completed its purpose. Thank you for all of the interest and assistance! Hello, I am a fairly new concertina player and have started off with anglo. Been through a Wren 2 concertina from McNeela which I am in the process of returning as it was defect. They're handling the return situation fantastic so all's good there. Ended up with a used Clover from CC and love it. Also have lucked out and found a few old Lachenal's from ebay that I need to clean up once they are delivered. Just all 20/30 button C/G's. Now that I've got the itch, I would like to branch out to a duet concertina as it sounds very interesting and intuitive. I don't really want to start out with an Elise / Stagi even though I'm sure they would be a great stepping stone. Even a 39 or 46 key Lachenal seems kind of like an inappropriate stepping stone due to note selection. Go big or go home is my thought here. Have my mind set on a 57 Key Maccann Duet but am open to other duet concertinas. Mostly just looking for one that is not lacking the low C on the left hand. I've heard it can force the player to move an octave up at times. Considering going for a 62 key or larger duet concertina but am worried that they will be too large for a new player to get used to. Barleycorn has a really nice 62 key on their website which I'm sure is worth it but as a new player its a bit difficult for me to justify when I'm already still learning. It seems patience with finding the right concertina online really pays off, I've only been looking around for a few weeks so surely something would come around with some more time. Going out on a whim and upgrading from a beginner Wren to a Clover was a great move for me and I think I might have to accept that its going to cost a comparable amount to find the type of concertina that I'm describing here. I didn't think I'd end up there but the fact the concertina I bought at first only lasted a few days before it failed, I was kind of forced to accept the reality that it's worth spending an appropriate amount on these instruments. And the same approach I feel I applied to my anglo concertina I'd like to start right off with on the duet. Hope my ambition in seeking out such a wonderful instrument as a beginner is not percieved in bad taste. I recognize these instruments are best suited in the hands of those who are adept at them. We all have to start somewhere. Any advice as to my approach as a new concertina player here would be greatly appreciated as well. I'm using the McNeela Jack Talty music lessons as well as the OIAM music lessons. Thank you for any views and replies to my post. Live in Virginia, USA for shipping context purposes. Take care! Edited May 14, 2023 by McCarthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris rowe Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Have a look https://concertinashop.com.au we have a 48 and 55 key McCann, with the current exchange rate the price for US customers is very attractive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCarthy Posted February 12, 2023 Author Share Posted February 12, 2023 Thank you Chris for your comment. I have sent you a PM to discuss. The 55 button does look interesting as well as some other concertinas on your website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex West Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 McCarthy, I have a 62 key Lachenal New Model Maccann which I'm looking to move on as I'm principally an anglo player. It's been fully restored and I can send you some more information and pictures if you're interested. I'm looking for around £2,000 plus postage/courier Alex West Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCarthy Posted February 12, 2023 Author Share Posted February 12, 2023 Alex, Thank you so much for your post. Looks like a wonderful instrument. Definitely a good option for a duet. I sent you a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanc Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 McCarthy, where are you located? i have a 57b Wheatstone Chidley maccan I am considering selling. I think it is a really good idea to go for a larger duet on the front end. You will not regret having more buttons you can grow into. And you will, likely, wish you just did it on the front end if you go small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCarthy Posted February 13, 2023 Author Share Posted February 13, 2023 1 hour ago, seanc said: McCarthy, where are you located? i have a 57b Wheatstone Chidley maccan I am considering selling. I think it is a really good idea to go for a larger duet on the front end. You will not regret having more buttons you can grow into. And you will, likely, wish you just did it on the front end if you go small. Hello seanc, I am located in Virginia, USA. Near the middle and western side of the state on the border with parts of WV. I am very interested in your 57 button Wheatstone Chidley Maccann and I'd love to see some pictures of it. Sounds like a wonderful instrument. You can e-mail me at hamccart.syr.edu@gmail.com if that makes it easier to share information or feel free to PM me. I have a lot of questions about it concerning button arrangement, serial number, dimensional size and weight, etc. I appreciate your comments and insight, I believe you are very true that it's best to have something you can grow into. Thank you for responding to my post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 I'm in a similar boat looking to dive into Maccanns, which seem like a good compromise between all the duet systems. I'm coming from violin background which is very logical. concertinas seem so esoteric. Researching everything I can and still feel gaps in my knowledge. Compared to regular maccann does the chidley variety remove some of the irregularities and make the keyboard more logical? Do people feel like the 55k or the 57k is better compromise in size and versatility for folk or shanties? Appreciate any help on choosing the right kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4to5to6 Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 (edited) I have a 64 button maccann Wheatstone aeola that I should part with. I’m an English player and can barely play a scale on it. I only purchased it as it was a local sale amongst a batch of accordions someone had purchased and on the same ledger page as my TT Aeola. Interesting enough, I later met another local player with yet another Wheaststone also on the same ledger page!!! What is the chance of that? I imagine that it is a rare occasion to have three concertinas from the same ledger page all together at one time. I’ve always wanted to line all three up for a photographic moment PM me if you are interested and I will dig it out take a few photos for you. Edited May 14, 2023 by 4to5to6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCarthy Posted May 14, 2023 Author Share Posted May 14, 2023 Thank you for the message! I should have updated this a while back after I finished my search. I ended up with a 48 button lachenal crane duet from Barleycorn. I am a bit remiss that I may struggle someday when I look for a duet with a higher button count and will surely end up having to transition from Crane to Maccann styles. Crane's with more than 48 buttons are surely hard to come upon and eventually a more complete range of notes will become necessary. I have been able to play the Crane well enough I suppose; a few scales so far. A few songs. Unfortunately I cannot play it harmonic style as intended; I'm learning my fingerings and swiftness by replicating the same notes an octave apart by playing both notes at the same time on both sides. Surely this would be near impossible on a Maccann for a beginner but the crane layout lends itself to this. My practice approach thus far includes learning songs on my anglo's and then once I have the rhythm and the notes memorized then I apply that knowledge to both my english and my duet. Seems to be working out. What an interesting coincidence to end up coming in contact with several instruments off the same ledger page. There's something about the history there that makes one feel nostalgic Your 64 button Maccann Wheatstone Aeola sounds like a wonderful instrument, if you are serious about selling it I suggest you may end up with your own forum thread for that purpose. The folks, including myself would love to see pictures of it. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4to5to6 Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 Congratulations! Enjoy! Playing octaves is a great way to get used to your instrument. You could also do 3rds and 4ths etc., then harmonize the major and minor scales with 3 note and 4 note (7ths) arpeggios. I enjoy practicing scales adding a sharp or a flat each time as if I was going around the circle of fifths/fourths... C scale, G scale, D scale... Practicing aside, always have fun. Play your favourite music with friends. Get in a session. There is no end to getting better and better and the rooms you move into just get larger and larger so always enjoy where you are at. Separate the practice head space from the art headspace. In the end, it’s about the art and expression. That’s music. Wow! Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Moffatt Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Hi Looking to start playing a duet Concertina, don't know much about the box or the sound it's going to bey Retirement gift too myself Any information any Boxes for sale but don't want to go mad as I have heard they are hard too play any comments welcome any furniture sales welcome kind regards Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4to5to6 Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Hi Derek, Where are you located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now