Is this a good concertina maker?

[Sandra A]

I have been watching you tube for a lot of information and listening to concertinas.  This person said they had a new one they had purchased from here...https://www.marcusmusic.wales/ and it sounds great, but maybe it is just the person playing it knows what they are doing?  Anyone else know anything about these?  The only thing I can see a problem with are the aluminum buttons.  I try to stay away from anything with aluminum.

[gcoover]

Hi Sandra, I have Marcus #101 made in 1998 and it is a fabulous instrument. Of the many hybrids I've owned and played, it is the quickest and brightest and sounds closest to real concertina reeds.

 

There is an interview with the late Marcus Butler on YouTube from 2015 where he says:  "We do our best, at a price".  I can't speak for their current models, but the one I have is certainly a keeper.

 

They might be able to provide different buttons, would be worth an inquiry.

 

Gary

[Sandra A]

I watched the video with him and showing the steps to make one.  A lot of meticulous work there.  So, they are accordion reeds like what is on the one I am working on.   Is that why they are called hybrid?  I know I am going to want one with more buttons eventually and have been looking around.  Then again, I keep thinking I should get really confident on the 20b before getting another one. I think a Jeffries would be nice too but I don't know anything about all of these and the price would be a factor also.  The fact that you have had one for 25 years and haven't gotten rid of it says a lot.  Thank you!  

 

 

[David Barnert]

1 hour ago, Sandra A said:

Is that why they are called hybrid?

 

Yes.

[Roger Hare]

2 hours ago, gcoover said:

...I have Marcus #101 made in 1998 and it is a fabulous instrument...

I have Marcus No. 453, dating from 2007. A 30-button G/D Anglo which I purchased 2nd-hand from a member here in 2015. I use it for t'Morris. It is my main squeeze. It is an extremely nice instrument...

[Sandra A]

This is nice, you guys who know all about these things have one of these and like them so much.  What a compliment to the maker.  It answers my question beyond doubt.  So, it wasn't just me being a newbie thinking it sounded so good.  I guess I'll be saving up my money.  Do you know if it is a long waiting period to get one or do they already have some available?

[arti]

When I looked at Marcus they had the shortest wait time I could find - they don't hold stock.

Another advantage:  No VAT ( = sales tax) being a small business they are under the tax threshold - saves 20%. 

Also £ to $ is a bargain for now.

But most of all they are really helpful people to deal with.

Edited August 13, 2023 by arti

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

You have a wide choice of makers to research . I stick with my beloved Hohner branded Anglo; it has steel reeds, leather bellows, mahogany veneered sides, a nice strong tone, and has survived so far for over 24 years of use( played nearly every day of year regularly). I have been criticised for not trying other kinds out in my time, but I am happy enough as everything is. That's the sound you can hear on my YouTube channel when I put my tunes on.. it's my Anglo 30 button!

 

[Sandra A]

Simon I will check them out too.  I never really thought about a Hohner.  It seems that from what I saw on you tube Hohners were mostly the 20b.  I will definitely check them out too.   Thank you.

[Wolf Molkentin]

„Hohner“ branded concertinas will be made by Stagi (or Bastari, if older) - and a maker in China can’t be entirely ruled out either, I reckon

[Sandra A]

1 hour ago, Wolf Molkentin said:

a maker in China can’t be entirely ruled out either, I reckon

I don't want one made in China, trying to stay away from those.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Yes, my own Hohner concertina ( bought in 1999) but possibly a year or two earlier than that in construction..would have been made by the then Brunna Musica I think, in Italy, which the new company has developed from. 

[pentaprism]

Hello Sandra,

 

My post is not about the quality of Marcus concertinas.

 

It's about buying from outside of the US: prepare to pay "import duty."

 

In 2020, I bought a $3200 instrument from Ireland, shipped by UPS. The import fee was about $250.

 

Last week, I received a $1300 instrument from Greece, shipped by DHL. The import fee was $84.

 

Both shipments were comparable in size (about 2 cubic feet) and weight (about 6 pounds).

 

The shipping last week was smooth, taking only 5 days. The shipping in 2020 was a nightmare, taking a month and a lot of back and forth messages with UPS.

 

 

[Wolf Molkentin]

1 hour ago, SIMON GABRIELOW said:

Yes, my own Hohner concertina ( bought in 1999) but possibly a year or two earlier than that in construction..would have been made by the then Brunna Musica I think, in Italy, which the new company has developed from. 

„Brunner“ I seem to recall…

[Sandra A]

2 hours ago, pentaprism said:

It's about buying from outside of the US: prepare to pay "import duty."

Thank you so much for this information.  I was wondering about it and had no idea how to find out how much it would be if I do end up purchasing one outside the US.  Will you tell me how to find this information so I would know and be prepared for that extra fee please?  Do you pay it upfront?  I've never bought anything from outside the states except some small things from China that didn't have the import duty.  I don't know how they get away with that but they have and do.

[David Barnert]

5 hours ago, Sandra A said:

I don't want one made in China, trying to stay away from those.

 

The concertinas made in China for the Concertina Connection (Jackie and Jack English Concertinas, Rochelle and Rochelle-2 anglo concertinas, and Elise Hayden Duet concertina) are an exception. CC has exacting standards and makes sure the instruments are of good quality, for the price. CC also, of course, offers a full price credit trade-up program.

 

 

[pentaprism]

4 hours ago, Sandra A said:

Will you tell me how to find this information so I would know and be prepared for that extra fee please?  Do you pay it upfront?

I found several websites that could estimate the import fee, but all required some sort of registration/login/payment.

 

I think for musical instruments from Europe, the total import fee is around 7% of the value declared.

 

The problem is that in most case, the seller doesn't know how much the import duty will be in the destination country, and just states that "taxes, import duty/fee are responsibility of the buyer."

 

In both of my cases, the shipper brought the item here into the US, and then told me that the item was on hold and I would have to pay the fee to have it released from customs. I guess the shipper didn't know the amount until US Customs inspected the item and decided how much the duty would be.

 

In my first case in 2020, UPS screwed up so bad. The person I initially contacted had no clue where the item was nor how to get it out. Meanwhile the item, according to the tracking data on UPS' website, went back and fourth between US and Canada (note that the item was supposed to go from Ireland to US). No one at UPS was able to explain to me why. Finally someone found out that I'd have to pay $250 to get it released from US Customs.

 

DHL handled the case last week much better. They picked the item Aug. 9 from Greece. I received text & email messages every step of the way. Late Saturday night, I received an email from DHL that I had 5 days to pay for the import duty. At the time, the item was already in San Francisco. I paid immediately and received an itemized receipt from them:

 

Item Value: 1314.84

Regulatory Charge: 1.19

Import Export Duties: 65.74

Duty Tax Receiver: 17.00

Total: 83.93

 

DHL delivered it on Monday Aug. 14 (my house is 35 miles from San Francisco Airport).

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by pentaprism

[alex_holden]

26 minutes ago, pentaprism said:

I think for musical instruments from Europe, the total import fee is around 7% of the value declared.

 

...

 

Item Value: 1314.84

Regulatory Charge: 1.19

Import Export Duties: 65.74

Duty Tax Receiver: 1.00

Total: 83.93

 

(65.74/1314.84)*100 = 5% import duty, which sounds wrong for a concertina because the closest HTS code is 9205.90.18, which has a general duty rate of 2.6%. Some people suggest using the code for piano accordions because they are duty free (and hoping the inspector can't tell the difference between a piano accordion and a concertina).

 

Where did you get the 7% figure from?

 

I don't know what Regulatory Charge or Duty Tax Receiver mean. There always seems to be various obscure and unpredictable fees in addition to the actual import duty. At least you don't have to pay 20% VAT on top like we do when importing things to the UK.