Crook Concertinas - And my recent experience looking for a good instrument

[Caroline]

I upgraded my beginner concertina to a Custom Clover and I love it.  It is almost effortless to play and Wm Walker was great to work with.  I was lucky enough to get on Wally Carroll’s wait list before he stopped taking orders, so I’m eagerly anticipating my first non-hybrid concertina.  That said, the Clover will become my traveler— I don’t see any point in ever getting rid of it.

[SMary]

@digver I am also on Dana's list....so excited! So excited, in fact, that my wishful thinking mind misread his estimated time as 2024, when it actually is 2025 😄 So am now in the market for a nice 2nd hand c/g until that time. -Kerry

[digver]

On 3/17/2024 at 11:42 PM, Morgana said:

I'm also on the waiting list for a Crook Concertina... was told "around 18 months) so could be a big longer but I think it will definitely be worth the wait

Not long ago when I first read about Kennsingtons here someone said they thought the wait time was about about three months. Was I surprised when Dana said 2025!

 

But then my dad, who was known to be cooking supper late, used to say, "The longer you have to wait, the better it will taste."

Edited March 19 by digver

[Oberon]

23 hours ago, digver said:

Not long ago when I first read about Kennsingtons here someone said they thought the wait time was about about three months. Was I surprised when Dana said 2025!

 

But then my dad, who was known to be cooking supper late, used to say, "The longer you have to wait, the better it will taste."

It was a few months lead time a good while back, but that's the nature of orders! When there's a lull and there are few orders, the lead time is short, but once they pile up it'll extend deep into the future. Pretty common for any hand made instrument that is made for a per-order basis. 

 

So yeah, sometime last year Dana had a shorter lead time, but since it seems he's gotten more orders, that certainly will have changed. I mean look at this thread for an example of that too; the OP said it was only a handful of months or so for Willy to get them a concertina but anyone who subsequently put an order in found it would take a year. You just gotta jump on those orders when the queue is short!

[chantersandbellows]

1 hour ago, Oberon said:

It was a few months lead time a good while back, but that's the nature of orders! When there's a lull and there are few orders, the lead time is short, but once they pile up it'll extend deep into the future. Pretty common for any hand made instrument that is made for a per-order basis. 

 

So yeah, sometime last year Dana had a shorter lead time, but since it seems he's gotten more orders, that certainly will have changed. I mean look at this thread for an example of that too; the OP said it was only a handful of months or so for Willy to get them a concertina but anyone who subsequently put an order in found it would take a year. You just gotta jump on those orders when the queue is short!

 

When we met up in early January, Willie was only at a month or two out, and now it's over 18 months.  I'm really glad he kind of blew up so nicely and he's able to take it full steam ahead!

[jrquints23]

On 3/10/2024 at 12:37 PM, sunny22 said:

tangbo, thank you so much for this timely information & detailed account of your experience! I visited this forum yesterday, hoping to start the daunting task of looking for a second Concertina for myself. I  fortunately had beginners dumb luck in buying a McNeela Phoenix three years ago, which I absolutely love, but I am uneasy just having one instrument, and would like to try maybe a more advanced model of an Anglo CG. I’m in Kansas City, not that far from Denver, & hope I can try a Crook & start the process :^ )

 

[jrquints23]

Hi Sunny! I'm also in Missouri, near Columbia, and started out on a McNeela WrenII and then got a Phoenix last Winter and like it a lot. I'm trying to reach out to local concertina players to share ideas, so, hi neighbor!

[sunny22]

Hi, JRQ! Did McNeela take back the Wren, on trade?

 

I’ve encountered one other concertina player in Kansas City, not that I’ve been actively looking. BTW, I’m not playing an Irish repertoire, rather fiddle & bluegrass tunes. It’s a wonderful instrument for jams & I’m amazed it’s not more popular. Seasoned musicians ask me “what is that…some kind of accordion???”