Rochelle Vs 20 button Lachenal.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

53 minutes ago, Al. said:

Playing Devil's advocate for a while.  I played some tunes on the Octave mandolin yesterday and was surprised how many C#s there were.  If I went the 30 button route I presume the Rochelle would be the best bet in my price range.   Simon I would be keen to hear about your Hohner as it is a brand that most people seem to avoid,( No offence meant).   

I am happy to say a few words over my own Hohner branded concertina .Which I purchased back in 1999, and no doubt had been made few years before that even ( it was the only one left when I ordered it at the time!)..

Steel reeds, mahogany veneered ( genuine mahogany not simulated).

Real leather bellows, thick and very good condition.

Interior has wooden pallettes onto which the simply made levers and buttons are fixed.

The tone is big and melodious.

I feel the make has got bad press recently by certain descriptions given and examples preferring to see the faults in them ( deliberately)!

However I got mine when they were still been constructed with a bit more care overall. Than maybe later on.

Hohner is a well known name after all .from the tradition of all the free reed family of instruments over a good century or more..

24 plus years and my own is still going strong, and any imperfections that can occur, I find get less over time and are easily remedied .

I go by my own instincts and by my own choices .. and to me, I am more than happy with it. 

You can also  hear the tone of my Hohner concertina on my own you tube channel, to hear the strong tone it is capable of producing ( none traditional music). And yes I do hold instrument in a funny manner, but that is how it is😊😊

[Jillser Nic Amhlaoibh]

Having played a Rochelle for a fortnight when I first started playing I found it hard work and couldn't get rid of it quick enough - it served a purpose in that it helped me know that 1) I wanted to keep playing the concertina and 2) I didn't want that concertina to be a Rochelle! I would agree with those suggesting that you save up a wee bit more to get a 26 button or 30 button Anglo if you want a C#.

[Cathasach]

I'd recommend a 26 button. You can play pretty much everything trad and they're significantly less expensive than a 30. If you keep you eyes open you might be able to find one that plays well but looks not so great for close to your budget.

[Theo]

On 9/21/2024 at 2:57 PM, Al. said:

Thanks everyone, that's given me a lot to think about.   Does anybody have advice on if it is a good idea to change a button out to give a C#?

Not a good idea.  

[Al.]

Any chance of a link to your You tube channel please Simon so I can hear your Hohner,  I don't seem to be able to find it on this site.

[Tiposx]

Try this one

 

https://youtu.be/v7cPEDR776k?feature=shared

 

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Thank you "Tiposx" for providing that link for Al. It is of my demo of a concertina being played ( intended for people with less knowledge of the instruments generally)..

But I use my Hohner instrument  ( and my lovely well admired technique of holding it too😊).

[RogerT]

To answer your original question, it'd be better to get a 30 key CG, the reason being that tutorial books and YT instructional videos are all for that instrument. Though you won't get an old (say) Lachenal for your budget, unless it is a wreck and you'll have to restore it.

And..you really do need the extra row of accidentals. There are some very useful reversals on there.

Avoid the Stag concertinas (even the more expensive one). They are pretty awful to play. The Rochelle is very playable in comparison and a good choice. The other place to look is at the entry level 30 key Anglos sold in Ireland (e,g, by McNeela). Because it's such a popular instrument there they all tend to be very playable. Or the Marcus (made in Wales), which is excellent for an accordion reeded 'tina. I've tried all these instruments by the way (and repaired them).

As a supplemental answer, if you have a 20key Lachenal or Jones, which has the removeable reeds, the simplest and most effective 'mod' is to get hold of a matching C# reed and substitute the pull A in the middle of the LH G row. It works surprisingly well and it's how I've got my Jones. So I can knock out tunes in D.  The point here is that the G/A button on the G row is repeated on the top button of the LH D row, and (if you learn the Irish style …see the Bramich book) you use that key anyway and not the G row G/A button.

Extra observation…you don't play up and down the rows on an Anglo, …you play across the rows. Some people do play up and down so this mod won't work if that's how you intend to play. Up and down players need a box in GD. 

 

 

 

Edited September 23 by RogerT

[Al.]

Well it looks like a 22 button or a G/D Anglo is the way to go, with the possibility of changing a reed out of I can't find anything.    Out of interest, are G/D Anglos generally more or less expensive than a C/G?   Does the fact that they are in a non standard key make them less desirable or does the "more useful" key make them pricier.

[Roger Hare]

2 hours ago, Al. said:

Well it looks like a 22 button or a G/D Anglo is the way to go, with the possibility of changing a reed out of I can't find anything.    Out of interest, are G/D Anglos generally more or less expensive than a C/G?   Does the fact that they are in a non standard key make them less desirable or does the "more useful" key make them pricier.

I don't know that G/D is a 'non-standard' configuration? It's just a different configuration.

 

There's an (old but) interesting article here about different Anglo key configurations in which it is suggested that G/D or Bb/F is the second most popular configuration. Here in the UK, G/D is very common for the reasons given in that article, and I have G/D, C/G, Bb/F and Ab/Eb instruments.

 

I can't say that I've noticed that G/D are significantly more expensive than C/G, but then, I ain't been looking...

 

From memory, the (21-button) Marcus Traveler has an extra button with a C#, but that's quite an expensive small hybrid which may not be suitable for your needs.

Edited September 23 by Roger Hare