What Makes Better Conertinas Better to Play?

[Josh in Hartford]

Bear with me, I'll explain! I have an Elise duet from Concertina Connection that I've been playing the hell out of for eight months and really really enjoying. I was recently taking stock of my finances and it occurred to me that I could afford the upgrade through CC's trade-in program to get a Troubadour. But then I thought, why? I have not felt very acutely the limited range or lack of accidentals - I'm just playing to accompany my singing, not with other musicians, so if there's something I want to play that I don't have the notes for, I can usually just transpose it, and I have the musical know-how to devise creative arrangements to work around the instrument's limitations. So far, the Elise has held up: one spring broke, but I was able to replace it myself without much trouble. I am attracted to the idea of a slightly smaller instrument (which the Troubadour is).

 

Les Titford has a really good video on YouTube where he does a detailed comparison of the Elise and the Troubadour, and he points out the increased responsiveness of the Troubadour as its major advantage, but he emphasizes again and again that the Elise is pretty great for its cost. 

 

There's not really anywhere close to me where I can go try out a higher-end duet, so I'm wondering if any of you folks of long experience can share your feelings on the matter: what is notable for you about playing a more expensive Hayden duet as opposed to an Elise?

[Johanna]

(I play English concertina, not Hayden duet, so I'm extrapolating from my experience with similar models in the English system.  I assume that the equivalent Hayden models are basically the same, but I've never personally seen the inside of one.)

 

The big reason for the difference in size (and, I assume, price) between the two concertinas has to do with how they're constructed.  Both use accordion reeds (as opposed to "real concertina reeds," which sound somewhat different), but the reeds in the Elise are mounted in accordion-style "reed blocks" - which means they poke up perpendicularly from the action board into the interior of the instrument (if that description is not clear, grab a screwdriver and open up one of the ends of your Elise to see for yourself; I promise that it's not too hard to put back together again) - whereas the reeds in the Troubadour are mounted flat against the action board.

 

The result is a significant difference in sound.  My description may not do it justice, but I'd say that Elise-type models sound more muffled and accordion-like, whereas Troubadour-type models sound clearer and more "immediate."  The Troubadour-type models are closer to how concertinas were traditionally constructed, so they sound closer to what's generally regarded as how concertinas are supposed to sound, so they're generally more desirable. 

 

Now, if you like how your Elise sounds, go ahead and keep playing it, and don't worry about what other concertina players tell you that you're supposed to want.  But I'd encourage you to seek out opportunities to try out higher-end instruments, just so you know what your options are.

 

Assuming you're in Hartford, Connecticut, the Northeast Squeeze-In (an annual convening of players of squeezeboxes of all types) is right in your backyard.  It's probably your most convenient chance to see and hear (and maybe even play, if you ask nicely) different classes of concertinas all in the same place.  It may be too late for you to attend this year (this year's event is next weekend, and it's been sold out for months, although there were some recent cancellations, and I don't know what the status of those is), but you can put it on your calendar for next year.

[Steve Schulteis]

I'm an Anglo player, and I've had both an Elise and a Rochelle (the Elise's Anglo sibling, which is very comparable) in my possession. I can't comment on the Troubadour specifically, but in general a higher end concertina presents less resistance. Notes start easier and the bellows moves more freely. This makes faster playing easier and all playing more enjoyable. You may also get more dynamic range. Past a certain point you're paying for small differences that may be more a matter of preference, but compared to the Elise, a good mid-range (or better) instrument will greatly reduce the effort needed to play. Playing cheap concertinas takes work. I'm glad there are (somewhat) more affordable options out there, but a better instrument is well worth the money.

[Josh in Hartford]

Thanks for these explanations (no thanks from my bank account). I knew about the Squeeze-in but can't make it. Maybe I need to plan a Hannukah present for myself.

[Johanna]

One thing to keep in mind is that, unlike most of the things we buy, higher-end concertinas can be resold for most or all of the price paid for them.  So even though a Troubadour is a lot of money up front, if it turns out not to be right for you, the decision can be undone without too much loss.

[Chris Ghent]

The most important feature in a high end concertina is good reeds.  This leads to speed and a sense of effortless playing. 

[wunks]

I'd vote for experience and dedication of the builder.  A bespoke instrument would be my first choice.

[Lappy]

Get the Troubadour! You will not regret it. 

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Also the dedication and skills of the musician will help regardless of cost🌝

[d.elliott]

Adding to Chris's comment, the valves can have a serious effect on responsivness as well. on playability, those models with buttons that disappear into the end plate, as opposed to standing 2-3mm high when depressed, are more difficult to manage. you loose the tactile reference of where you are on the key board.

[4to5to6]

Concertinas sound better the more they are played… Even the old vintage ones… Quick story… I purchased a very high end perfect mint condition one and a lesser well used and well worn one both from the mid 1850s and the well worn one came to life almost instantly and still sounds much better.

[Matt Heumann]

And to add a caveat: Regardless of the brand, model, age or price, if it doesn't feel good in YOUR hands or sound great in YOUR ears, its not for you. Every manufacturer cranked out a lemon every now & then. I've resold a few fine vintage concertinas that I bought online, but they just didn't suit me, but the new owners LOVED them. To each our own, love it or leave it!

[Bob Tedrow]

May I offer my 3¢ worth?

 

I believe there are at least three major requirements for a “good” concertina. In no particular order they are  as follows

 

1. Bellows. 

 

Bellows, like your lungs, should be inconspicuous by their presence.

 

 Bellows should have very little resistance when opening and closing

 

  Good bellows should open completely by their own accord when suspended vertically with the air button pressed. Conversely, they should close completely when inverted with the air button depressed.  They should hold position nicely  when no buttons are depressed.  They should not leak air very much at all. 

 

I don’t believe bellows when properly constructed require any “break-in” at all.  

In my experience, stiff bellows remain 

 

Any effort overcoming stiff bellows will take away from your ability to subtly phrase or ornament your music. 

 

Good bellows are not easy to build, many makers substitute materials or construction  methods to save time and money.  There is nothing wrong with that as long as the above criteria are met. 

 

There is more than one way to skin a cat. 

 

2. Reeds

 

Reeds should speak with very little bellows pressure.  Conversely they should not stall or choke when the concertina is played with enthusiasm.  Reeds should have a “set” that will allow the player to use a wide range of dynamics. 

 

 

 Preferably they should be in tune within a few hundredth of a semitone, or cents.  This is commonly based on equal temperament. 

 

Tone, timbre are subjective, most players prefer the sound and style of their personal concertina hero. 

 

 

The reeds them selves must be made of materials that are suitable for the purpose and fit properly into their respect reed frames. 

 

Good reeds are hard (expensive) to make  and all are not created equal.  There are “traditional English style” reeds  that give great joy and some that are a disappointment. I can say the same of “traditional Italian style reeds”as well. 

 

 

3. Action

 

The buttons, levers, springs control the passage of air over the reeds They should feel crisp and compliant.  Skinny buttons with excessive spring tension may not provide you with comfort.  Floppy buttons with noisy action can be distracting. 

 

There are riveted levers, fulcrum hook levers, various spring metals. What ever combination the builder chooses should be executed with care so that each button works reliably with out binding or falling over. 

[Ed Nardell]

Josh, 
From Hartford you're not that far from Boston, and if you're ever here, you are welcome to try my CC Custom Peacock.  It is two steps up from the Troubaour, but trying it may give you a feel for what you get at higher levels of instruments. 

Here is my concertina story. I first bought the Stagi Hayden duet - not a bad instrument for the money, with a full 46 buttons, but I quickly realized that I would soon want to upgrade to a better instrument.  At 78, I don't have decades to enjoy a finer instrument "down the road", so I bought the best new Wiki-Hayden instrument that I could find - the Custom Peacock.  The standard CC Peacock has only 42 keys, but is a step higher, and more expensive than the Troubadour. The Custom Peacock uses many of the construction methods CC uses for their true concertina reed Haydens,  but like all hybrids, it still uses good accordion reeds. It is more expensive than the standard Peacock. I would have jumped at a chance to buy a concertina-reed Hayden instrument, new or used, but could find nothing.  The wait time for a CC Wakker concertina was over 7 years when I was looking, and they had stopped taking orders. Same with other Hayden duet manufacturers. 

 

I sold the Stagi locally for $100 less than I bought it, and the buyer was thrilled not to have had to wait the 5 months that I did.  Now, having played the Custom Peacock for 6 months, I am in love with it, and cannot keep my hands off of it.  The only thing I am lacking is a local instructor in the Boston area to accelerate my progress.  My interest is primarily the legato pieces in the tango, classical, and traditional repertoire (see Didie Sendra's "Soloduet" youtube performances), although the first piece that I can play with left hand accompaniment is the Wellerman sea shanty, learned from the Daddy Long Les youtube tutorials. I also sing, so accompanying myself for Puccini's Sogno d'Or short piece is not far off. 

 

I had never heard a real concertina-reed instrument in person until David Barnart kindly stopped by when he was in Boston for the Early Music Festival in June.  Just let me know here if you would like to make the 2 hr trip to Boston some time, and you can play the Custom Peacock.