McNeela Phoenix 30 button C-G - reviews?

[Martha mikk]

Considering purchasing one - any comments? Comparisons? Best values, etc?

[Lappy]

Get a Minstrel from Concertina Connection instead.

[Martha mikk]

Thank you! I will check out. Do you know of any shops on the East Coast (US) that might have the Minstrel or Clover in stock?

[PaulDa321]

Liberty Bellows has had them, but I haven’t seen them there in a long time. You can call and see, of course. If you manage to buy one, you can usually sell them for not much less than you paid.  
 

I’ve played the Phoenix and the Minstrel and they are similar. The Phoenix has great buttons and very light weight, but with generally terrible reliability. The Minstrel is well-regarded for quality, so it’s a better bet for something similar and it will hold its value better. 

[davidevr]

The Phoenix has reliability issue: you might be lucky and get a decent beginner instrument or you might get a lemon... And the percentage of lemons is way too high. If you can afford an alternative, go with the alternative.

[Martha mikk]

Thank you! Your collective insights really help. I will save my pennies and go for something more expensive. Was looking at Irish Concertina Company - the Clare is their student models, the Vintage is the next up. Any wisdom there?

[Tiposx]

Here is a thread that covers some of your question:

 

[David Nichols]

I've got the McNeela Swan model. Got it before I knew too much about anything, but I can't say I've been too disappointed with it. All the notes work reliably and it's fun to play. I'm not that good at the concertina yet, so maybe my skill hasn't yet eclipsed the instrument, but I was overall pretty pleased with it. I see people talk down on McNeela instruments all the time though, so I may have just gotten lucky. My 2 cents.

[davidevr]

I returned the Phoenix after a ton of troubles (hats off to McNeela's service, they were very helpful), and I got an ICC Clare.

Night and day. 
I cannot compare to other hybrid intermediate models, but I can say it's got a nice sound, it's quite fast, and you can get one in a matter of weeks. I loved it.

Now I have an Eirú, but just because I wanted a concertina-reeded instrument and ICC offered a trade up, and I thought I'd make an investment.  The Eirú is definitely a step above, especially in relation to speed and timbre, but I was perfectly happy with the Clare.

[Martha mikk]

Thank you!! I think the Clare will be my choice!

 

[PaulDa321]

I’ve talked a lot about my experience—tiposx left a link that’s quite helpful. It’s not love across the board for ICC instruments, but I think for most players, they’re a great choice and I do think most owners like theirs. If you’re competing at a pro level, that’s a different discussion. I’ve owned the first gen Clare and the Vintage and loved them both—I’ve got a video out there comparing them. I love the Vintage even more after the bellows have broken in. They really need to switch to flat posts for the Vintage and Eiru like the Clare already has, and I’ve heard that they plan to. I think they all sound great in their own way as well. 

[jgarber760]

Like David Nichols I lucked out in a McNeela Swan which I purchased second-hand and which is also fine for me at the moment. At some time I will upgrade when I have the funds, though at the moment since I am in the US I am hesitant to buy from overseas since the current tariffs and customs charges can be considerable. I was looking at ICC Eirú today and with that price plus shipping and a considerable bump in the added costs I may hold off for awhile. 

Edited February 6 by jgarber760