G/D Anglos - what are the options?

[Geoff Windle]

Hi Folks - I've been playing C/G Anglo for a few years, starting on a McNeela Wren then moving up to their Swan - which I am happy with for now - but I've just started playing [or trying to !] for a morris side band and from reading this [extremely helpful ] site it seems a G/D would be preferable - but I can't find any! None of the online shops or makers seem to have any , except one vintage model I found at £7000! So what are my options for getting hold of a G/D Anglo at a reasonable price ie under say £1500? Any pointers? Many thanks Geoff

[Jim Besser]

Sadly $1500 is going to severely limit your options.

 

I play both CG and GDs.  For contra and ceilidh dance playing, it's the GD that gets played the most; for Morris, I always prefer the CG; the higher register carries better in noisy situations.

 

Given your budget, a hybrid is the likeliest option.  You might want to consider this:  CG hybrids, in my experience, can sound a lot like traditionally reeded instruments; GD hybrids have a much more accordion-like sound.  This may not matter to you, but it's something to consider. 

 

GDs are indeed hard to find, especially at a reasonable price. If you want to go the hybrid route, Bob Tedrow or Frank Edgley might be able to make you one.  I owned an Edgley GD a long time ago, and it was a fine instrument, but a new one will set you back more than the 1500 you mention.

Edited March 16 by Jim Besser

[jkmelb]

The G/D concertina you are talking about is a Jeffries on the Barleycorn website, for GBP7000. This is the Rolls Royce of concertinas and of course very expensive. You will be able to find a cheaper second hand one, e.g. made by Lachenal or Jones, but you might have to wait and check their website and several other sellers regularly. It also depends, if you are happy with 20 or 26 buttons, or need a 30 button instrument. Put a "wanted" ad here into the forum, too.

 

It is hard to find lists of sold second-hand concertinas to get an idea of prices. But The Box Place websites archives their "for sale" listings and you can search through this archive. Hear a list of their G/D listings from the last several years. All instruments were tuned and restored...

https://theboxplace.co.uk/product-tag/gd/

 

You might also want to email Barleycorn, The Box Place and other concertina restorers and ask if they have a G/D instruments available. Often, these restorers have instruments in their backlog that they could fix up and repair, if they get an enquiry.

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

For that amount of money in the UK my recommendation is for an accordion reeds concertina by Marcus Music, though their standard model is actually about £2000 now, alternatively A.c norman and Co is similar but I don't know the price.

 

Basically if you can stretch to £2000 you can get a very well made modern hybrid from either of the makers I mention above. Compared to those Concertinas, speaking as a musician: in the price range you mention a vintage concertina is going to play quite disappointingly by comparison to a Marcus or norman.

Edited March 17 by Jake Middleton-Metcalfe

[jkmelb]

In my previous reply, I focused on second hand concertinas.

 

I just looked up several websites of current concertina makers. I found the following, but there might be more out there. Please feel free to add information.

 

I think A.C. Norman only builds traditional concertinas, not hybrids, i.e. they would be more expensive. There are quite a few makers of hybrid concertinas, e.g. in Ireland and the US, but not many of them build G/D instruments, most of them only build C/G concertinas.

 

The ones I could find building G/D hybrids are Marcus concertinas in Wales, as Jake mentioned, and Jay concertinas (which are 3D printed), now apparently in Australia...

https://www.marcusmusic.wales

http://www.jayconcertinas.co.uk/

 

Icostini concertinas are made in South Africa, but only 20 button instruments..

https://www.davidjenkins.co.za/concertinas/

 

Makers of traditional concertinas, i.e. with steel reeds mounted in brass shoes, will build G/D, but as stated before, these will be much more expensive.

 

The online music shops I searched, stocked almost exclusively C/G instruments, but there was one Stagi G/D currently available in the USA (but you would need to add shipping and import costs)...

https://www.libertybellows.com/shop/Concertinas/Anglo-Concertinas--30-Buttons/p/NEW-Mahogany-Stagi-W-15-Anglo-Concertina-GD-M-30-x44186654.htm

[hjcjones]

 

More than your budget, but still...

[DDF]

A c Norman do make GD hybrids. One can be seen and heard here.

 

[Peter Laban]

Not in your price range, but there you have it

[jkmelb]

24 minutes ago, DDF said:

A c Norman do make GD hybrids. One can be seen and heard here.

 

Sorry. I am corrected. I have seen the video before, but did not notice that it was a "Jubilee" hybrid model. On the website, he only talks about "Steel reeds mounted on a separate reedpan (with leather valves throughout)", which I interpreted to mean traditional concertina reeds.

[David Colpitts]

As I often chime in on these conversations, I have had very good experiences with OLDER Stagi/Bastari instruments, including a 40 button G/D I wish I'd kept.  I sold it for about 500 USD when I got my Morse Ceili GD (for about 5 times the money) and  looking back would have loved the Bastari as a spare.  It had proper bellows, and sweet old Italian reeds.  It could play almost (not quite...) as quickly as the Morse, and with the 40 buttons would have been pretty much chromatic accross a wider range than the 30 button, I think.  OTOH, a 20 button would have been enough for me, most of the time.  I emphasize that this Bastari pre-dated the Stagis with the faux-marquetry corner bindings.  I don't have anything against them, but they always seemed less "concertina-like" than the older models.  

 

As I write, I recall that there was a Lachenal 20 button GD with brass reeds that someone offered at the NESI Squeeze-In some years back for a thousand or 1100 dollars.  It was fast, light, pretty, and sounded great...just not super loud.  

 

Good luck in your quest!

[Stig Bubblecard]

Geoff Windle - where are you geographically?

[AndyNT]

Get you name on the list for a Marcus, you'll have plenty of time to save the extra ££££s. 

 

FWIW I have a G/D Lachenal and a G/D Norman. The Norman is definitely superior for playing for morris - it is very responsive, louder, bigger buttons and more robust. I found my Norman second-hand, while waiting is Marcus's queue!

 

Also worth contacting AP James in the UK, I think he is still making and would probably quote for a G/D box.

 

 

[AndyNT]

Just seen this G/D Lachenal listed in UK - https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/26667565066174415/

[jkmelb]

3 hours ago, AndyNT said:

Just seen this G/D Lachenal listed in UK - https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/26667565066174415/

 

Looks like a nice instrument that has been restored at some point. Just make sure to ask if it has been tuned to modern pitch. Good luck.

[Bill N]

Just to give you another option that is within your price range, you might consider a Faber concertina from South Africa.  They make 20 button instruments for the Boer music community.  They are German style instruments, but very well made and surprisingly playable and durable compared with others of their ilk (e.g Frontalinis, Scholars, Hohners, Stagi, etc).  They are available as an octave-tuned double reeded instrument (the Royal model) which is plenty loud for Morris work (but definitely accordionish)

 

I have had a similar instrument for many years made by Boer musician Dani Labushange, which I use for fast Newfoundland polkas and jigs, and I like it very much.  When Dani passed away, one of his bandmates took over his legacy, and has made some improvements over an already very good design.

 

They are significantly bigger than a vintage or hybrid Anglo, and take a little more muscle to play.  Last fall I was quoted $1090 Canadian, plus $480 for shipping from South Africa to Canada.  They have a good Facebook page with lots of videos.

[Geoff Windle]

Thanks so much everyone for all the responses - lots to follow up there! I think the Marcus would be a great option I'm based just north of Bristol so could easily pop over the bridge to Newport to check them out   

I was very interested though by what you said Jim about the CG carrying better. I'm finding it very hard to even hear myself at the moment as there is an accordion player making a similar sound but much louder! Sounds like I'd be better off sticking with the CG in terms of cutting through if not ease of playing Morris tunes? 

On 3/16/2026 at 9:09 PM, Jim Besser said:

 For contra and ceilidh dance playing, it's the GD that gets played the most; for Morris, I always prefer the CG; the higher register carries better in noisy situations.

 Should I start a new thread to ask about making oneself heard in a band setting? Many thanks all

Regards 

Geoff

 

Edited March 22 by Geoff Windle

[Jim Besser]

10 hours ago, Geoff Windle said:

 

I was very interested though by what you said Jim about the CG carrying better. I'm finding it very hard to even hear myself at the moment as there is an accordion player making a similar sound but much louder! Sounds like I'd

be better off sticking with the CG in terms of cutting through if not ease of playing Morris tunes? 

 

 

I always have both a GD and CG on Morris tours— and  I almost never play the GD, even though it is a honking Jeffries

 
Since I am usually playing solo, I have the luxury of choosing keys. I play  most of our tunes in G on the CG - tunes like Banbury Bill snd the Webley Twizzle , but I like a few better in C —Trunkles is an example. ( And i like Shepherd’s Hey in D, to confuse matters. Or I cycle through C,D and G on that tune.)

 

The only time I pull out the GD on Morris tour is when a melodeon player is sitting in with me and we’re doing some minor tune with a wide range that they can only do in E minor. Cuckoo‘s nest is an example.  (normally, I play this solo, and then it is always in Dm).  For other Em tunes with less of a range,  like Donkey Riding, I prefer playing in Em on the  CG.

 

There are obvious advantages in having both instruments with me on Morris tour. But for  most of our tunes, I prefer the CG because it projects much better in noisy environments. If I was limited to only one, it would be the CG, although this might change if I always played with a DG melodeon player.

Edited March 22 by Jim Besser

[Geoff Windle]

 

Thanks for that very thorough reply Jim! Again really interesting that you play the CG more. I thought you were going to say as you play solo you can play in C which seems the obvious thing to do with a CG, but you say you play mostly in G! I am having to play mostly in G as I have to fit in with the band and am having to adjust to playing on the inner row and in a more harmonic morris style. the inner row is rather high and thin on the right hand side and doesn't have enough volume so I end up playing the melody with the left hand.  And going from G chord to C is tricky as there isnt a low C anywhere I can find  Any tips for playing in G on a CG? 

Many thanks

Geoff