Newbie Question - Long And Drawn Out

[viejomc]

My wife bought a very cheap tourist type 20 button concertina at the Traditional Music store in Doolin while we were vacationing in Ireland. Then she found a button accordion sale. After that she fell in love with the harp and so we bought her a beginner's model. She has forgotten all about the concertina, so that has become my project. After one week of playing, I'm hooked. This is too fun! But, I can only play in C or G so I've been researching, trying to find a 30 button that will allow me to play in other keys, especially D because I have an extensive library of notation in that key. It's amazing that a missing C# could potentially cost me so much. I don't know if the concertina community has an acronym for the instrument acquisition disorder, but I assure you I'm afflicted.

 

Now, the question: Does anyone have a graphic of the button pattern of a Stagi W-15 LN 30 button Anglo? That seems to be the only box that I see within my price range, at least for now.

[Woody]

Firstly, welcome to the Concertina.Net forums. Glad to see another person seduced by a concertina.

 

That seems to be the only box that I see within my price range, at least for now.

 

There's due to be a new 30 button box released by Concertina Connection called the Rochelle - due out very soon. If it lives up to the reputation of the entry level English boxes ("Jackie"/"Jack") they make it would probably be the best option.

 

If you do opt for the Stagi W-15 LN I'd recommend that you try one before you buy. I was certain that this was the box for me until I tried it and found that some of the buttons, particularly the "air" button were too far away for me even though I don't have small hands.

 

Best of luck with whatever you choose

 

- W

[m3838]

If your most notable problem is lacking C#, bring your box to a dealer and have him retune or replace your C reeds in the G row for C#. Problem solved.

A Stagi is a waste of money.

If your problem is relearning, when you get a real instrument, you'll relearn. Most of the time though you will still need to relearn your old tunes anyways, because of more opportunities with harmony, different sound, easiness of (impossible before) ornamentation etc. Or as it also happens, you learn some tunes as a beginner, then upgrade to better instrument and take some of the tunes with you, but most will be dropped. They will exaust their purpose and die out, the new music will fill in the gap. Don't hang on to your first few tunes, unless you give up on yourself.

[JimLucas]

A Stagi is a waste of money.

...

If your most notable problem is lacking C#, bring your box to a dealer and have him retune or replace your C reeds in the G row for C#. Problem solved.

People who retune reeds -- at least those who do a decent job -- don't normally do it for free.

 

Nor do most "dealers" do repairs or customization.

[chainyanker]

welcome, you well find a lot of help on here. mt first real concertina was a 22 button. if you looking to play in d you can on it. iy does have a c#, d#,g# and a b flat. there is one like it for sale here. http://cgi.ebay.com/Lachenal-22-Key-Anglo-...1QQcmdZViewItem

i now have a 30 button but find my self playing the 22 button often.

[Charlotte]

Now, the question: Does anyone have a graphic of the button pattern of a Stagi W-15 LN 30 button Anglo? That seems to be the only box that I see within my price range, at least for now.

 

Hi.

 

I don't know if this helps but member CaptainMike posted the graphic layout of his Stagi W015-MS box.

You can find it here: CaptainMike's excellent drawing. I don't know, however, if the button layout on the W015-MS is as on the W-15 LN.

[Woody]

.....A Stagi is a waste of money.....

 

.....when you get a real instrument......

 

.....then upgrade to better instrument.....

 

Can I remind posters that not everybody who wants to play the Concertina has the luxury of being able to spend a great deal of money on one. The reality is that a few hundred dollars/pounds is the most that some will ever be able to spend, so they'll always be stuck in the "waste of money" quality range.

 

When I started playing all I could afford was a cheap Chinese 20b Anglo. For a period of time it seemed that that would be all I could afford and talk like that listed above was very disheartening and almost made me give up playing. I felt that if I couldn't afford a "proper" box then maybe it wasn't worth me playing at all.

 

Whilst I am fortunate in that my financial position has improved, I can't ever forsee being in a situation when I can afford a "real" quality box such as a Dipper or similar. Even if I could afford it, could I justify the expense - I doubt it.

 

Please bare in mind that somebody playing a cheap Concertina is still somebody playing a Concertina, and hence of equal value, and when responding please be careful that you don't make them feel inadequate because they don't have the same financial resources as some other players.

 

- W

[Ken_Coles]

Can I remind posters that not everybody who wants to play the Concertina has the luxury of being able to spend a great deal of money on one. The reality is that a few hundred dollars/pounds is the most that some will ever be able to spend, so they'll always be stuck in the "waste of money" quality range.

 

Please bare in mind that somebody playing a cheap Concertina is still somebody playing a Concertina, and hence of equal value, and when responding please be careful that you don't make them feel inadequate because they don't have the same financial resources as some other players.

 

I was in exactly this situation myself as a beginner, and placed an editorial comment to the effect of what Woody says into the Buyer's Guide back in 1997. I still subscribe to that view, though it is worth noting that in 1997 the only option between a Stagi and a Jeffries/Wheatstone (then around 2500-3000 USD) was a worn Lachenal. Many more choices now, but still not easy for the financially restricted.

 

(drift) To respond to another thread, I wouldn't change anything about how I started on the concertina, even the two years on a Stagi. It was the way I had to start out. I save my "what ifs" for social relationships I didn't pursue, etc. (/drift).

 

Ken

[JimLucas]

I save my "what ifs" for social relationships I didn't pursue, etc.

But my relationship with my concertinas is "social".

[viejomc]

Thanks so much for all the advice. The lady from The Button Box sent me a button layout for the Stagi 30 button, same as Wheatstone. I appreciate any and all comments and let me say that I do understand what m3838 is stating concerning low end instruments. I've been a musician for 50 years, played anything that I could get my hands on. For years, and because of financial limitations, I would buy the cheapest instrument that had the best sound for the money. But these days I try to bypass the beginner's model because I always end up buying the better instrument eventually anyway. I have never regretted buying a single instrument regardless of the quality. And when I graduate to a higher end model, my kids and grandkids reap the passdown.

 

However, I'll have to hold off on the higher quality concertina for now. The harp consumed the budgeted funds.

 

The little concertina that I have is a "Martini." I find no information on the internet about this make. I think we paid 95 Euros for it. But, it sounds so good and is very easy to play. Tuned to A=440 and every note right on. Slow Airs are a piece of cake, but the reels and jigs eat my lunch.

[lildogturpy]

Don't hang on to your first few tunes, unless you give up on yourself.

 

My first tune was the Far Away Waltz, which I'm still playing regularly as well as the Tenpenny Bit and many of the other tunes that I learned right at the beginning.

 

Also comes in handy when you get a request: to play "Far Away"

 

Come to think of it it would go really well with the Bay Tree, by Andy Cutting which I've only just learned.

Edited May 31, 2006 by lildogturpy

[David Barnert]

Also comes in handy when you get a request: to play "Far Away"

When I was in college I responded to a similar request by writing a loud blues-y song called "Far Far Away." Here's the words. The first two lines are straight 12-bar blues. The other two lines expand things a bit without losing the feeling (the whole thing has 16 bars, 4 per lne).

 

Far, far away, gonna make myself some noise. [couple bars of blues licks]

Far, far away, gonna whoop it up with the boys. [ditto]

But when I play far, far away, the sound don't reach your ear.

And so I'll play "Far Far Away" right here.

Right here. Yeah.

[m3838]

/People who retune reeds -- at least those who do a decent job -- don't normally do it for free.

 

Nor do most "dealers" do repairs or customization./

 

Then it should be brought to those few, that do. I did. Why nobody else can?

If someone is happy with 20 buttons, why force him to "upgrade" to more expencive 30 buttons, when all he needs is C#? I'd say, get more decent 20 button, customize it and be happy, instead of buying something cheap and relatively crappy.

[viejomc]

If someone is happy with 20 buttons, why force him to "upgrade" to more expencive 30 buttons, when all he needs is C#? I'd say, get more decent 20 button, customize it and be happy, instead of buying something cheap and relatively crappy.

 

Although I have a large library of music in the key of D, I also have an almost as large amount of tunes in other keys. I really don't want to be held back by any instrument simply because it doesn't have enough buttons or strings. I don't know how much longer I can stand this chinese made box. I called Harold Herrington and talked to him about building a concertina. From what I've read about his instruments, and after talking with him, I think that this would be the way to go. The wait is 8 to 10 months and I really don't want to spend $700 on a Stagi if it is not going to be that much better than what I already have. So, I'm on Harold's list. I'm only about 1 1/2 hour drive from him. Maybe if I mow his lawn or wash his car it would expedite the process.

[AnnC]

My first tune was the Far Away Waltz, which I'm still playing regularly as well as the Tenpenny Bit and many of the other tunes that I learned right at the beginning.

 

Also comes in handy when you get a request: to play "Far Away"

'On the Street where you live' is another good tune to learn for those odd requests

I started out with a very cheap Hohner but it worked well enough to learn on and to be honest if I'd had to spend a lot of money on my first concertina I could never have afforded to start playing, after a couple of years I got a second hand Gremlin, the Hohner went to a friends Mum, then a few years later after much saving a Dipper but I held on to the old Gremlin for a while because I still enjoyed playing it. You can get some good tunes out of less expensive instruments, there is the story of the concert violinist who became so upset that people said his playing was only good because of the expensive violin he had that after one perfect performance he smashed the fiddle he'd played, to the horror of the audience, only to tell them that it was a cheap one he'd bought that afternoon.

[Stephen Chambers]

The little concertina that I have is a "Martini." I find no information on the internet about this make.

That may be because it isn't a "make" as such, just the brand name of an Irish importer.