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The Trouble With Anglo Concertina Availability


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Have you asked nicely on this forum if there's anyone who will lend or hire you a pro-quality instrument for a few years until you get to the top of the queue for a new instrument?

 

I rather suspect McCabe's chances of success in the above matter might have been a lot better a few days ago than they are today.

 

Folks here are generous and there are many more instruments out on free loan than you might suspect, indeed, I know of one who has quite a few top grade instruments out on very long term free loan, in the main, to up-and-coming young musicians. The sort of folks that are kind enough to do this are also the sort of folk who don't shout about it either.

 

I will again add my (not inconsiderable) weight to advice given in this thread by experienced players, students and teachers of concertina alike, that you should buy as good a concertina as you can afford to learn on and progress with. For most folks, financial considerations will probably mean making few upgrades along the way, but I have no problems with someone who is fortunate enough to have a bit more money to start with.

A Good quality responsive instrument really does make it easier to learn and gives far better feedback and encouragement to the aspiring player.

 

Regards

 

Dave

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Gee, Mr. McCabe, I sure wish music was as important to me as it is to you. Maybe you could give me some lessons on the concertina. I promise I only have a Morse Anglo, but if you think that's too advanced for my playing, I will trade it for a Stagi or perhaps a kazoo or a bodhran. Maybe you could put a seal of approval on the instrument with your very own signature! I'll cancel my order for a Wheatstone today so that I can help make better instruments available by decreasing the demand for them.

 

Truly yours in sincere humility,

Jeff Myers

 

P.S.--Do you think you could possibly spare a cup of your ego?

 

P.P.S.--My daughters play Irish trad on the fiddle even better than you do on the concertina (if such a thing is imaginable). It's quite unfair they don't own strads. Do you think you could do something about this deplorable situation if there are a few moments when you are not devoting your life to music?

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Gee, Mr. McCabe, I sure wish music was as important to me as it is to you. Maybe you could give me some lessons on the concertina. I promise I only have a Morse Anglo, but if you think that's too advanced for my playing, I will trade it for a Stagi or perhaps a kazoo or a bodhran. Maybe you could put a seal of approval on the instrument with your very own signature! I'll cancel my order for a Wheatstone today so that I can help make better instruments available by decreasing the demand for them.

 

Truly yours in sincere humility,

Jeff Myers

 

No need for such humor. It was an interesteing topic with many interesting opinions expressed and some were done in excellent writing. When you will start a topic of such interest, then you can sprinkle it with some jokes.

The main idea is not necessarily who are you to tell me what to buy, but rather "who am I to justify such an instrument"?

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No need for such humor. It was an interesteing topic with many interesting opinions expressed and some were done in excellent writing. When you will start a topic of such interest, then you can sprinkle it with some jokes.

The main idea is not necessarily who are you to tell me what to buy, but rather "who am I to justify such an instrument"?

 

Well, thank you so much. Between Mr. McCabe telling us what instrument we can play and you telling us what we can say, I'm sure the world will be a safer and nicer place. :D

 

Have a nice day! :)

 

Jeff

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Well, thank you so much. Between Mr. McCabe telling us what instrument we can play and you telling us what we can say, I'm sure the world will be a safer and nicer place. :D

 

 

 

Come on man, there is a difference between freedom of speach and freedom of derogatory humor.

You have rights to both, but you suffer concequences.

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Many fine makes and makers of concertinas have been mentioned in this thread. Could I plead the case for Crabb to be included in that list?

 

 

Also, Mr Wheatstoned, why bother changing your name so often when your unique use of grammar and punctuation tells us all who you really are?

 

Clive.

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Come on man, there is a difference between freedom of speach and freedom of derogatory humor.

You have rights to both, but you suffer concequences.

Hey m3838, you wrote that other people shouldn't make jokes in this thread, but then you write that.

Doesn't seem fair.

 

 

Many fine makes and makers of concertinas have been mentioned in this thread. Could I plead the case for Crabb to be included in that list?

Would that be the list of concertinas unworthy of dpmccabe's talent? The list is pretty long but there might be room for one more.

 

Which returns us to the point obvious to everybody by now that the CIA, former KGBs, and even BVDs are also manipulating the Jeffries concertina supply by placing them among dupes who will let them rot in their cases thereby fomenting discord and disaffection among gifted youth whom they then can manipulate for evil purposes. :ph34r:

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I'd like to call more attention to a point that Bill made earlier regarding the playability of some of the more available concertinas. I've had a chance to play an number of them, and found that while some were less responsive than I'd like, some were in fact quite responsive and equal to the task of playing any tune out there at dance speed if you were up to it. You might need to adjust your playing a bit, but the real issue with them is the kind of sound they produce. I know what my preferrences are, but they are only personal, and I also know that most of these instruments produce a good sound of their own perfectly acceptable for most any sort of playing. They all sound less like accordions than button accordions, and a good accordion player doesn't have people turning their nose up at them in Ireland. I've also heard plenty of Jeffries, Wheatstones, Dippers and Suttners that have left me cold as well as ones (including Crabbs ) that thrilled me. Too often though people think the music comes from the instrument. It doesn't. It comes from the player or if they are really lucky, it comes through them. Some of the best music I've heard has come via inferior and sometimes downright crappy instruments ( anyone listen to old Spider John Koerner records lately? ). If you really love the music, it is great to aspire to having the clearest path possible for it, but while it may take a real master to produce great music on a Stagi, you don't need the best instrumnets to be able to play great music. We all need to leave our egos at the door when we play. You can usually tell the difference between those who are trying their best to bring you the music and those who are "demonstrating their ability". I invariably prefer the former to the latter no matter what their skill level.

Dana

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I have waded through a lot of posts here and can say that I agree with most of the comments directed at McCabe's original post. As to being a professional, it could well be true. However, I have rarely found any "professional" musician, unable to acquire a suitable instrument, no matter that most professional musicians are not adequately compensated. McCabe implies in one of his earlier posts that he would be willing to pay $7000 for a good Jeffries. I suggest that he contact the Button Box, or Paul Groff, or Chris Algar, one of whom should be able to satisfy his needs, if he is willing to put up the cash - no need to wait years & years for a vintage instrument. He must really be a hot player, since I play one of my own most of the time, now, as does Tom Lawrence, Tom Glynn, and Asher Perkins (who, if he competes in Ireland, next year, well may be be the next All-Ireland Champion in the under 18 category), and other quite good players. Or perhaps we are not quite up to standard???

Edited by Frank Edgley
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instrumnets to be able to play great music. We all need to leave our egos at the door when we play. You can usually tell the difference between those who are trying their best to bring you the music and those who are "demonstrating their ability". I invariably prefer the former to the latter no matter what their skill level.

 

Well said!

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First, take your typical adult beginner. He plays the concertina as a hobby apart from his full-time job. Although he's been playing for around 10 years, he only practices for a few hours a week and does it just for fun. He's had plenty of time to wait for a Dipper and once received it becomes his instrument of choice. His midrange Lachenal was fine for him, but he wanted to have the nicest instrument he could get and could afford it with no problem. The concertina had always just been a hobby for him and he's since moved on to other pursuits. The Dipper sits in its case most of the time now.

 

This could be me - apart from "Suttner" instead of "Dipper", and the final sentence. My Suttner is out of her box 6 days a week on average. I am as typical as mr/s dpmccabe's example - and at least I exist!!

 

What fired me up enough to reply to this thread - which has obviously sparked more replies than it deserved, is the invocation of the "Professional/Joe Amateur" divide. This is a disease that pervades all our endeavours these days. Remember that music is not for listening to - it is for making.

 

<end rant mode>

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Just out of curiosity, where would one hear dpmccabe's playing? The implied name (dpmccabe) doesn't mean anything to me. I don't see anything on the tune link pages. Does he/she perform using a 'stage' name.

chris

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Guest Mick Diles
Just out of curiosity, where would one hear dpmccabe's playing? The implied name (dpmccabe) doesn't mean anything to me. I don't see anything on the tune link pages. Does he/she perform using a 'stage' name.

chris

Chris

 

Just look at his profile. You will see a link to the website of the group he is playing with. Look at the photos and listen to the music.

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