Finally Tried A Rochelle

[Chris Allert]

a few weeks ago my curiosity got the better of me and i sent the concertina connection $285 for a rochelle.

 

i haven't really played it much, but my first impression is that it is comparable in quality to a button box stagi. i like the sound better than the stagis i've tried though. i'd say it sounds a little more like a harmonica than an accordion. if you've tried a jackie, the rochelle, unsurprisingly, sounds and feels about the same.

 

the placement of the buttons on the rochelle feels a little wierd to me. they are slightly closer to the hand rest than on most "real" concertinas. since the rochelle is so much larger that a higher-end model it feels kind of awkward. a stagi is about the same physical size as the rochelle, but stagis tend to have huge buttons spaced much farther apart. it is probably better to learn on a concertina like the rochelle as it will make it easier to transition to a better instrument.

 

my feeling about this instrument is that it is a good choice if you can't afford anything better. if you can get between $1500 and $2500 together for a tedrow, edgley, or similar instrument, you will have a much better learning experience as a beginner. but it's a pretty steep jump between $285 and $1500. the rochelle i received was free of manufacturing defects, no sticking buttons or reeds.

 

i'm thinking of taking up busking since the city of olympia recently passed a new anti-loitering ordinance that i feel i should defy. i can play an instrument like the rochelle outside, and replace it fairly easily in the unfortunate event that it is confiscated by a policeman (only room for one concertina in the evidence locker, i expect). with my other instruments, i don't really like to take them outside my living room since the were so much more difficult to acquire.

 

in conclusion, i'd highly recommend the rochelle to beginners with very little money, as well as to more advanced players interested in violating so-called civility laws.

[Mikefule]

I have a Rochelle. I am an inexperienced concertinist, but have played melodeon and harmonica for many years.

 

I find the air button very difficult to operate. Maybe I have short thumbs or something. I have played (briefly) half a dozen "real" concertinas and found their air buttons more accessible.

 

I have a slight buzz which I think is something resonating with the note G, rather than a fault with the reed. I took the end off to have a poke around, and the insides are rather rudimentary. However, the action is smooth enough, if a little slow. The buttons don't stick.

 

I agree the tone is quite harmonica like.

[Nigel]

i'm thinking of taking up busking since the city of olympia recently passed a new anti-loitering ordinance that i feel i should defy.

 

Get out there and play!!! All of the major advances in individual freedom started in small acts of defiance. Mind you, those small acts required great courage.

 

What tunes do you think Chris should play? I suggest "The Rights of Man" in honour of Thomas Paine.

 

Nigel