Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 (edited) ---+{ Jakes Concertina Conundrum }+--- Hello, I have been thinking of buying a concertina for my birthday. I alredy play the melodeon and would like to continue playing it but the concertina has always interested me, the system i would prefer is anglo (30 button model) as it is similar to the melodeon I find the hand strap comfortable and i happen to favour irish music. I also do try to interest my brother in musical instruments as he just plays compeuter games the whole time... no good that! aanyway enough of my stories I have narowed it down to the folowing instruments and would like to know if anyone would advise any of these concertinas and would advise any or have read particularly good or bad reveiws about any of them. Here they are: 1 http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/bigpic.php?ID=GR4703 2 http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/bigpic.php?ID=GR4714 3 http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/produ...roducts_id/3357 4 (a bit of a wild card this) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/old-concertina-in-a-...VQQcmdZViewItem note number 4 is certanly not a lachenal and has accordion type reeds mounted together flat on 1 big plate, also it aparently wheeses. I have played the stagi with metal ends in a shop and liked it! Sooooooo, has anyone ever tryed or heard good or bad of any of these? any help would be much apriciated! thank you for reading my post edit: the rochele looks promising as it does say "the best beginers anglo concertina in its class" but i also enjoyed playing the stagi, the conundrum continues! Edited May 27, 2007 by Jake of Hertford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 (edited) Hi Jake & welcome to concertina.net I've tried all of the first three & am the owner of a Rochelle. I wouldn't trade it in for any of the other models in this price bracket - even if you sweetened the deal by giving me cash on top! Since it's introduction last year the Rochelle has set the new quality benchmark for entry-level Anglos. For the price I doubt you'll find a better Concertina either new or vintage. The Rochelle also has the advantage that Wim Wakker, who's company Concertina Connection make this instrument, is a member of concertina.net If you get in touch with Concertina Connection you may be able to buy it direct for less than the Music Room price. Concertina Connection also offer a Trade-in program (details from their website) - "We understand that some owners would want to ‘move up’ in the concertina world after having played the instrument for a while. To facilitate upgrading, we offer a full purchase price refund when the Rochelle is traded in for any higher priced vintage or new concertina. " hope this helps - W Edited May 28, 2007 by Woody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Don't have anything to do with number 4. It is an old German concertina, and as the seller says it wheezes you can assume it needs a full overhaul which could cost as much again as the inflated asking price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 Ah well thank you, in a way im glad the rochelle is the best as it seems to be the one designed by someone who realy knows concertinas, thanks for your help FYI: i was thinking of buying some fancy jefries belows papers on a site i found and sticking them on to make it look pretty aswell! (i supose i should find out what is a suitable glue to use for that tho (wouldent want to get the bellows all glued up) but thank you very much for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 a german one eh? i have read that these were so poor quality that they are rare to find as most of them fell apart or something (though i suspect they are rare because... no one wants them) LOL thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 FYI: i was thinking of buying some fancy jefries belows papers on a site i found and sticking them on to make it look pretty aswell! If you do it would be interesting to see some pictures of what it looks like. The Rochelle is excellent, but not the prettiest, so it would be nice to see if it's looks can be improved with some papers. Maybe it'd be worth asking Wim Wakker what glue he'd recommend as he designed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 FYI: i was thinking of buying some fancy jefries belows papers on a site i found and sticking them on to make it look pretty aswell!If you do it would be interesting to see some pictures of what it looks like. The Rochelle is excellent, but not the prettiest, so it would be nice to see if it's looks can be improved with some papers. For my taste, I don't think Jeffries papers on a Rochelle would make it "pretty", nor even be an improvement. At best, I think they would look incongruous, like a Rolls Royce grill on a Volkswagen bug. (Hmm. Could you also get paste-on photos of Jeffries fretwork for the ends?) But if you do want to decorate it, why not give it a personality of its -- and your -- own? E.g., Ken Sweeney is said to have used flattened-out cigar rings. (I thought there was a photo somewhere, but I can't find it.) Also, check out the suggestions in this thread. Ken Coles, did you ever post the photo that in this post you said you would? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 wim wakker! how would i contact him? I mean, can i simply email him on the concertina conexion? or are there means on concertina.net? Btw this is the site that sells the papers in question, (i could also get some jefries handstraps with a curly pattern on maybe?) http://www.concertina-spares.com/ If no one has thourght of this before i would be very suprised. buying beginer models and makeing them look like the top brands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Tedrow Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Subsequent to an agreement with the Concertina Connection, Rochelle Anglos will be availble here in the US from Tedrow Concertinas/Homewood Music http://hmi.homewood.net. I also have Jeffries papers available, should you like to paste them on the Rochelle. You can call me at 205 879-4868 or email me at hmi@scott.net Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 For my taste, I don't think Jeffries papers on a Rochelle would make it "pretty", nor even be an improvement. I find it hard to judge unless somebody actually does it. At the end of the day the important thing is whether or not Jake likes it. wim wakker! how would i contact him? I mean, can i simply email him on the concertina conexion? or are there means on concertina.net? You could email him through the Concertina Connection website or send a PM to him through this site. Or he might wander past this thread and give his opinion. Btw this is the site that sells the papers in question, (i could also get some jefries handstraps with a curly pattern on maybe?) http://www.concertina-spares.com/ I've used David Leese several times for various spares and could not recommend him highly enough. As for the straps - the Rochelle is larger than most Anglo models and required extra long straps to be made to accommodate most hand sizes. Unless you've got quite small hands, the normal length straps sold by David will be too short for use on the Rochelle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirge Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Hello, I have been thinking of buying a concertina for my birthday. Sounds as if you're convinced already but just in case; concertinas are brilliant. You can do so much with them and yet they are incredibly portable; they're slightly minority so interestingly different; and they make a lovely and versatile noise. Go for it. As to the papers, it's your instrument; pitch in. What about some dangly tassels? (I don't play Anglo but I knew they'd all say Rochelle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 YAY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I agree with Jim. You're about to buy Toyota Echo of a concertina. It's been designed carefully and is widely recognized. When you replace all Toyota logos with Lexus, you're either making a statement, or making fun of your car (then why did you buy it?), or just are a total novice and think nobody knows what Lexus is. The other thing to cover some seams on the papers, they're not that well made. But I'd do it in a way, that will not provoke people to mistake your cheap Chinese made Rochelle for cheap English made Lachenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Morse Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Subsequent to an agreement with the Concertina Connection, Rochelle Anglos will be availble here in the US from Tedrow Concertinas/Homewood Musichttp://hmi.homewood.net. Yup, Wim is spreading them this way. The Button Box will be soon selling the Rochelle and Jack/Jackie as well. -- Rich -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 (edited) I agree with Jim.You're about to buy Toyota Echo of a concertina. It's been designed carefully and is widely recognized. When you replace all Toyota logos with Lexus, you're either making a statement, or making fun of your car (then why did you buy it?), or just are a total novice and think nobody knows what Lexus is. You'll see many non-Jeffries Concertinas with Jeffries papers or other design elements, just because people like the design. For instance Marcus Concertinas offer Jeffries or Lachenal paper designs, Andy Norman offers Jeffries style ends, Suttner offer "Jeffries style" instruments etc.... I don't think any of them are trying to pass-off their instruments as original Jeffries. But I'd do it in a way, that will not provoke people to mistake your cheap Chinese made Rochelle for cheap English made Lachenal. I'm sure that's likely to happen??? Edited May 29, 2007 by Woody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 ...they are incredibly portable; ...... Well - that 80 button Duet you've been talking about might need a small trolley to lug it around & a table to rest it on when you're playing! and they make a lovely and versatile noise I haven't quite got to that stage yet (I don't play Anglo but I knew they'd all say Rochelle) Sigh - we're so predictable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirge Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 QUOTE(Dirge @ May 28 2007, 10:11 PM) * ...they are incredibly portable; ...... Well - that 80 button Duet you've been talking about might need a small trolley to lug it around & a table to rest it on when you're playing! QUOTE and they make a lovely and versatile noise I haven't quite got to that stage yet sad.gif Well if you start with a 120 bass accordion they all look portable; and if you can't play that superannuated mouthorgan you favour by now you must have got too much soup in it (he plays it in the kitchen while cooking supper, for those who hadn't spotted this). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 ...if you can't play that superannuated mouthorgan you favour by now you must have got too much soup in it (he plays it in the kitchen while cooking supper, for those who hadn't spotted this). Ah - perhaps if I start pressing the buttons it might work better - I've found hitting it with spoons quite unrewarding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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