What Should I Do? ;)

[Bob Norris]

It doesn't seem as though it pitches with our small pipes

[Bob Norris]

Depends on three things:

What key it's in.

As I said, G/D or D/A would work with your A pipes, but

C/G, which is most likely, would be missing the C# you need.

How in tune it is.

This means both that its A should be the standard 440 hz and that it is in tune with itself.

If it's gone out of tune with itself, it's probably not worth paying somebody else to retune it.

How you personally get on with it.

It's an anglo, and you said you thought you might have difficulty with an anglo.

I hope you'll let us all know whether that turned out to be true.

 

Ok,

 

I have made up my mind to play a 30 button Anglo. Looking at this quote It looks like a Rochelle C/G will also give me problems. Do I need to just find a G/D Anglo to start with like a Stagie?

[Laitch]

Bob,

 

I think the quote you're citing refers to a 20-button C/G. I'd guess the Rochelle has a button layout similar to the 30-button Wheatstone layout on the chart. That layout should give you all the notes you want in A major. Check Wakker's website. You'll have more fingering options though with a 30-button D/A or G/D and a 20-button D/A would work fine but they're not common.

 

There's an interesting Stagi/Bastari D/A on ebay or maybe you should take a breather and consider renting an Anglo 30-button C/G, 30-button G/D, or an English before you take a plunge. You might be able to arrange something with a place like The Button Box.

 

There's a nice Dipper G/D being auctioned on ebay right now which you may be able to get for under 10 grand.

[Bob Norris]

Anyone ever herd of these? http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/CC202-A-D.htm They say they are in the key of A/D

[asdormire]

Anyone ever herd of these? http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/CC202-A-D.htm They say they are in the key of A/D

 

Castiglione is a rather nice accordian sales company in Detroit area, and while i knew they were having a twenty button being manufactored for them, I am surprised that Stan has any up there in Lansing. If I hadn't hit traffic problems yesterday during my trip to Flint, I had planned to run over to Lansing to pick up Dave's book among other things, I could have checked it out for you. I currently have one of there older piano accordians setting in my instrument room. Castiglione has a web sight, but I don't think there is much more information on there twenty buttons there. The accordians they have manufactered under their name I know had a good reputation, at least in Michigan when I was growing up and were played by several of the polka bands that my folks followed in the Thumb/Saginaw bay area.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Alan

[m3838]

Don't buy Castiglione brand. By all means buy FROM Castiglione, but not their brand.

You don't know who makes them, the price/quality ratio is not optimal.

[JimLucas]

Depends on three things:

What key it's in.

As I said, G/D or D/A would work with your A pipes, but

C/G, which is most likely, would be missing the C# you need.

How in tune it is.

This means both that its A should be the standard 440 hz and that it is in tune with itself.

If it's gone out of tune with itself, it's probably not worth paying somebody else to retune it.

How you personally get on with it.

It's an anglo, and you said you thought you might have difficulty with an anglo.

I hope you'll let us all know whether that turned out to be true.

Ok,

 

I have made up my mind to play a 30 button Anglo. Looking at this quote It looks like a Rochelle C/G will also give me problems. Do I need to just find a G/D Anglo to start with like a Stagie?

How so? My comments (from which you've removed the formatting, which indicated relationships among them) was specifically referring to 20-button instruments. It was a direct response to your post in which you specified a 20-button instrument, not a 30-button:

Sister in-law said it has 5 and 5 buttons on each side,, so a 20 button? Think it still might work?

A 30-button C/G (the Rochelle is one) has all the notes you need to play your pipe tunes in "A", and in each of two octaves. So what problems do you anticipate?

[Bob Norris]

Castiglione is a rather nice accordian sales company in Detroit area, and while i knew they were having a twenty button being manufactored for them, I am surprised that Stan has any up there in Lansing. If I hadn't hit traffic problems yesterday during my trip to Flint, I had planned to run over to Lansing to pick up Dave's book among other things, I could have checked it out for you.

 

Thanks,

 

Their website http://www.castiglioneaccordions.com/index.html Says its John Castiglione. I called him and he said he has a 20 button A/D double reed. Its the only one I have found "off the shelf" that might work. Any chance you would be going by there in the near future?

 

So I am narrowed down to two:

 

30 key Stagi can be ordered in A/D http://www.jimlaabs.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=5515

 

Or

 

20 Key Castiglione http://www.castiglioneaccordions.com/concertinas.html

 

Both come in A/D and are the same price

Edited June 18, 2007 by Bob Norris

[Bob Norris]

A 30-button C/G (the Rochelle is one) has all the notes you need to play your pipe tunes in "A", and in each of two octaves. So what problems do you anticipate?

 

Sorry to mis quote Jim. I have been told that with a 30 key Rochelle there would be no rhyme or reason to the fingering to play in A. I have asked the folks at the button box for a quote to convert one but it would be over $700, more then I want to spend I think to "Try" One post up has a ready made A/D 20 and I may end up trying that one.

Edited June 18, 2007 by Bob Norris

[asdormire]

Don't buy Castiglione brand. By all means buy FROM Castiglione, but not their brand.

You don't know who makes them, the price/quality ratio is not optimal.

 

 

Mischa, normally I would agree with you, but in this case, I know the shop fairly well, and I know Stan and his employees have sent a lot of business Castiglione's way over the years, and the two shops have good relations. Elderly also stand behind both the new and used instruments they sell, with the exception of their "as is" catagories, (which are both clearly marked, and you will be told what is wrong with the instrument) and anything that they have on consignment (i.e. instruments that they are only acting as an agent for the owner.) While I don't know most of the floor staff at Elderly, a lot of the folks in the backrooms I've known since the early eighties, and we have done business with the shop since they were in the basement of Metzger's building on Grand River in East Lansing. The Webmaster was at university the same time I was, and lived in the same dormitory. Other folks who are still there we would occasionally play music with, and see at concerts and contra dances. Those occasional times we get up there, we still visit and catch up with folks. Like I said, normally I would agree with you, but these are good folks who have done a lot for the traditional music community in Central Michigan over the years.

 

Alan

[m3838]

A 30-button C/G (the Rochelle is one) has all the notes you need to play your pipe tunes in "A", and in each of two octaves. So what problems do you anticipate?

 

Sorry to mis quote Jim. I have been told that with a 30 key Rochelle there would be no rhyme or reason to the fingering to play in A. I have asked the folks at the button box for a quote to convert one but it would be over $700, more then I want to spend I think to "Try" One post up has a ready made A/D 20 and I may end up trying that one.

 

Is it absolutely necessary for you to play a concertina then? There are A/D accordions, or if you want to play along the row for the "rhythm" and "reason of fingering", one row accordion in A would be better to accompany the bagpipes (to my taste anyway). The prices are reasonable. If you want one reed sound, it's easy just to tape over one hole underneath the reedblock in any accordion.

Between entry level concertina and accordion you have crappy Chinese made and very decent old Hohners at the that price. The fingering is the same basically.

[m3838]

Don't buy Castiglione brand. By all means buy FROM Castiglione, but not their brand.

You don't know who makes them, the price/quality ratio is not optimal.

 

 

Mischa, normally I would agree with you, but in this case, I know the shop fairly well, and ... these are good folks who have done a lot for the traditional music community in Central Michigan over the years.

 

Alan

 

So what do you disagree with? I spoke to them a few times when I was looking for chromatic, and they talked me out of their brand. And recommended Beltuna instead.

I tried Castiglione Club, and some 2 rows - a notch below then Weltmeister. Concertinas are just your usual Chinese made Hohners and Stagis. Whether they adjust them before selling, I don't know. Considering there is no outcry to buy them on this forum, they better to be avoided.

As per Hohner concertina quality, I tried one 20 button. Within 15 minutes some notes started sounding continuosly. But it was in tune!

[asdormire]

Don't buy Castiglione brand. By all means buy FROM Castiglione, but not their brand.

You don't know who makes them, the price/quality ratio is not optimal.

 

 

Mischa, normally I would agree with you, but in this case, I know the shop fairly well, and ... these are good folks who have done a lot for the traditional music community in Central Michigan over the years.

 

Alan

 

So what do you disagree with? I spoke to them a few times when I was looking for chromatic, and they talked me out of their brand. And recommended Beltuna instead.

I tried Castiglione Club, and some 2 rows - a notch below then Weltmeister. Concertinas are just your usual Chinese made Hohners and Stagis. Whether they adjust them before selling, I don't know. Considering there is no outcry to buy them on this forum, they better to be avoided.

As per Hohner concertina quality, I tried one 20 button. Within 15 minutes some notes started sounding continuosly. But it was in tune!

 

 

 

As far as the quality of the concertinas, not a thing. I know when I lived up there, the Elderly folks would steer you away from lesser instruments when ever they could, but let's face it, my guess is that some people insist on buying a lesser instrument, whatever the reason, so they might as well buy one from someone willing to help them eventually get into a better one--even if they aren't the one who will make the profit. Elderly is primarily a stringed instrument shop--any squeezeboxes are there primarily as a service to the community. But they will tell you upfront their are better instruments out there. I know, they told me that when I bought my twenty button trinity college from them almost twenty years ago. But the eighty dollars that cost me was what I could afford at the time, and I don't regret having bought it, even though now it doesn't hold air even though action and reeds seem to be fine. And i recieved far more enjoyment than the eighty dollars I spent on it.

 

Looking again, I may have misunderstood your point--don't buy a brand, buy from someone who will tell you what it is your buying. At least, I think that is what you were trying to get across. and if that is the case, I agree whole heartedly.

 

Alan

[m3838]

Yes, that is the point.

Only I was talking about Castiglione Accordions, not Elderly Instruments.

I don't think highly of Castiglione Brand, but the shop is good, has vast inventory.

And if you call them, you are likely to get more advices one can handle. And they will try to work the deal out. Too bad my teacher found custom made B system for me at meager $1500.

[JimLucas]

A 30-button C/G (the Rochelle is one) has all the notes you need to play your pipe tunes in "A", and in each of two octaves. So what problems do you anticipate?

I have been told that with a 30 key Rochelle there would be no rhyme or reason to the fingering to play in A.

I don't know who told you that, but I claim the opposite.

Who will you believe... and why?