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How Do You Actually Buy One?


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OK friends, I've listened to concertina music and fallen in love with the sound. I've searched around the Net to find out about the different kinds. I've registered on the most popular BBS. Now for the hardest part so far: How do I actually GET a concertina?

 

I have $1000 to buy my first one. I've decided on a 30 botton Anglo for Irish music. I had targeted the Rochelle as my first box since it came so very highly recommended (thanks for that!). Now that it's time to buy, I can't find anyone with a Rochelle for sale. Am I missing a dealer that stocks them, or do you have to get on a waiting list? I've e-mailed The Button Box, but they are slow to repond. I'm sure they will, as they have a very good reputation, but I haven't heard from them yet.

 

I'm willing to spend more for something good. The BB has a 30 button Stagi for sale, but when I read about all they go through to make them playable (leaks, tuning, action, etc.) I get a little worried about buying a Stagi at all, even if they fix all the problems.

 

With a grand to spend, and wanting a new instrument, what should I do? Please help me, oh revered and wise concertina community!

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OK friends, I've listened to concertina music and fallen in love with the sound. I've searched around the Net to find out about the different kinds. I've registered on the most popular BBS. Now for the hardest part so far: How do I actually GET a concertina?

 

I have $1000 to buy my first one. I've decided on a 30 botton Anglo for Irish music. I had targeted the Rochelle as my first box since it came so very highly recommended (thanks for that!). Now that it's time to buy, I can't find anyone with a Rochelle for sale. Am I missing a dealer that stocks them, or do you have to get on a waiting list? I've e-mailed The Button Box, but they are slow to repond. I'm sure they will, as they have a very good reputation, but I haven't heard from them yet.

 

I'm willing to spend more for something good. The BB has a 30 button Stagi for sale, but when I read about all they go through to make them playable (leaks, tuning, action, etc.) I get a little worried about buying a Stagi at all, even if they fix all the problems.

 

With a grand to spend, and wanting a new instrument, what should I do? Please help me, oh revered and wise concertina community!

 

Well, if you have $1000 and don't mind spending more, contact Chris Algar at Barleycorn Concertinas. I would think that you can get pretty nice 26 button Lachenal for $1500.

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With a grand to spend, and wanting a new instrument, what should I do? Please help me, oh revered and wise concertina community!

 

I would avoid Stagis. They work, for the most part, but it's just not the same. The Morse is a much better option - but almost twice what you have to spend. Me, I would buy a Rochelle (Button Box sells them, as does Bob Tedrow www.hmi.homewood.net), and save up for a Morse, Tedrow, Edgley or something similar. Someone in this forum might also have a used instrument for sale.

 

Good luck, and welcome to the forum!

 

-David

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Just an fyi..

I just traded/ sold my Rochelle to Bob Tedrow at homewood, so that may be available..

 

I traded that Rochelle and the Stagi hayden and am now anxiously waiting for the delivery of an AC Norman 30 button anglo...

Hopefully, i made a good move....

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Tim,

What part of the world do you live in? We may be able to hook you up with someone close by to try a concertina or two before you make a decision.

 

Bob Tedrow has begun carrying Rochelles. Check with him on availability.

http://hmi.homewood.net/#Concertinas%20For%20Sale:

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of concertinas.

 

Enjoy your adventure!

 

Greg

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thanks everyone for the replies.

 

Perhaps I should clarify my financial considerations to let you help me zero in on the best plan. I have sold four tin whistles that were laying around unused, so now I have $1000 to spend (they were very good tinwhistles). I'm a working musician, but I've never even fooled around with a concertina. I focused on the Rochelle because it's a 30 button Anglo, and everyone says that's what I need for Irish trad music. I'm not opposed to spending the full $1000, and I could even save a bit more, maybe in the $1750 - $2000 range. If I were to go for a more expernsive instrument, I wouldn't buy until next year anyway so that I could claim the tax deduction (I'm maxed out this year as is).

 

The Rochelle is interesting to me because I see it as a good startter instrument and easily re-sold if I don't follow up on it. If I should become a decent player, I would want to upgrade of course, and include a pickup/microphone system for live performance. But maybe I should just target a higher-quality instrument to begin with (sans pickup), since it seems like there's no real problem selling them. There seems to be a shortage of concertinas.

 

Anyway, that's a bit more about me if it helps.

 

BTW, if anyone is in the northern NJ area, I hope you'll stop by to hear us. Our website is www.kspirit.net

 

Simply click on 'Gigs' at the top of the page and you'll see our schedule. Hope to see someone there!

 

Thanks again everyone for all the advice and input!

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I guess my thoughts are buy as good an instrument as you can afford. A quality instrument will actually make it easier to learn correctly from the very start. 1000 dollars seems like a chunk of change to throw at a new instrument, but in reality you are right at a break point. Sure, 350 to 500 gets you into a factory produced ( sometimes dealer seller set up) entry level concertina, or a possible 23 or 26 key Lachenal ( just watched a 23 key go for close to 500 on ebay today) that you will need to have worked on. If you hate it, or don't stick with it sell it quickly. I think that between Tedrow, Edgley and the Button Box Morse concertinas you get real instruments at a great price. All three of these will stand behind the sale and be able to do repair work for you in the future. There is a big difference to the feel of a real action in one of these compared to a Stagi. If it were me I would get a Jeffries fingering system, or an Edgley 24 key and get busy learning technique, and tunes. If you find the need to get something nicer, get on someones list and wait for a little while the whole time having a great instrument to learn on. If anyone that normally sells used instruments on this forum offers you a well tuned, good actioned Lachenal 23 or 26 key, ( or maybe a lower priced steel reeded 30 key) jump at it knowing that you are getting a traditional toned instrument as well. Just my two cents worth. I deal with students showing up with really awful flutes, and wonder why they struggle to play them. And yes, my first concertina was a Bastari 30 key. It was awful, one of my older cousins ended up with my grandmother's old German 20 key. I don't know who had the worse time learning to play.

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My position is much the same as Tim's. Ive played the fiddle for a number of years, so the tunes are already in my head. Ive been working them out on a loaned 20 button from a friends attic, which has been better than nothing, but im getting to a point where the reeds arent sounding as fast as im playing, so some notes just don't come out. And, just yesterday a button fell off. Yeesh! I am also a working musician and a full time student. I have about the same budget as Tim, and was planning on waiting for a used Edgley or Tedrow to come up. I wasn't aware that the 26 buttons were in my price range, so maybe that's the way to go. I wan't to get one in the next year before I have to start paying off my student loan and will be dirt poor for a few years. I feel your pain!

Edited by Pgidley
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With a grand to spend, and wanting a new instrument, what should I do? Please help me, oh revered and wise concertina community!

 

Tim,

 

I have recently been down the path you are considering. I bought a Rochelle directly from Wim Wakker at Concertina Connection. It was only OK in my view. A bit large, a bit stiff and it had very erratic voicing but it did get me started on the concertina. I moved up to a Standard Tedrow after a couple of months and it made all the difference in the world. It is an order of magnitude better instrument.

 

If I were doing it again, I would skip the Rochelle and spend the extra money to buy a Tedrow (or a Morse or an Edgley).

 

Don

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I've e-mailed The Button Box, but they are slow to repond. I'm sure they will, as they have a very good reputation, but I haven't heard from them yet.
Sorry about that! We're really swamped with e-mail inquiries right now but I'll make sure Doug gets back to you tomorrow morning.

 

On the Rochelle front - we don't have any in stock right now though a new shipment is expected any day. They're so popular that Wim can't supply the numbers of boxes we request. Once they do come in they fly right off the shelves. If you can't find one at another dealers, you could put a request to notify and hold one of ours to come (and not be obligated to buy it).

 

-- Rich --

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my two cents is, wait a leeeeeeetle longer, save more, & buy a Morse Ceili or an Edgley, or a used but very-good condition AC Norman. You won't regret it. and don't buy a 20-button....you WILL regret it if you are meant to keep playing, because you will outgrow it in five minutes. you will also outgrow the rochelle & follow the same trail as the poster here who now plays an AC Norman.

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I traded that Rochelle and the Stagi hayden and am now anxiously waiting for the delivery of an AC Norman 30 button anglo...

Hopefully, i made a good move....

Well if it helps ease your anxiety, I had a play of Woody's new Norman recently and was well impressed. Normans are good!

 

If I were doing it again, I would skip the Rochelle and spend the extra money to buy a Tedrow (or a Morse or an Edgley).

I would advise similarly, if you can afford it. If you can't then the Rochelle remains excellent value for the money and a good way to get started. That "for the money" is important, though. Don't expect champagne for the price of a bottle of cooking sherry.

 

Chris

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Keep in mind that the Rochelle has a full value trade in policy, and there is about a 4 month wait for a Morse Anglo. So if you spend 300 on a Rochelle from the Button Box, you'll get that (minus shipping I think) back if you order a Céilí. And you'll have some time to learn the instrument while you wait.

Mr. Tedrow sometimes has one of his instruments listed for sale on his site, too, but I think he also has the same full value trade policy for the Rochelles he sells. I went from an ebay 20 button to the Rochelle, and I've been much happier.

I just need more hours in the day, now. Where can I order those?

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See, that was my thinking originally. I could get a Rochelle to learn on, and then get a full-value trade for a Ceili. If I never really persued concertina, I could just keep the Rochelle to play around with sometimes and not have spent a fortune. If I went for it in a big way I could trade up for something pretty nice and not waste any real money. I could probably even sell the Rochelle at a minimal loss if I just up and sold it.

 

I won't be playing concertina as my main instrument anyway. Through most of our shows I play mandolin, whistle, banjo, flute, guitar, and bodhran in that order. I'd probably only play three or four tunes a night on the concertina at best, but I'd still want it to be a decent sounding, playable, reliable instrument. So now I'm on the fence about my original plan and just saving for a very good one. I believe in the old saying about good instruments for beginners, and I suspect I'd have no trouble selling a better-quality instrument. There seems to be a pretty good market for that.

 

Since I wouldn't buy anything expensive until next year, I guess I have time to think it over.

 

Thanks again everyone for all the input!

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If you are already a professional musician, and you know what goes into learning an instrument, I suggest you go straight for the best you can afford. I have 20 + years of playing around at music, but never at a very high level, and within a few weeks of buying my Rochelle, I was anxious for an upgrade. The difference in feel is huge.

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