Wtb> A Decent Anglo, Used Ok, At Or Below $150

[catty]

With all due respect, mine is indeed "honk-y"...and squeaky too (and perhaps nasally).

 

But again, these were descriptions by lay persons and not erudite specialists.

 

Zach: A used Rochelle would be the choice, for sure--but I don't think you'll find one for under ~$200. I would be willing to part with one of my 20 button Hohners--they are totally different: one is the MIC discussed above; the other is vintage possibly German-made--better sounding but much less responsive.

Edited April 30, 2008 by catty

[bear]

Take it on the chin mate, if you're living on a budget the concertina isn't for you but if the $335 Rochelle is possible (if painful) then have a go, but be committed, it really has to be what you want most.

 

I guess what your saying is this is a place and concertinas are for the rich and well to do people!

And that us folks liking on a fixed income dont belong here.................

 

 

I was a happy bear when I found all you nice people willing to teach my about an instrument that sounds so cool.

Oh well, now I'm a sad bear.............

Edited May 2, 2008 by bear

[Daniel Hersh]

You can do pretty well with a Rochelle. I know that $335 can be a stretch on a fixed and limited income, but I'm not sure that I'd consider that price to be affordable only for the rich and well to do...

 

Take it on the chin mate, if you're living on a budget the concertina isn't for you but if the $335 Rochelle is possible (if painful) then have a go, but be committed, it really has to be what you want most.

I guess what your saying is this is a place and concertinas are for the rich and well to do people!

And that us folks liking on a fixed income dont belong here.................

 

I was a happy bear when I found all you nice people willing to teach my about an instrument that sounds so cool.

Oh well, now I'm a sad bear.............

Edited May 2, 2008 by Daniel Hersh

[bear]

I agree with you 100% Mr. Hersh, $335.00 can be a stretch when living on a budget like mine but not at all impossible, and deffinetly not just atainable by the rich. But the words "if you're living on a budget the concertina isn't for you" are the ones that got to me. I'll never be able to afford a top of the line concertina. But I'm sure I could have a lot of fun playing a cheaper one just the same.

[David Levine]

Would it be possible to find a 20 button Lachenal, or equivalent, for as little as $150?

 

I recently bought a 20 button Linota from the 30's and I was surprised at how well it plays and how I was able to play reels in D. I played as if the C# button was there. Most of the time, on fast reels, the difference is not obvious in a loud session. I just skipped that note and played as if I had the button. And there is still plenty of music that can be played in G and A minor.

 

I'd rather have a better instrument with 20 buttons, with real concertina reeds, than something that looks more like a concertina than it really is.

[Greg Jowaisas]

I agree with David that a good 20b is more fun to play and might encourage more playing than a cheaper 30b with problems.

 

The difficulty with the "$150. 20b Lachenal" is that while it might, on a good eBay day, be possible to get one in the $150. to $250. range, the price tag to get it in playing shape could be as much or more. (Take it from someone who has rebuilt and reconditioned 20 of these instruments!) You need to consider pads, valves, tuning, and possible bellows work along with the occasional sound board crack.

 

Reed quality will vary considerably from barely adequate to exceptional. The action with proper springing and good pads will be OK. But the bellows often present a problem not only with leaks but how well the folds work together (someone has been playing over their knee!). The rosewood end models generally had much better bellows to begin with than the mahogany models.

 

So while the 20b Lachenal has a special place in my heart those with a tight budget should be aware of the likely consequences to their pocketbooks.

 

I sell reconditioned, in tune 20b brass reed mahogany Lachenals starting at $400. and steel reed models starting at $500. As you can imagine there are few takers when a Rochelle 30b is a possibility at just over $300. (The one Rochelle I've played was not a comfortable (size and stiffness) instrument to play but it worked decently well and was a tremendous value for the entry level player. And head and shoulders above the quality of the average Chinese made instrument.)

 

One repairman's opinion.

 

Greg

Edited May 2, 2008 by Greg Jowaisas

[Woody]

....But the words "if you're living on a budget the concertina isn't for you" are the ones that got to me. I'll never be able to afford a top of the line concertina. But I'm sure I could have a lot of fun playing a cheaper one just the same.

I sympathise. When I first wanted to start learning $100 was a lot of money for me at that time. I read various postings on this site saying similar things and almost gave up before I started. It seemed that as I found out more, most of those posting such opinions had never owned and lived with a cheap box and so were talking out of an unconventional part of their anatomy.

 

My experience of learning on a cheap box was good. My original instrument (see photo below) still has a special place in my heart and I had a lot of fun learning to play it. With a cheap Chinese box you might learn a lot about fixing its mechanisms, you'll probably encounter frustrations that owners of expensive boxes couldn't dream of, and you'll certainly encounter snobbery in some circles, but my experience is that it's worth bearing all this as learning the Anglo is great fun.

[Pete Dunk]

I guess what your saying is this is a place and concertinas are for the rich and well to do people!

And that us folks liking on a fixed income dont belong here.................

I wasn't saying that at all. My concern was that you would waste your money buying something so poorly made it would put you off playing concertina altogether and stretch your limited resources at the same time. It is a sad fact that concertina is a minority interest so it doesn't benefit from the economics of mass production that mean you can buy really rather good keyboards and guitars for little money.

 

For what it's worth I'm neither rich nor well to do and I'm certainly not elitist. I gave what I thought was my best advice in response to your question, sorry it didn't meet with your approval.

[m3838]

I guess what your saying is this is a place and concertinas are for the rich and well to do people!

And that us folks liking on a fixed income dont belong here.................

I wasn't saying that at all. My concern was that you would waste your money buying something so poorly made it would put you off playing concertina altogether and stretch your limited resources at the same time. It is a sad fact that concertina is a minority interest so it doesn't benefit from the economics of mass production that mean you can buy really rather good keyboards and guitars for little money.

 

For what it's worth I'm neither rich nor well to do and I'm certainly not elitist. I gave what I thought was my best advice in response to your question, sorry it didn't meet with your approval.

 

I don't see it inappropriate to mention the financial realities.

As a matter of fact, someone on SSI actually can afford a nice concertina, it's the matter of being economical and clever.

My mom is on SSI, we managed to put her on secion 8 voucher, which allows such person to choose dwelling within reasonable range, and to recieve Government grant, covering 80% of rent.

There are many food programs, energy assistance, transportation, phone etc.

So it happens that my mom saved sizeable amounts and insists on helping us.

If we are talking about a nice Edgley, it's well within SSI allowance, and accessible in one-two years.

If not, there are many instruments, where $100 buys you alot.

Panflute has special part in my heart, Ukulele ($110 for the Flea and you'll be happy for life), harmonica. I got Susuki for $100 with alluminium body and it's a marvel!

So there are possibilities, plenty.

P.S.

See, how positive I am?

[bear]

Tallship, sorry about what I said about your post man. I've read some of your posts and can see your no snob. Guess I was just having a bad hair day. Let me explane a few things about the bear (that me).

 

To start with I'm kind of like m3838's mother (no I'm not a cross dresser--LOL), but instead of being on SSI I'm on SSD (social security disability). You see I have emphysema real bad. My doctor said I should learn to play a wind instrument to give my lungs a work out. He suggested a flut or clarinet. I could not afford them so I bought myself a harmonica. Which is a story in itself being I am not a musician, know nothing about music. And was told by three different teachers (years ago) that I'm tone deaf. Well maybe I am a little because I cannot listen to a not and tell you what key it is, but if I hit a wrong not on my harmonica I sure can tell it. Anyway I've learned to play two or three dozen songs on the harmonica but my lungs are getting worse and its getting harder for me to play. I keep running out of air. But I love to play my music just the same.

Being that the Anglo concertina is tuned just like a diatonic harmonica it just makes sence to learn to play a concertina so I can continue to play my music.

 

I have no thoughts of ever being able to play with a group or on a stage. Heck I may never even become good at it but all I want is to amuse myself and maybe a friend or two from time to time. I had thought about trying to save up enough money for a good quility concertina, but if the doctors know what they are talking about I will not be around long enough to save up that much money.

 

However there is a concertina that I seen on ebay (several as a mater of fact) that I really really like. Called a Lang, made in Germany. They are a 30b square box with some really cool inlay art work on them. I know if I every get one it will need to be rebuilt. But I was wondering what everybody here thought of these Lang concertinas.

[Daniel Hersh]

Lange made Chemnitzer concertinas, not the same as Anglos but similar in some ways. Condition is definitely an issue for most of these. I've got a 51-button Lange myself (purchased on eBay, of course) and seriously considered restoring it but didn't in the end. I'd actually probably be willing to sell it for less than $150 because I now own a Chemnitzer in better condition (that of course cost me a bit more money). If you want more info about these, let me know.

 

Daniel

 

However there is a concertina that I seen on ebay (several as a mater of fact) that I really really like. Called a Lang, made in Germany. They are a 30b square box with some really cool inlay art work on them. I know if I every get one it will need to be rebuilt. But I was wondering what everybody here thought of these Lang concertinas.

[m3838]

if the doctors know what they are talking about ...

 

That's bad. Very sorry about all this, sorry to hear it, sorry not been able to help in any reasonable way.

I once attended Norbekov self-healing course, and while the ideas sound reasonable, the followers are a bunch of idiots. All I got from 10 days workshop is tiredness and frustration. Never thought people can be incapable of even simple creative tasks.

Do you do any excersizes, breathing, relaxing? Doctors-shmoctors.

There is one very cool hypnotic excersise: imagine yourself in a month from now, getting better. Imagine intensely, but not been tence, if you understand, for some 30 minutes daily. And Norbekov adds a nice touch to it, feel happy about great result, put a smyle on, real one, not the tormentful. I think this combination may yeald interesting results. At least you don't have to lose anything.

Interesting that you say you ran out of breath on harmonica. Obviously your technique isn't right, as Harmonica allows breating while playing.

Have you ever heard of Pocket Sax? Although it might be hard to play.

But a nice recorder or penny whistle isn't expencive. Panflute can be obtained for $100-150 from a guy in Honolulu, at http://panflute.net/, who makes them.

Nice sound and easy to play. He suplies tutor on video and available for contacts too.

[bear]

m3838, I really thank you for your kind words, concerns and helpful tips. But I think the words here is "the doctors say" if you will notice the stuff doctors have hanging on the walls one of them says that are "Licensed to Practice Medicine", the key word here is PRACTICE, not that they know what they are talking about. As a matter of fact the doctors told my wife and I that she had terminal lung cancer and less then two years to live. Not just one doctor but our family doctor, and two teams of five doctors on each team at two different cancer clinics. Eight years later, almost nine years I lost my wife due to a heart attack.

 

The thing is to have a Positive Mental Attitude, and I'm positive I'm not going anywhere for quite some time. And as far as me running out of air while playing the harmonica I guess I used the wrong words as I'm not running out of air but the breaths I take get shorter and shorter untill I use my nebulizer (a breathing machine that helps me take my medicine) and take my albuteral. And yes I know how to breath through my nose while playing the harmonica.

 

And as fare as the Pocket Sax I'ed love to try one I really like the sound of a clarnet (they call it a Pocket Sax but it sounds more like a clarnet), and as to the tin whistle, I have several whistles now. Some I bought, some I made myself and I dont like the fingering on a recorder.

 

My dream now is to get me a concertina and learn to play it. Again that you for the advice my friend.

[Pete Dunk]

Tallship, sorry about what I said about your post man. Guess I was just having a bad hair day.

We all have them, no problem. I too am deeply saddened by your plight; m3838 is right though, doctors don't know everything and are often proved wrong. My sister had sever emphysema for nearly 20 years, she died four years ago aged 60 from a massive heart attack which took the medics by surprise as she had no prior history to suggest this might happen. So have faith in yourself and never give in.

 

Pete.

[bear]

Sorry to hear about your sister Pete. I'm in my 60's now and figure I have at least another 20 or more years left to go. I've proven the doctors wrong in the past, and I'll do it this time to.........

[Chris Timson]

Being that the Anglo concertina is tuned just like a diatonic harmonica it just makes sence to learn to play a concertina so I can continue to play my music.

Just a thought, but the anglo is not the only instrument tuned like a mouth organ. The melodeon (aka button accordion) is as well, and benefits from the economies of scale that someone else was talking about (as well as being larger and hence easier to make). You might find it easier to get a melodeon in your price range than an anglo.

 

Chris

 

(Hmmm. Here's me, an acknowledged concertina obsessive and this is the second post I've made today suggesting to someone they consider melodeon. This is worrying ...)

[wntrmute]

Pay no attention to that crazy man; a used Rochelle will do you just fine for years to come without the discordant racket of one of those unmelodious things.

 

I'd sell mine, but I like having it around to take into work to diddle around without risking my preciousss.

[bear]

Hello Chris, ya got the bear here my friend.

 

Learn something new every day. I have herd people talk about Melodeons but always thought they was referring to Melodicas which is a short piano type keyboard one blows into. The others where always button accordions as far as I knew. I went and did a Google search on the Melodeons and came upon this website that said he had a Hohner melodeon that was made by Stagi and then went on to say that Stagi made a lot of instruments including concertinas for many different companies around the world. Have you or anybody else here herd this before about Stagi?

 

Anyway about the melodeons, the may be diatonic tuned just like a harmonica but the two handed button layout of the concertina just makes more since to me. I God should find me worthy enough to bless me with a few extra dollars one of these days I just might get me a melodeon and try it out. I believe one should never put something down until one tries it. But for now I think I'll stick to the concertina.

 

That you for the post though. I'm learning more every day. And thats what its all about, learn something new every day.