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Advice For A Newbie On A Budget


LDT

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Or worse, the world of harmonicas. Unless you are dead centered on Blues the way Hawling Wolf played it, you are swimming the the vast ocean of different tunings, systems, all of which look identical.

Oh I managed to play twinkle twinkle little star on a harmonica once...but it made me go all dizzy. lol!

 

 

I am quite fancying the Anglo, and I'd rather go for what is a popular/common tuning. Is that 'D'?

 

I don't want to make a final decision till I've had a go on one though. I don't think there's any sops which sell them in southend so I might pop up to London.

 

The Button Box sells both models for the same price £178 (we even have a used one at the moment for £155) . I don't know how much shipping and UK tax would be though it seems that there might be some savings by taking advantage of our weak dollar

sounds like a bargain. Do you ship to the UK then?

 

Not that I'm aware of, if you delve around the Spiers and Boden website long enough you'll find reference to the MacCann. We went to see Eliza Carthy backed by S&B a while ago and the MacCann got an airing that night, I was pretty impressed with his playing.

:)

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I am quite fancying the Anglo, and I'd rather go for what is a popular/common tuning. Is that 'D'?

 

The Rochelle Anglo that everyone recommends (me too, I started on one and they're excellent) only comes in C/G, which is the most common tuning for Anglos.

 

Having said that, G/D Anglos are great for playing English traditional music on, and if you're going to be (eventually) playing with others, that tuning goes well with fiddles and melodeons.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with starting on a C/G Rochelle and then trading up to a better instrument in G/D if that's what suits you.

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Having said that, G/D Anglos are great for playing English traditional music on, and if you're going to be (eventually) playing with others, that tuning goes well with fiddles and melodeons.

I think I'll be playing on my own for a while...all the people I know who play music (my siblings and cousins)are more into 'rock'. lol!

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with starting on a C/G Rochelle and then trading up to a better instrument in G/D if that's what suits you.

I think this is why I need to try some first see what I like the sound of best.

Edited by LDT
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The Button Box sells both models for the same price £178 (we even have a used one at the moment for £155) . I don't know how much shipping and UK tax would be though it seems that there might be some savings by taking advantage of our weak dollar
sounds like a bargain. Do you ship to the UK then?

We sell/ship and all over the world, but we restrict our rentals to just North America.

 

-- Rich --

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with starting on a C/G Rochelle and then trading up to a better instrument in G/D if that's what suits you.

I think this is why I need to try some first see what I like the sound of best.

I think you'll find that your preference of "sound quality" will change as you come to appreciate concertinas more, and as you move up to better concertinas your choice of better sound quality with become broader.

 

-- Rich --

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The Button Box sells both models for the same price £178 (we even have a used one at the moment for £155) . I don't know how much shipping and UK tax would be though it seems that there might be some savings by taking advantage of our weak dollar
sounds like a bargain. Do you ship to the UK then?

We sell/ship and all over the world, but we restrict our rentals to just North America.

 

-- Rich --

I shall keep that in mind. :)

 

I think you'll find that your preference of "sound quality" will change as you come to appreciate concertinas more, and as you move up to better concertinas your choice of better sound quality with become broader.

listening ot the clips on youtube...I like the sound of the duet most..but I suspect that's way out of my price range.

Edited by LDT
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I think you'll find that your preference of "sound quality" will change as you come to appreciate concertinas more, and as you move up to better concertinas your choice of better sound quality with become broader.

listening ot the clips on youtube...I like the sound of the duet most..but I suspect that's way out of my price range.

Strange thing is that the entry model duets are very pricey (about £600 in the UK, less in the US) yet the quality models often cost considerable less than comparable quality anlgos and Englishes.

 

When you listen to concertina recordings on Youtube, is the sound quality of the reeds or the way it's played that you find more attractive? Duets are often played with lush chords and counterpoint at the same time the melody is being played. Englishes tend to be played more sparely and anglos can be pretty spare to almost as full as a duet.

 

-- Rich --

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When you listen to concertina recordings on Youtube, is the sound quality of the reeds or the way it's played that you find more attractive? Duets are often played with lush chords and counterpoint at the same time the melody is being played. Englishes tend to be played more sparely and anglos can be pretty spare to almost as full as a duet.

 

-- Rich --

 

I think its the lushness and they sound denser and thicker..if that makes any sense.

Edited by LDT
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When you listen to concertina recordings on Youtube, is the sound quality of the reeds or the way it's played that you find more attractive? Duets are often played with lush chords and counterpoint at the same time the melody is being played. Englishes tend to be played more sparely and anglos can be pretty spare to almost as full as a duet.

 

-- Rich --

 

I think its the lushness and they sound denser and thicker..if that makes any sense.

 

It does.

In which way I'd get a C/g 30 button Rochelle from the Button Box or Concertina Connection, you really have no other choice.

It can be learned to sound thick and chordal. I personally think that Rochelle's reeds, sounding kind of metallic and accordeony, blend in chords well.

See? Your difficult choice is over.

Now let the USMail roam the world! C'mon, give the guys a job.

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[suggests you] I'd get a C/g 30 button Rochelle from the Button Box or Concertina Connection, you really have no other choice.
Well, there are other people/companies that sell the Rochelle - but I totally agree with m3838 that the Rochelle seems to be the right box for you to start out on. It's the best sounding, easiest playing, and least trouble-prone of all the lesser concertinas, very reasonable priced... and you can play lushly with it. There isn't another choice out there that comes close.

 

About the only restriction you'll find with the box is that it'll be difficult to play lushly/easily in keys other than C and G (well, a few more keys if you're really a pro), but your next box can be in G/D or Bb/F or whatever which will give access to more keys. Note that you can play F, A, Eb whatever key tunes/pieces with the C/G... but they come out sounding in C or G. Play the same piece with the same fingering on a D/A box and the tune will then come out sounding in D or A. Not a problem when playing by yourself or if the tune is actually in the keys your box is in.

 

-- Rich --

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I don't know how much shipping and UK tax would be though it seems that there might be some savings by taking advantage of our weak dollar :P

 

-- Rich --

As I'm about to import a custom built case from the U.S. I've been researching this and it's pretty hard to work out the full cost. First of all there's in import charge which varies according to the goods imported; but can I find a list anywhere - no, it seems to average around 3.5%. Next there is an unspecified 'handling charge' paid to the postal service to levy the import charges on behalf of HM Customs and Excise, probably another couple of pounds. Finally VAT (our version of sales tax) is payable at 17.5% on the full value of the goods including postage, packing and insurance costs (and the way our tax system works we probably pay VAT on the import charges too!). I live out in the sticks and therefore have to drive a thirty mile round trip to collect and pay the import and tax charges for the goods at the main the sorting office for our area.

 

I should have mentioned The Music Room price includes p&p which makes it look a tad more reasonable, even so an imported box will probably work out cheaper depending on shipping charges etc.

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I should have mentioned The Music Room price includes p&p which makes it look a tad more reasonable, even so an imported box will probably work out cheaper depending on shipping charges etc.

As I've mentioned before, I have the Rochelle available for only Euro 265 in Ireland (or £220 including trackable postage to UK), with no additional import and tax charges if you're anywhere in the EU. :D

 

I also allow you the full price of the Rochelle if/when you want to trade it up (forgot to mention that previously).

Edited by Stephen Chambers
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I should have mentioned The Music Room price includes p&p which makes it look a tad more reasonable, even so an imported box will probably work out cheaper depending on shipping charges etc.

As I've mentioned before, I have the Rochelle available for only Euro 265 in Ireland (£220 including trackable postage), with no additional import and tax charges if you're anywhere in the EU. :D

is that new or secondhand?

 

(I'll add to my list)

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Euro 265 in Ireland (£220 including trackable postage), with no additional import and tax charges if you're anywhere in the EU. :D

is that new or secondhand?

New, you'd rarely see a secondhand one. People tend to hang onto them, even after they upgrade...

that's a good sign if people keep them even when they get upgraded. Shows its worth the money. :)

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I know you lot will probably throw rotten fruit at me....but I went to the Hobgobilin store yeasterday and I had a go on some and (yor right the cheap 20 button ones even sounded cheap to my untrained ear) but I tried one I liked a 30 button anglo not a Rochelle though and couldn't resist buying it. :(

concertina_1.jpg

it wasn't until I got home that I realised I should have asked the make. lol

Must have been dazled by the salesman. lol!

My mum has already said could I learn a to play a tango.

 

 

btw. I think I might sew myself a nice patchwork quilted bag as it came just in the box.

Edited by LDT
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I know you lot will probably throw rotten fruit at me....but I went to the Hobgobilin store yeasterday and I had a go on some and (yor right the cheap 20 button ones even sounded cheap to my untrained ear) but I tried one I liked a 30 button anglo not a Rochelle though and couldn't resist buying it. :(

concertina_1.jpg

it wasn't until I got home that I realised I should have asked the make. lol

Must have been dazled by the salesman. lol!

My mum has already said could I learn a to play a tango.

 

 

btw. I think I might sew myself a nice patchwork quilted bag as it came just in the box.

 

hey lady d! you got a scarlatti then? how's it sound? :)

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