henough Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 hey all, ok well i want to get myself a concertina but dont know anything at all about them - all i know is that i really love the sound they make and would like to learn how to play one. what im looking for is some advice on what to buy....i dont have thousands to be spending but even so that i know what makes etc. are good so i can look out for a decent second hand one! any advice or help would be brilliant, thanks, Kj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 ...dont know anything at all about them - all i know is that i really love the sound they make... Hmm. Already you're on rough ground, since there are differences in sound among different sorts of concertina, and differences of opinion among us as to what is a "concertina" sound. So it would really help for us to know what kind(s) of concertina you have heard and liked. If you don't know, here are some questions that might help us figure it out: Can you tell us who you heard playing concertina? What sort(s) of music were they playing? How big were the concertinas you heard? What color? How many sides did the ends have? (4? 6? 8? more?) How many buttons? Do you also like the sound of accordions? Do you think concertinas and accordions sound alike? If not, can you describe the difference? If you can help us by answering these questions, we'll be able to do a better job of helping you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 I have set up a site precisely to help people like yourself learn about the options available. Try the Concertina FAQ. Never fails to give relief... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henough Posted March 11, 2004 Author Share Posted March 11, 2004 well i would be wanting the concertina for playing traditional irish music and was wondering what the most popular one for this type of music is - i have been looking round on the web and aparently its the anglo...is this true? It seems that the 30 button is the way to go? I have heard a few people playing them in sessions but have also heard niall vallely, sharon shannon, noel hill, chris dooney etc. Jim - in answer to your question about accordians - yes, i do like the sound of them! And no i dont think that concertinas and accordians be they button key or piano sound alike, i think that they each have their own very distinctive sound. I play the piano accordian but have been itching to learn a new instrument for ages!! Thanks for the link Chris - its very helpful! My main issue is what decent kind of concertina can i get for under 1000 as i can't really afford much more at the moment. I just need to get something decent that i can learn on and that sounds good! Thanks ;o) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 My main issue is what decent kind of concertina can i get for under 1000 as i can't really afford much more at the moment.I just need to get something decent that i can learn on and that sounds good! Is that $1000, or £1000? (Or some other currency?) It makes a big difference. Your answers were good. You have experienced the "good" concertinas and know that that's what you want. You apparently want to play Irish traditional tunes. If you want to be able to learn from the established Irish players, you probably want an anglo. I play Irish on the English, and I recommend it, but I'm an anomaly. The "Irish concertina tradition" is anglo-centric. If you want to "join the crowd", the anglo is definitely the way to go. But if you're a musical self-starter and don't mind being "eccentric", you might want to consider the English, since anglos are more expensive for the same quality. In any case, you're sure to get lots of advice from others, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henough Posted March 11, 2004 Author Share Posted March 11, 2004 That would be Euro - but of course I would like to spend as little as possible and get as best as possible!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 You might want to consider Frank Edgley's 24 button concertina. It is an anglo he designed especially for Irish music. He dropped the buttons not used very often for that type of music and just added a button at the end of each row. I like it a lot because it was awkward for me to reach the third row. Of course, with practice I could have mastered the third row. But I like this. I'll try to attach the explanation for the 24 button and the button layout. I play piano accordion also. I think you wil like the portability of the concertina, but keep playing the pa. Helen 24BUTTONWRITE_UP.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henough Posted March 11, 2004 Author Share Posted March 11, 2004 thanks helen, yeh the portability is a big thing for me as I work abroad alot and the pa is just too big to be hauling around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henough Posted March 11, 2004 Author Share Posted March 11, 2004 Helen, What kind of money and wait are there for Frank Edgley concertinas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhomylly Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 I'm not Helen, but I do know the answer The Edgleys have about a 5 month wait and run around $1800 American. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Hi, Rhomylly is my twin and can answer for me. She gave you good advice. How about checking out Frank's web page and or emailing him. His website is on this forum, if you see Edgley in one of the advertising boxes you can just click on it. Or go directly to the site which is I believe concertinas.ca. Hope that is right. Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Hi henough, You are talking about Euros, so maybe one of the concertina events in Europe could help You to decide: Skandinavian Squeeze In in april, German Concertina Weekend in may. You would be able to try out many different concertinas (types and brands). Nils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Read Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Another option may be to contact Chris Algar at Barleycorn Concertinas. 1000 euro may get you into a lower end Lachenal 30-button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Another option may be to contact Chris Algar at Barleycorn Concertinas. 1000 euro may get you into a lower end Lachenal 30-button. Actually, if you could push the budget to 1400 or 1500 euros then you should be able to get quite a nice Lachenal from someone like Chris, and that would be very good way to start. A concertina like that would not only hold its value well if ever you decided to sell it, but it would also be good enough to take you well beyond the beginner stage. I am quite a fan of rosewood ended Lachenals, they have a lovely warm tone. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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