Chiff and Fipple Forums

I recently received a Minstrel Anglo which I really like. It’s quite an improvement over the Rochelle that I traded in. Wondering if anyone else has a Minstrel and how you like it. It’s great to have an instrument that is responsive without having to pay 6 times as much to get one! Wim Wakker had a fine idea in producing this!

gremich

What are some of the improvements you've noticed? I own a Rochelle as well and was considering the Minstrel as an upgrade.

The Minstrel is the common concertina size at 6.25 inches. The Rochelle being 7.25. This makes a big difference in playability. Rochelle was cumbersome and slow, Minstrel is much more agile and responsive. I have the standard bellows as opposed to the Wakker, the additional $325.00 for the Wakker seemed excessive for the upgrade! The standard bellows are very adequate. All bellows will require a breaking in period anyway, and these have improved the past few months, and I’m sure will continue to do so. I also have the standard delrin buttons which are just fine, probably less slippery than metal. The Minstrel is a fine concertina for a fair price, saving you at least $1000.00 over the next available upgrade. I think that it nicely fills the gap for a non professional player! Highly recommended!