Chiff and Fipple Forums

Sounds good to me straycat - I'm looking at these too, and you're swinging me towards the Rochelle. Any more thoughts since you last posted?

I just received a box of four Rochelle Anglos here at my shop in Alabama.

If you are interested in owning one of them, call me at 205 879-4868 or email me hmi@scott.net

Bob Tedrow
Tedrow Concertinas
http://hmi.homewood.net

Howdy straycat82,
I was wondering how the Rochelle is treating you now that this thread is 3.5 years old? I've been considering trying my hand at one.

Bump--me too.

I have had one for 2 years now....

it's quite a loud instrument.
the bellows remain very stiff
although the button position is the same as on a "real" concertina, the instrument is huge
I can't get fast enough to play in a session with it
Pretty happy though and have confirmed that I want to upgrade to a intermediate-level concertina.

Way better than the stagis I've tried.

Wow, crazy coincidence! I don't think I've been to this forum since I posted the last message in this thread three years ago. I actually came here today to sell this very instrument and happened to see this resurrected post a few lines down from the top. Nothing wrong with it but to be honest I never gave it much of a sincere go and financial times are tough. I do really like the concertina but I think I've tried to do too many instruments at once and the result was mediocrity. The whistle and the UP's are my main instruments of focus.

As far as thoughts on the model: I recently had my friend, Flo* look at it and she thought it awkward to her $10,000 Wheatstone (of course) but said that she would give it to a beginner with confidence that it was well enough to learn on for quite awhile. I'm sure any $300 instrument would be awkward when compared to it's $10,000 superior but I felt it was comfortable to play and responded well enough to make some progress.

*Florence Fahy (originally from Clare) recently taught workshops in Friday Harbour, SanFrancisco and Georgia. She's been living in AZ for a few years now and has been a great session-mate and friend.

This is the sort of thread that would be handy for people considering starting on the Anglo 'Tina and wondering what to buy.

In fact a "sticky" thread about buying instruments is always a winner (see the other instrument fora on C&F !)

Boyd

I picked one up for £100 on Ebay in fairly new condition. It works well, bargain buy for a starter

I bought a Rochelle last fall...about 6 months ago. I have been playing the tin whistle since 2001 and know how to read music. I found the Rochelle and concertina very easy to begin playing. The book that comes with it was a good representation of the various keys and styles. My hubby was in a writing conference the weekend I received it so, I brought it with....it rained and we had horrible weather, and by the end of the weekend, I had several keys down pat and could play quite a few songs. Still need work on the various ways to make a cut or a roll, but I know I will "get it"! I played Xmas music on it for my grand children, and my daughter was amazed at how fast I got to play it.

The bellows, as with any new instrument, need to be broken in...and you need to pay attention to air flow, but after I played it for that first weekend, I broke in the bellows....and am still learning the air control. I have never played another concertina.

Oh, and I can play "Moon River" and it sounds just like the movie version! Cool! My favorite music though, is Irish Trad, and although I'm not as fast as others, the Rochelle has such a nice sound that playing slow aires is just beautiful!

I don't know if I will ever "out grow" this instrument. I'm having a ball!