I got into playing the concertina pretty much by accident. I had an extra 4-key flute, which I traded to Bob Tedrow for one of his 30 key anglos, figuring, what the heck, I'll give it a try.

That one led to my current instrument I found up in Palo Alto, a very fast playing Frank Edgley, and I've since ordered another custom instrument from Frank for delivery later this year. Slowly, Ive been putting my pipes and whistle repertoire on the instrument.

When I play in sessions, I mostly play the Uilleann pipes, but the concertina and whistle are right next to me to switch to.

Last year I attended Noel Hill's workshop in Oregon, that was a truely transformational experience for me in terms of my playing. Noel's style and fingering system very much lends itself to putting my piping tunes and style on the concertina, so was a very good match for me.

Mainly English concertina; I have a Jackie, a Stagi Tenor improved by Bob Tedrow, and 1920 Lachenal treble. Also started on the one-row melodeon (in D) after flirting with C#/D for a while. The press and draw style drives me crazy (after several years of playing English concertina you can imagine) but I love its simplicity so I persevere...

Rand

Put me down for C#/D. I've been playing since '98, far too long for many of the local (to St. Paul) players tastes. I play in pick-up groups for the monthly Irish ceili dance, at the local sessions, in my own band for the pubs and for several of the local dance schools and performance groups, and in a small group at the local Ren Fest for the Maypole. And no jokes about that last one: the dance teacher is ballet trained so it's far above the usual walk-around Maypole, AND it's heads-and-shoulders above playing for Morris dancers. <donning flame-proof suit>

Serenellini something or other for the band gigs, and a Saltarelle Irish Bouebe for sessions and other non-amplified outdoor settings.

Anglo concertina. I'm just getting back into again after a very LONG hiatus. I recently purchased one of the Button Box "improved" Stagi's. I've found the concertina to be a very addictive little instrument which I find myself playing more and more and the flute and whistle less.

I first heard Irish music back in the late 70s and quickly fell in love with it. At the time I was a music major specializing in Early Music. The first 3 recordings I bought were Planxty's ‘Cold Blow on a Rainy Night’, Bothy Band, and Chieftains #5. The Chieftains album cover featured a lovely still life of the instruments. My girlfriend at the time noticed a concertina in a pawnshop that resembled the one on the cover. That Christmas (1980) it was under the tree. I dabbled with it while I was pursuing my other musical interests that, besides the Early Music, included jazz, Middle Eastern, Andean and classical. By the mid 80s I was dabbling more and more with the concertina and was finally able to get my hands on a quality instrument.

When I moved to San Francisco that same year I had the opportunity to meet and study with Noel Hill who was coming to town every 6 months for 3 years running. I took private lessons and set up workshops for him during that time. Since then my interest hasn't let up and I travel to Ireland in pursuit of playing styles and techniques and to meet and play with some of the top players there. The instrument is highly technical and individualized and I'm always amazed at what's being accomplished.

My goal is to learn to play it well before they bury me. The effort to learn to play it continues to be a great adventure that I’m enjoying immensely.

My concertina is a C/G Anglo metal end 36 button Wheatstone Linota, c. 1925

I play English concertina and try to learn to play some rhythm on a melodeon. I have given up on trying to learn to play melodies on a diatonic instrument.
I have an old Wheatstone 56 key treble concertina and my husband's Hohner melodeon (C/G or G/C, don't know what is mentioned first).

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Brother Steve rocks!

Hello C&F members!

Just stumbled upon this great site (been a cncertina.net fan for awhile).
Dunno if the poll is still being tallied, but I've been addicted to my 30 button C/G Anglo concertina for about a year now. Should be better at it considering how much I play it, but am having alot of fun. Looking fwd to a Noel Hill House Concert/workshop in New Jersey in a couple of weeks.

I'm mostly a percussionist (by nature, really), but I've been trying to learn some "real" instruments (I tease myself). I don't play "Irish" music that much, although it is something I like. I've been playing Anglo concertina since 2003. I initially got it through a bit of a misunderstanding, but figured out what it was and started playing it anyway. Lately I've been trying to work out fully-accompanied arrangements of old-time tunes, cakewalks, waltzes, etc., like this recording I did of the 1899 smash hit "Whistling Rufus":

http://concertina.jeffleff.com/audio/WRWakker64.mp3

But arrangements like that fairly awkward and harmonically limited on the anglo (even though they're challenging and fun), so lately I've been fiddling with a Wicki duet (AKA Hayden).

I just found this forum, in my search for a proper instrument. I had no idea that so many folks were interested in Button Accordions. I live in Northwest Georgia USA, and there aren't too many accordion players here.
I thought that I wanted a B/C Hohner Morgane, but even the Hohner dealers don't know anything about them. They couldn't even tell me the bass layout. Then I talked to Micheal at DanceMaster, and I have ordered a dry tuned C#/D box. He assembles them in his workshop, and the price is not much more than a Hohner Double-Ray, and it will have Durall-Avional (Binci) reeds, which, should be a better reed than the Double-Ray.
I play guitar, harmonica and bodhran (not a real instrument). I am looking 60 right in the face, bur I figure that I have time to learn how to play the accordion before I have any serious harp playing to do.

Roy

Too late for the Poll, but here's the info.

When it comes to boxes, I play both Anglo & English Concertinas:

C/G JEFFRIES {c1890s ~ which I am selling}
&
G/D Lachenal {1930s}
&
Wheatstone Aeola TT {1919}
&
Wheatstone Treble #22 {c1902}

I also own a C/F Hohner Melodeon, but I'm not making much headway with that.
I guess I'm just too much of a Concertina man!

Cheers
Dick

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Dick Glasgow
The Irish Concertina
The Irish Tenor Banjo

Hi gang. I play a "North Dakota Stratocaster" (also known as a piano accordion). I spend most of my practice time at home playing from books of Celtic tunes. Someday, I hope to have an English Concertina.

I've only been at the squeezebox for less than a year, so I'm not very good. I must be improving, though...the cat doesn't hide in the basement when I play any more.

Got an English Baritone for background chords. Love the sound of it and still learning to play it. Hard at first but I will persevere.

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celticmodes
[Reviol 8 key | Oz Vambrace | Dusty Strings Ravenna | Luna Trinity Parlor]

An English Baritone eh ... good choice.

I'll show you mine, if you'll show me yours!

You can see & hear it on this video: Wheatstone English Baritone ~ Leaving Lerwick Harbour

Cheers
Dick

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Dick Glasgow
The Irish Concertina
The Irish Tenor Banjo

Hi everybody.

I play - my love and pride - an anglo concertina Morse Ceili in C/G, Jeffries layout.

I'm struggling also with a B/C Hohner Double Ray Black Dot.

After many years playing fiddle, I decided to go to the dark side of the force

Cheers,

Fer

I don't post here often, but thought I'd give an update. I replaced my Stagi Hayden with the Wakker below as quickly as possible. It arrived in late September 2007. It's a challenging but fun instrument, I've barely scratched the surface of what it's capable of. Check out some YouTube videos I've posted.