Quick, someone - stop me!

[Charlie Bernstein]

I've been thinning the herd. Just sold an old D-28 Martin and a Smith & Young National squareneck. (Okay, so yeah, I turned around and bought another squareneck, but for less than I sold the other for. I'm $200 ahead!)

But my wife does sort of wonder why I need three electric guitars, two mandos, two resos (a square and a round), and a brace of harps lying around our tiny house. And damned if I know.

But lately I've been surfing concertinas. I could swing a used Rochelle thirty-button Anglo-style without much pain.

Not that I've ever even held a concertina. Or play Celtic trad. Or have time to play all my other instruments enough to justify any of them. They just look like so - much - fun.

In the immortal words of Olive Oyl: "HA-A-A-A-LP!!!"

[thecelloronin]

Buy the concertina for your wife. Both problems solved.

[Mandoplumb]

The reason you need all those----- he who dies with the most instruments wins

[Charlie Bernstein]

Buy the concertina for your wife. Both problems solved.

We need you in the State Department!

- - - Updated - - -

The reason you need all those----- he who dies with the most instruments wins

We need you in the Vatican!

[catmandu2]

I nicked a little anglo cnctina from a pawnshop on a whim about 15 yrs ago - sparked an addiction. Beware. Free reeds are fun...and come in all kinds of colors

[Jill McAuley]

Uh-oh, the same thing happened to me (I became intrigued by the concertina after seeing a YouTube lesson given by Edel Fox) and ended up renting a Rochelle Anglo concertina from The Button Box. One month later I'd bought a much more expensive Tedrow Anglo concertina! The Rochelle was fun enough to get me hooked, but playability wise left me wanting something better. The jump from it to the Tedrow was pretty steep financially - not a lot of in-between options in the concertina world as compared to the range of choices we have with mandolins.

I LOVED it, but ultimately didn't have enough free time for playing it, as well as playing all my other instruments, so I sold it (which I still kinda regret...). Still, it was my first foray into a free reed instrument and super fun. I'm sure a concertina will find it's way into my home once again at some stage.

[catmandu2]

While awaiting a nice one, I started playing (accordians & button boxes) because they were so much easier to get...turned into my main instrument (d'oh! )

[dan in va]

Concertina is a good choice. But don't get hooked on the diatonic 3 row GCF button accordions with the triads on the push and everything else on the pull - a wonderful sound but really tricky to get started playing polkas with that Latino Tex-Mex rhythm. i think you did good. Let us know how it works out.

[catmandu2]

If you really want a deterrent, see this movie: https://youtu.be/6M5bQ3CmWGI

(substitute "box" for 'tina)

[Mike Scott]

I started in on the concertina a few months ago. Bought a Rochelle-what a beast it was (not in a good way!). Have since sold it and bought an Edgley-much more refined (also way more expensive). If you aren’t into ITM, check out an English or even a Duet. I’ve been told a two row button accordion is an easier way to go, but I can’t vouch for that personally.

Concertinas are addictive-I find myself neglecting the mando and guitar and am thinking of selling off the dobros.........

[allenhopkins]

Concertina was the hardest instrument I learned to play, due to the absence of visual cueing. You can't look at your fingers playing concertina!

I play English system, mainly for vocal accompaniment and some English/Celtic tunes, and I enjoy the chromatic feature. I've found that the Asian entry-level instruments are pretty bad; Italian made Stagi/Bastari are not cheap, but are solid instruments to learn on.

Button Box gets my endorsement for expertise and fair dealing. I'm currently playing one of their Morse English concertinas, with the accordion reeds, and I'm happy with it.

[Eric Platt]

Thankfully concertina has never had much of a tug on me. Love hearing them played, but don't show up often around my circle of friends. Having said that, there is a Wheatstone available locally on CL.

Now accordion, either diatonic or piano. Almost picked up a 12 bass piano recently. Then realized I have to put in a lot more time on the mandolin and octave instead. And maybe upgrade the octave.