Edgley Concertina Testimonials

The following are some testimonials from owners of the "Edgley Concertina", from letters, emails, and posts to www.concertina.net.

Testimonials for the Heritage Model

Hi Frank,

My concertina was waiting for me when I came home from work today! My neighbor, who comes over every day to let my dog Rosie out while I’m at work, saw the UPS truck, signed for it and brought it inside my house and put it on my piano, where it was waiting for me when I came home! I am totally thrilled with it! The tone is so rich, the wood and craftsmanship so beautiful, and it plays so smoothly and easily! It almost plays itself! I think I will be up all night tonight playing it! Thank you so much. –Jan

I got the concertina today!

The concertina looks more beautiful than I expected, and the sound...I'm surprised about it. Because it is quick response, it catches nuance of player's expression. I felt like concertina sang a song when I played first time. I will play this long time in my life and treat it carefully. Really thank you so much for making the beautiful concertina.
Best Wishes, N.K.

I am so lucky to have chosen you

and your great concertina, I am having so much fun playing and learning on the Edgley Heritage model. D.W.

I'm still really enjoying the instrument!

I play it about 4 hours a day and just love it, so it's really getting a work out regardless of whether I played too hard or not. I'm really having a lot of fun these days with this Irish music. The concertina probably has more "miles" than some instruments a few years old at this point :-) T.L.

I've really been enjoying the concertina

over the past few months. I love the tone and the look of it and I've been playing it almost every day. I'm having a lot of fun with it. I've brought it a few times to sessions here in Toronto at the Ceili Cottage and Dora Keogh's and it's had lots of admirers. I am very impressed with the way it cuts though in a session. I've also been playing a lot with my Dad, and I love the way the concertina blends with the fiddle. A. M.

Testimonials for the “Hybrid” Models

Dear Frank,

I haven't gotten a chance to write to you since receiving my Edgley concertina in May, and I wanted to take the time now to let you know how wonderful this instrument is. One of the main reasons I havent had time to write is because the concertina has barely left my hands since I received it! I am having a great time playing and the response and action is so fast that I can't keep up with it and have to concentrate to make my triplets even!! What a pleasure! Additionally, everyone who has seen this concertina has remarked on its beauty and craftsmanship. It is my prized possession and I cant wait to improve so that I can hope to, one day, match its quality.
Thank you so much for your amazing work. M V S

I want to thank you for creating such a lovely instrument

that I will always treasure. It sounds fantastic, the action is unbelievable, and is absolutely beautiful. What more could anyone ask for!!!
I showed it to my teacher Jessica today, and she was blown away. I have had a really hard time putting it down this week and I can't imagine that's going to change anytime soon. I will recommend your concertinas to everyone I meet. Thanks a million for making my concertina so quickly, I really appreciative it. I hope to see you soon and enjoying a few tunes with you. My Dad says that "You are a wonderful musician even though you play the bagpipes!" Thank you again for a truly special instrument!
Sincerely E McK

A chara Mr.Edgley,

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leat as a chruthú ionstraim álainn go mbeidh mé i gcónaí Treasure. Fuaimeanna sé iontach, is é an gníomh unbelievable, agus tá sé fíor álainn. Cad a d'fhéadfadh níos mó duine ar bith a iarraidh! Léirigh mé le mo mhúinteoir Jessica lá atá inniu ann, agus bhí sí blown away. I Bhí am gur deacair é a chur síos an tseachtain seo agus ní féidir liom a shamhlú go sé ag dul a athrú ag am ar bith go luath. Beidh mé do mholadh concertinas do gach duine mé a chomhlíonadh. Raibh maith agat a milliún le haghaidh a dhéanamh ar mo consairtín ionas go tapa, I really bhuíoch dó. Tá súil agam go bhfeicfidh mé leat go luath agus taitneamh a bhaint as cúpla poirt a bhfuil tú. "A deir mo Dhaidí go bhfuil tú ceoltóir iontach cé tú ag imirt na píobaí!" Go raibh maith agat arís le haghaidh ionstraim fíor speisialta!
Le meas E McK Friend in Music

To anyone who is struggling with which concertina to buy,

I can't recommend my experience with Frank enough. After it was assembled, he sent me an email to let me know he was fine-tuning the tuning. When I asked for my concertina to be "special" (go ahead, roll your eyes - I would), he called me to discuss wood choices and offered to 'cap' the handles in the curly maple.
The craftsmanship is truly beautiful. I expected Frank's woodworking to be beautiful as he taught woodworking for many years. But I was even impressed by his leather work. The concertina has an absolutely gorgeous mellow sound, which was exactly what I had requested. In other words, Frank will not only build a concertina out of different woods at the purchaser's request. The concertina plays like a dream. Despite being straight of the box new, the bellows are supple and respond quickly. I had expected that the bellows in particular would need a breaking in period. But I can see that the Edgley really isn't going to need a break in period at all. The button action is incredibly quiet! And, as expected with an Edgley concertina, the reed response is superb.
All in all, I can't recommend either Frank Edgley or his beautiful concertinas enough. He is a wonderful man who makes very beautiful instruments. And he doesn't charge for emails or phone calls. But maybe he should ... :-) Thank you so much Frank L.M.

Older Testimonials for the Hybrid Models

Last year I ordered a concertina

to be made by Frank Edgley & in just 5 months I'm playing this lovely instrument which looks & sounds as nice as my friend Warren's Conner/Wheatstone. The bellows flow so nicely and the action / response is so crisp & fast you would think you are playing an instrument a lot older than it is. It has hand-made Italian reeds which make the tone so rich & pleasant to hear, I am so happy with it that I just couldn't put it down for three hours when I got it in my hands!! Thank you so, so much Frank Edgley, and I hope any one wishing to purchase a wonderfully crafted instrument will contact you at your web site.
- D.R.

I just received my Edgley,

and I can't keep my hands off it. I never knew that triplets were so possible. After spending 5 years on an air sieve Renelli (with all crocked buttons), this is such a relief. I find I have to move faster to keep up with the speed of response of the new Edgley! Reels can be played with a lot more grace and all the notes sound perfectly. To put it simply, my sister admitted to me that now she "doesn't mind the sound of the concertina", and that is a Big compliment, Frank! I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I don't think I'll ever need to "upgrade" because these Edgleys are already at the top.
- E.W.

Just received my Edgley concertina from Frank,

and what a wonderful instrument it is. Been playing it all week, and can't put it down!
- R.C.

I had the opportunity to try

the new Edgley concertina and I was extremely impressed. It is quite handsome with its metal ends and the response is terrific. It will literally play as fast as my Colin Dipper. It has a loud voice and a pleasant tone. Frank used the highest grade handmade Italian reeds. If anyone is searching for a very fine concertina at a reasonable price, you can't go wrong with an Edgley.
- Posted by Warren Robinson, Jan. 7, 2001

Your beautiful instrument arrived today.

I don't have enough words to express my gratitude to you for making such a wonderful concertina. You are an excellent craftsman. The tone is magnificent and has perfect tuning & voicing. This was VERY important to me. I can't believe how quiet the action is & so very responsive and fast. Anyone looking for a wonderful Anglo Concertina with superb workmanship & beautiful tone you must consider the Edgley Concertina. I received mine today & it is wonderful!! Very responsive & with handmade reeds. (Pictures are in the Buyers Guide (see Edgley)).
- Posted by Darwyn Patz, Mar. 30, 2001, and letter Mar. 29, 2001

I wanted to pass on

to you my thoughts on the Concertina you recently sent to me, after playing it for a while now. (1) A classy instrument, in my opinion your instrument has the X beat, hands down. I owned a X for over a year and recently sold it in June after purchasing my C/G Jeffries in April. (2) The action on your instrument is very tight, smooth and responsive; easy for ornamentation; however, having only played for a short time, I have a lot to learn in that area. The feel of your instrument is very nice and compares well with my two Jeffries. (3) I like the buttons on your Concertina as I can feel the "edge" on them when I play. I'm partial to small "pin-like" metal buttons, which are on my Bb/F Jeffries (my C/G Jeffries has bone buttons, a bit smaller in diameter); however, yours I could get used to and very comfortable with. I did not like the large somewhat rounded edge of the buttons on the X. (4) the Bellows compare really well to both of my Jeffries. I have no doubt they are going to break-in very nicely and only get better with playing. With my Jeffries, I feel like I have to "control the bellows" as opposed to pushing and pulling them. The X was push-pull. On your instrument I feel more control then push-pull. As I said, I have no doubt over time they will only get better. (5) The reeds are all in tune and have nice tone. (6) The hard case is great; after seeing many different cases at the WCSS and NHICS, I must say, yours is the classiest.
- Letter from D.K., Nov. 2001

In February of this year

I ordered a 30-button Anglo from Frank Edgley. Two weeks ago the seven-fold bellows, Mahogany-Silver ended, Delrin Button Concertina arrived. The instrument is beautiful and plays very well. The accordion reeds are all in tune and the sound is as you would expect; the upper octave is sweet and the lower octave has that "honky-tonk" quality. The bellows for a new instrument are extremely flexible; and, I predict will break-in in no time; actually, they are quite nice at present. The action on the buttons is very fast, making the instrument very responsive. In every respect this is a very "classy" instrument. Frank certainly is a master-maker of fine instruments; and anyone who owns one of his Concertinas is in for a treat.
- Posted by: Dennis Kiick, Nov. 27, 2001

I have now had a few hours

to spend with your concertina. I am very impressed! I have been playing for a few years and have had two Stagi's and have a rosewood Lachenal. Your instrument is far superior to these. It is much faster, much smoother, and if I choose, louder. It is very easy to play, and the tone is excellent. I was immediately able to play at a substantially higher level. I also like the Celtic lion pattern (very clever) and the solid, well-built feel of the concertina.
Thanks very much,
David
- E-mail received Feb. 18, 2002

Dear Frank,

Thank you for your lovely concertina ! I'm really happy to have it so soon. I love its beautiful design and nice rich sound. The response is much, much, much better than my old one. It's more than I can believe! My musician friends all liked it when I played it at a pub session the other night. Some of them are also concertina players and they all praised it very excitedly. Frank, with this new wonderful concertina, I'm going to practice all the harder.
Thank you so much, Frank!
Sincerely,
Hisako
- E-mail received August 25, 2002