Céilí Anglo Concertina
We are pleased to be able to offer our own line of concertinas. These instruments are meticulously designed and crafted by us right here in western Massachusetts. Our goal is to produce high-quality, reliable, affordable, and available concertinas to fill the niche between the lower-priced Italian models and the increasingly scarce and correspondingly expensive vintage concertinas.
The Céilí is our 30-key Anglo model. It is available with the Jeffries or Wheatstone/Lachenal fingering layout (see note charts here), in the keys of C/G, G/D, D/A, and Bb/F. The Céilí measures 6-1/4" across the flats and comes with a fitted hardshell case: $2,450.
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From the Button Box:
A Morse concertina can be ordered by placing a $50 non-refundable deposit here, or by contacting us. Morse concertinas are built to order; the average delivery time is currently around 6-8 weeks. At present, we have a number of models in stock; visit our Instruments in Stock page to see what is immediately available. Please contact us if you have any questions.
| Select Fingering Layout Wheatstone Jeffries Custom |
Select Finish Rosewood Satin Black Click to place an order and pay a $50 deposit. Delivery time is estimated at 4-6 weeks. |
In addition to ordering from The Button Box, you can order R. Morse & Co. concertinas from these authorized dealers:
The Music Room in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.
Micheal O' Raghallaigh - Rathmolyon, Co. Meath, Ireland. tel. 046 95 55589 morconcertina@hotmail.com
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Here's what Micheal says about the Morse: 'These concertinas are great; I recommend them to my students. They respond well, sound good, look great, are light in weight, and can do anything that can be done on a good Jeffries or Wheatstone.' |
The Céilí is a 6-¼" (across the flats) six-sided instrument, designed and carefully crafted to take advantage of the best features typical of high-end vintage concertinas. Cherry is the most popular choice for woodwork; black is also available upon request.
| Action: | We use a brass riveted action and stainless steel springs for a quick and even response. |
| Reedpan: | Our reedpan and action pan are integrated making our instruments significantly lighter than most other concertinas. This design also enhances certain tones of the reeds which results in a full and bright sound. |
| Reeds: | We use high-grade accordion reeds set to give a response and dynamic range that is equal to - and in some cases surpassing - that of many vintage concertinas. |
| Bellows: | Our traditionally-constructed bellows have six folds and are made of acid-free card stock, goat and cow leathers, and linen for strength, flexibility, and durability. |
| Endframes: | The ornate ends are made of solid cherry. They are durably finished with a rich natural stain or a black opaque stain. |
| Buttons: | The buttons are made with black Delrin® with slightly elliptically-domed tops. |
| Fittings: | Our concertinas are fitted with brass endbolts and thumbscrews. |
| Our concertinas comes with a fully lined and blocked hardshell case and a 5-year warranty against defective parts and workmanship. |  |
Testimonials
“I own two R. Morse & Company Anglo concertinas; a C/G (#126) and a G/D (#280). I am very happy with both of them. The instruments have that rich ‘old concertina’ sound, yet are very light, fast, and effortless to play. The tuning on both instruments are excellent, making them great in the recording studio as well.” John Mock - Nashville studio musician and instrumentalist with the Dixie Chicks and Maura O’Connell.
"Now for some first impressions. The first shock is the weight. There isn't any. It weighs just 915 grams. It is much the lightest concertina I have ever encountered. You could play this thing standing up for hours." Chris Timson review
"At the 2001 Squeeze-In I talked and played tunes with Frank Edgley quite a bit and it was fun to get to know him. He tried my Morse Ceili (serial number 36) for a while and gave it a great workout. When he handed it back, he said it was a great instrument that responded as fast as nearly anyone would possibly play it." Ken Coles review
"UPS delivered the concertina this evening. Within a minute the damned thing had attacked me and jumped onto my hands. I had to defend myself. Four hours of rapturous playing later, I finally managed to wrestle it back into its case for the night. But, I'm afraid it's going to attack me again tomorrow. You folks should be ashamed of producing such a beautiful and responsive instrument that keeps me from my work like that." Marcus Brandt
"I have a Morse D/A, which I like very much.... My instrument is very light and extremely responsive in terms of bellows and reeds. The action of the buttons is very responsive with just the right amount of travel for the buttons. The sound is loud and much more concertinaish than the other mid-priced instrument I own. I'm so fond of the instrument that I will be quite satisfied for the few years I have to wait until my Wheatstone is ready." Jeff Myers