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[Adam-T]

Later boxes are also more robust - those presswood fingerboards can be a bit fragile and that lovely natural wood finish is far from tough as old boots too . can`t beat a plastic fingerboard (or one of Pete`s new wooden ones) and Celluloid for a tough outdoor box .. no doubt hence the popularity of the Erica ..

[Graham Spencer]

Fairly hardwearing, those plastic fingerboards, I agree - but they feel so nasty compared with a wooden one. They have sharper edges everywhere and get either horribly sweaty or uncomfortably sticky. No arguments about an Erica as a morris box - I had two before the "posh" box, and now I've gone back to old 2915s for morris.  You can get them in lacquer or pearloid, too.......

Graham

[pikey]

My reason for asking which was the best Melodeon for Morris was in part because of the windy climate I live, and the difficulty in projecting the music against the wind - I use a Hohner Pressedwood (a la Microbot). I have experimented with a copper horn, or trumpet fitted to the melodeon, with some slight success, offset by the extra kilo in weight.

The link requested by East Anglian Ted is  http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,225.msg82855.html#msg82855

Thanks to all for the opinions, which seem to lead to Pokerwork, Erica and Dino Baffetti Binci. Also, emphasis on correct tuning.

Good choice.

According to the dancers in our team who aren't players (and hence aren't biased to any make), the sound from Castagnaris (including Lilys!), Hohner Liliputs, Salterelles, Dino Bafetti Carnivals,  doesn't carry as well as Hohner Pokerworks/Ericas and Dino Bafetti Bincis - with either a swing tuning, or a stronger 'out of the box Hohner' tremelo .

Its also worth learning how to play Octaves on the right hand, to get even more volume. Plus learning just how far is sensible to push a box without risking damage. Checkout the thread in 'Teaching and learning' about how to play for Morris, there are lots of good tips in there.

[Bob Ellis]

Although I play either a Pariselle or a Castagnari Benny for morris, I don't need the sound to be especially loud because there are usually anything from one or two to seven or eight other musicians around m when I play for Crook Morris. However, I am always impressed by Ian, the sole musician with Carreg Las, who plays a Hohner Pokerwork loudly enough to be heard clearly in the largest arena.

[pikey]

Although I play either a Pariselle or a Castagnari Benny for morris, I don't need the sound to be especially loud because there are usually anything from one or two to seven or eight other musicians around m when I play for Crook Morris. However, I am always impressed by Ian, the sole musician with Carreg Las, who plays a Hohner Pokerwork loudly enough to be heard clearly in the largest arena.

You havent heard mine yet........      

[Bob Ellis]

I am always impressed by Ian, the sole musician with Carreg Las, who plays a Hohner Pokerwork loudly enough to be heard clearly in the largest arena.

You havent heard mine yet........      

I presume we are talking about your tuba/euphonium or whatever you were playing in the Elsinore. It saved me a visit to the doctors by clearing the wax out of my ears. 

[pikey]

I am always impressed by Ian, the sole musician with Carreg Las, who plays a Hohner Pokerwork loudly enough to be heard clearly in the largest arena.

You havent heard mine yet........      

I presume we are talking about your tuba/euphonium or whatever you were playing in the Elsinore. It saved me a visit to the doctors by clearing the wax out of my ears. 

PARDON? 

I MEANT MY OLD POKERWORK .......

[Nick Collis Bird]

Ouch!

[squeezy]

I think you're all wrong ... the best melodeon for Morris is clearly the one that William Kimber played - and he INVENTED Morris!

[Ollie]

I think you're all wrong ... the best melodeon for Morris is clearly the one that William Kimber played - and he INVENTED Morris!

'Arf. 


I once saw a member of a Morris band (a handful of other melodeons, assorted percussion as per usual) playing a Pokerwork... linked up to a small portable amplifier. 

*facepalm*

[squeezy]

Apologies for the flippancy above ... But I always wonder when I see the sort of question in the title of this thread whether the person asking is actually winding us up!  It might as well be asking "should I put marmite or honey on my toast?"

The questions I asked myself before trying to answer the question when I started playing for morris were:

Is it light enough to carry around all day?
Is it in the same key as the other musicians play?
Is it loud?
How much do I mind if it rains on this box in the middle of a dance?

But mainly the question was:

Which box do I own at the moment?

Ok then ... I'll use that one!

[Anahata]

I once saw a member of a Morris band (a handful of other melodeons, assorted percussion as per usual) playing a Pokerwork... linked up to a small portable amplifier. 

Some years ago I saw a melodeon player in the Straw Bear procession using a Pignose amp strapped to his back.
Since dance teams seem to like to have the music in front of them in a procession, despite the fact that you hear far less from behind the player, this seemed an eminently sensible idea.

(Pig Dyke never had that problem with the Sousaphone, of course, nor will they with Kathryn's alto Sax.)

Also... (and back on topic) I was more or less ordered to get an Oakwood by the squire of Hammersmith morris after trying to compete with the Richmond-on-Thames traffic with a Pokerwork, on a day when Ian wasn't there with his Oakwood. I did, of course, and the rest is history...

However, almost the only time I ever played my Pokerwork instead of the Oakwood for Pig Dyke, I got a compliment from one of the dancers about how good the music sounded. I'm not sure if she realised I was playing a different box. Since I only use the Oakwood for dance music now, perhaps I should get it tuned wetter next time it goes in for tuning.

But mainly the question was:

Which box do I own at the moment?

Ok then ... I'll use that one!

What - all seven of them at once?

[Lester]

What - all seven of them at once?

Only 7 - lightweight 

[george garside]

My reason for asking which was the best Melodeon for Morris was in part because of the windy climate I live, and the difficulty in projecting the music against the wind - 

But why try to 'project' against the wind  when standing at the other side/end or whatever of the dancers means that the sound you make/project is carried towards the dancers totally free of charge by the wind! In which case it does not need to be particularly loud.  Thus located I never had any problem as far as volume is concerned using a pokerwork at around half throttle - and at windy seasides etc.

george

[squeezy]

What - all seven of them at once?

It was only one back then!

[pikey]

What - all seven of them at once?

Only 7 - lightweight 

Must be a beginner...... 

[pikey]

O for those halcyon days when there wasn't any choice.......

 

[Owen Woods]

Apologies for the flippancy above ... But I always wonder when I see the sort of question in the title of this thread whether the person asking is actually winding us up!  It might as well be asking "should I put marmite or honey on my toast?"

I'm not sure I understand your analogy, since the answer to that question is quite obviously "honey"

[Lester]

Apologies for the flippancy above ... But I always wonder when I see the sort of question in the title of this thread whether the person asking is actually winding us up!  It might as well be asking "should I put marmite or honey on my toast?"

I'm not sure I understand your analogy, since the answer to that question is quite obviously "honey"

Honey OR marmite   Yes!
Honey AND marmite   NO!!!   

[IanD]

My reason for asking which was the best Melodeon for Morris was in part because of the windy climate I live, and the difficulty in projecting the music against the wind - I use a Hohner Pressedwood (a la Microbot). I have experimented with a copper horn, or trumpet fitted to the melodeon, with some slight success, offset by the extra kilo in weight.

The link requested by East Anglian Ted is  http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,225.msg82855.html#msg82855

Thanks to all for the opinions, which seem to lead to Pokerwork, Erica and Dino Baffetti Binci. Also, emphasis on correct tuning.

Good choice.

According to the dancers in our team who aren't players (and hence aren't biased to any make), the sound from Castagnaris (including Lilys!), Hohner Liliputs, Salterelles, Dino Bafetti Carnivals,  doesn't carry as well as Hohner Pokerworks/Ericas and Dino Bafetti Bincis - with either a swing tuning, or a stronger 'out of the box Hohner' tremelo .

Its also worth learning how to play Octaves on the right hand, to get even more volume. Plus learning just how far is sensible to push a box without risking damage. Checkout the thread in 'Teaching and learning' about how to play for Morris, there are lots of good tips in there.

I've mentioned this before, but tuning does make a big difference to the perceived "cutting power" and volume. Once when Nielsen retuned my Oakwood he got it wrong and tuned it to concert/2Hz sharp instead of 2Hz sharp/2Hz flat, and the dancers complained that it was too quiet even though I hadn't told them anything.

For two detuned notes (or vocal vibrato) experiments have shown that the perceived volume (especially with background noise) goes up with the beat rate, starting to flatten off above about 4Hz and reaches a maximum (no further increase) at about 7Hz -- thought most people would think tuning this wet sounds pretty nasty, it's what opera singers consistently use when trying to project absolute maximum volume.

Right-hand octaves (but not all the time) and punching in right-hand chords on heavy beats also give a big increase in punch and perceived volume.

Our dancers (and musicians) have settled on the Baffetti Binci as the box of choice, which is why we had four at practice a few weeks back...