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[OldJack]

I have been working a bit of everything (including some blues) with a one row C and my my Anglo 30 button. I'm trying to figure out whether an BC offers any advantage over the Anglo (left hand chords excepted). If the BC appears to have an edge, I'll find one and give it a try. I'd like to have your thoughts first because it's a long way from my home to any place with a BC.

Thanks to you all.

Jack

[Chris Ryall]

Gosh - very very different! Basically one is about harmony, the other about tune.  I suspect the answer might be to borrow a BC (or CC# or C#D) and give it a test for a few months.  The half tone system is a very powerful one, but it doesn't seem to suit everyone. 

It does seem to suit Blues incidentally ... though my particular box is a bit of a camel in half tone terms 

[george garside]

I thinkChris is spot on suggesting the 'suck and see' method!

My thoughts are
- neither the anglo nor the BC box has the werewithall  to provide much in the way of  bass (or chordal) accompanyment to the melody.  So in that department its more or less evens

- The BC is possibly easier to play in some keys then a GC anglo, but this could be effectively cancelled out if playing in all the keys you want on the anglo.

- The ango will obviously be single voice whereas the BC 2 ( or possibly 3) voice - in other words they will sound quite different and any preference there is entirely personal choice.  The different sound is perhaps the main thing to consider in making the choice.

 - The anglo  is lighter and more compact to cart about - which may or may not be an advantage  depending on how much 'carting about' is intended.

There is obviously no ;reason, other than perhaps finaancial, for not enjoying playing both instruments anad many do just that. 

george

[deltasalmon]

I have a B/C Weltmeister box and a 30 key Rochelle box.

My opinion FWIW (in my case the Weltmeister is a better quality instrument so that might bias things):

- The number of voices is definately a big factor. I play my Weltmeister mostly with MM voicing where the anglo is single-reeded. If you prefer the big crunch sounds of the accordion then B/C is a good way to go.

- Portability is another big issue. I can easily fit my concertina into a backpack making it easier to transport, especially on bike. My accordion I only have a hardcase for which makes it pretty heavy.

- I personally prefer the accordion due to the left hand bass/chordal accompaniment, but since you said to disregard that I'd say its easier to do drone notes or "right hand chords" on the anglo.

The biggest difference in learning for me was that the B/C seems more intuitive. For playing anglo I play a cross-row style which I found easier to play once I knew it but a lot more difficult to learn then across the rows. I guess for B/C I'm technically also playing across the rows to reach the sharps and flats but this also makes more sense to me because of how music is written and because I have some piano background as well.

EDIT: I agree with George's post above about enjoying both of them :)

[Howard Jones]

I think it's very difficult to say whether one instrument has an "edge" over another.  You may as well ask whether a guitar has an edge over a violin, or a flute over a saxophone.  They have different playing characteristics, and of course sound different.

To my mind, the question should simply be, will a B/C melodeon enable me to play the music I want to play?  The only way to know is to try it.  You may then find that it supersedes one or both of your existing instruments - more likely, all three will find a role.

I play D/G melodeon and anglo.  I wouldn't say one has an edge over the other, it all depends what I want to do.  I can definitely say that some tunes fit far more comfortably on melodeon than on anglo, and vice versa.

[OldJack]

Thank you all. Your comments have been very helpful. I'll just keep up with the two I have plus the harmonica my wife gave me until I get next to a bc in the course of events. 

Jack