My instruments are harmonica, melodeon and Anglo. I am not the greatest musician, but I practise almost every day, and the instruments are valuable to me, not only financially, but because they are things of beauty, and mine. I would lend my melodeon to someone I knew - e.g. a member of my own Morris side or another side I knew well - in a session. I would lend my melodeon for a few days to someone I knew very well and trusted absolutely. I would allow another concertinist to "have a quick go on" my instrument. I try to avoid lending my harmonicas for reasons of hygiene! I only own a 1 row melodeon because a friend was generous enough to lend me hers for a few days. I had played 2 row before, but would never have considered splashing out on a 1 row unless I'd already spent several hours falling in love with one. I own a decent Anglo only because almost every concertinist I've met has been willing to let me try theirs. I wouldn't have made the commitment to spending even a couple of hundred quid on a cheap isntrument that I'd never played unless someone had proudly shown me theirs and let me have a go. I'd certainly never have invested well over £1,000 in a better one without having tried several and found for myself how much nicer they are to play. In only 8 months as an Anglo player, I've been allowed to play several Wheatstones and Lachenalls and a Dipper. It was only by borrowing an English concertina for a few weeks that I could be certain it was not for me. There's a difficult balancing act. People need opportunities to try new instruments, otherwise no one ever starts. Sometimes a session is spontaneous and someone has come without their own instrument. On the other hand, an instrument is precious - sometimes out of all proportion to its monetary value.
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