Honky Conchin' at the Bull & Whistle!

Honky conchin' at the Bull & Whistle on Duval in Key West with the BEST!

Conchalele fan at the Bull & Whistle in Key West

Sara at the Bull & Whistle is the newest conchalele fan in Key West!  

Conchin' in Conch Republic!

Playing in Key West this week!  Gotta have my Key West fix!  So many musician friends here.  Thanks to team Dani Hoy & Key West Chris.  Harper Tim Cordts whales it for the Cohchalele sounds......  

Judi Burton's brand new Uke! Next she'll want a Conchalele!

Judi Burton is the newest Uke Lady in Key West!  Thanks Judi for your super artistic You Tube work!  You'll be playing venues all over the globe soon!

Conchalele Bob

Honey Mooners play Conchalele in Key West at McConells Irish Pub & Grill......

Key West honey mooners play the Conchalele in Key West at McConnells Irish Pub and Grill!  (Sorry I missed your names)  Thanks to Dani Hoy and Key West Chris for hosting the event!

Australian plays the Conchalele!

The first Australian Conchalele fan in the history in the World!  He just couldn't believe he saw it in Key Wet!  Now I should take the Conchalele to Australia!  hum.........

Music to the ear!

Conchalele -- music to the ear

'It has a voice from the bottom of the sea'

BY LIZZ CAREAGA Citizen Staff

It looks like an obese mountain dulcimer and sounds like a tropical banjo, but the conchalele is truly a one-of-a-kind musical instrument.

And it is gaining popularity throughout the Keys -- and now the world, according to its creator Bob MacPhail.

This retired Navy chief owns a sailboat, which he keeps at the Boca Chica Marina at Naval Air Station Key West. He is also a professor of communications at Florida Southwestern State College, but spends his weekends, days off and semester breaks here in the Keys.

Having created this new instrument, he plans to brand it worldwide in the next year.

"The conchalele is the right instrument to have," he said proudly. "The instrument has a unique reverb and has a voice from the bottom of the sea."

It is an electric baritone made from a South Pacific melo conch shell with a handmade fret board, nylon strings and a rosewood neck, he said. It's held together with two stainless bolts, but can support the dynamic strength of 53 pounds of string tension at pitch.

MacPhail invented the instrument after hours of tutoring from Francis Chilcoat, a master luthier maker of string instruments from West Virginia.

"It took three months to build with testing and science," MacPhail said. "I wouldn't have tried to do it without him."

Chilcoat mentored him via the phone, with everything including material information, inlay work and placement of the parts.

"One of my goals is to get the conchalele proclaimed as the official instrument of the Conch Republic," MacPhail said. "My biggest passion is coming and playing music in the Keys."

Since June, the conchalele has been used in several local spots including Harpoon Harry's, Mallory Square and Dockside Tropical Café in Marathon.

"The conchalele is a very well constructed, heavy duty instrument," said musician Eric Stone, whose wife owns Dockside Tropical Café. "It would work very well for the right type of music, and has an island vibe. It basically makes no sound unless hooked up to a system, but it has nice action and tone."

Next summer, MacPhail heads for Europe to tour for two months with the instrument and a harp player, performing concerts at military bases.

He plans to craft four more of the instruments and hand them out to trop rock musicians who can help get the sound out to locals.

"Ukeles are popular," said MacPhail. "There is a great interest in younger generations."

The sound is so popular that on the first Wednesday of every month, the Green Parrot Bar has a ukulele night.

"I was stunned by how many people showed up the first night," said John Vagnoni, who organized the event. "We continue to encourage everyone to dig out that old ukulele from the attic or closet and strum your way into a four-string stupor at Green Parrot Ukulele Night."

The conchalele is similar to a ukulele in size, but has a different sound to it.

"I would like it to be the trop rock instrument." MacPhail said. "My long-term goal is to get it picked up and manufactured as an instrument. I want to help meet the need for four-string instruments."

If the sound of the conchalele piques your curiosity, there are several videos with the instrument on You Tube and at conchalelemon.blogspot.com with information about performances.

"Digital media is explosive," MacPhail said. "Please leave comments on the website. The comments left on posts make all the difference in the world."

Conchalele makes front page news in Key West Florida!

Please click the link below to read the front page news!



https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/147ede27c315e8e2?projector=1

Doctor Professor Phatback Watson plays Conchalele at Mallory Square in Key West!

Doctor Professor Phatback Watson says, "This will draw the mermaids from the sea mon!"

Mustafa writes lyrics for a conchalele song!

Mustafa likes the Conchalele!  He played it at Mallory Square in Key West at sunset.....  Everyone on at Mallory Square witnessed him impromptu a song......  "He played the conchalele for the men and women at Mallory Square, he played it well, he played it fun..."

Here's how to order Conchalele gifts......

Click this link:

http://www.cafepress.com/riburtondesigns/11413517

Check out the various items......

A Conchalele song - Three little birds

Three little birds by my door step!  Singing melodies so pure and true.  Singing, don't worry about a thing, every little things gonna be all right!

A Real Trop Rock Instrument......

For Immediate Release

The New Conchalele is called “A Real Trop Rock Instrument”

July 29, 2014

Part time Keys resident Bob MacPhail came back to the lower Keys on Tuesday July 22^nd for an exciting week of jamming at various venues, radio interviews and introductions of the Keys inspired Conchalele, dubbed a true “Trop Rock Instrument”.  Hand built by MacPhail from a giant Melo shell the Conchalele is gaining wide spread enthusiasm wherever it is played.

The week began on Tuesday afternoon with a stop in Marathon at Eric Stone’s Dockside restaurant, where he met with Stone to introduce the Conchalele to the popular Keys musician and entrepreneur.  Stone liked it so much that he invited MacPhail back to jam with his band before his Friday night’s show.  That evening MacPhail played the Conchalele with his Boca Chica buddies (Billy, Barry and Tim) to a packed house in the Navigator Lounge at the Boca Chica Naval Air Station Marina. 

On Wednesday he did an incredible open mic gig at Geiger Key Marina where he played some of his original songs like “Away from Key West”, “8 Mile Marker”, “Rainbow Melody”, and “Blue Water Sailor”.  His friend from Boca Chica, Tim Cordts, was there to accompany him on the harmonica along with Bobby Enlowe, playing lead guitar. Everyone agreed they “Rocked the Dock” that night with the Conchalele making many new fans.

On Thursday July 24^th MacPhail and Cordts played McConnels Irish Pub on Duval at open mic where he met and impressed Key West Chris and Dani, two well known Keys musicians.  Key West Chris does Conch Radio reporting at WKOM Key West Original Music Radio, as well as several other online stations in the Keys, so he invited MacPhail to do a 45 minute radio talk show interview on Friday morning.  During the interview MacPhail played and recorded three of his original songs on the Conchalele.  The interview was broadcast on WKOM and is available as a podcast at on the stations website .  Back in Marathon Friday night MacPhail played the Conchalele on stage with members of Stone’s band and again “Rocked the Dock” ending with his original song “Bluewater Sailor”. 

Saturday saw MacPhail and the Conchalele entertaining at the Sugarloaf KOA playing more Conch music with Key West Chris and Dani.  Howard Livingston, of the band Mile Marker 24 fame, was there to hear MacPhail play his original “8 Mile Marker” tune on the Conchalele.  A Keys News photographer, Ralph DePalma, took photos of the event and confirmed it to be a truly “Trop Rock Instrument”!

The Conchalele is drawing crowds and enthusiasm wherever it is being played.  MacPhail has orders for additional instruments and is booked to play on stage at the Schooner Wharf Bar at the Key West Bight on October 29th during the “Trop Rock Meeting of the Minds” where many Trop Rock celebs will be there to hear the Conchalele!    For further information about the Conchalele and to view videos and photos of the instrument visit www.conchalele.com. Be sure to leave us a comment, like it on Facebook and Twitter.

Contact Information: bob.macphail@gmail.com   Text by Richard Burton: richard.bur10@gmail.com

Conch Republic Radio interview with Conchalele interview....

http://harborwalkpress.com/index_htm_files/KWMusicShow_7.mp3

White Deer like to listen too!

This White Deer perks her ears up to hear the Conchalele playing in the distance! Thanks to Judi Burton for crafting the latest YouTube video titled Conchalele Bob "Away From Key West".
Thank you Judi Burton for your video reporting!  Looking forward to teaching you to play one!
We'll begin with the ukulele......  Uke songs make great Conchalele songs too!

On tap for venues in Fontainebleau, France!

Conchalele is going to Paris in the Spring!  Have to go back to where I started grade school in Fontainebleau, France.  This time i'm taking a conchalele with me and jam with local artist.  Fountainebleau is a suburb of Paris!  My dad was stationed there and it's where I started grade school.
My brother Tom also started school there  Hope visit the old house where we lived.

"Away From Key West"

This is the reason I had to write a song about leaving Key West!