Grey Paolo Soprani For Sale

[Theo]

I have a four voice grey Paolo Soprani, two-coupler model from 1950s/60s Externally in excellent condition. It needs a full reed overhaul, new valves, wax etc, which I will be doing shortly. Its tuned D/Eb at present.

 

Should I:

 

1 Leave it D/Eb

2 tuned down to C#/D as part of its restoration.

3 convert to B/C, I'd prefer to do this with new reeds rather than tune down by 3 semitones.

 

Which would make it more attractive/usable?

 

I don't play much Irish music so I'm looking for advice as to how to approach this project. It will be for sale once the work is done, but I don't want to do a full reed overhaul only to have to take it all down again to retune. I know D/Eb is a less popular tuning and C#/D is becoming more popular, but maybe this is not the box for a C#/D player because of its size.

 

What should I do?

 

Theo

[Stephen Chambers]

I have a four voice grey Paolo Soprani, two-coupler model from 1950s/60s ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lucky you !

 

Though it is probably a bit older than that, as they stopped making them in grey in the mid 1950's. The last of the grey boxes were really red ones, but in grey, whilst you do sometimes see a rare red one that is really a grey box. Confused ?

 

Is it dark grey, or light grey, and does it have a metal grill or a celluloid one ? Could you send me a photo (or three) ?

 

 

Should I:

 

1 Leave it D/Eb

2 tuned down to C#/D as part of its restoration.

3 convert to B/C, I'd prefer to do this with new reeds rather than tune down by 3 semitones.

 

Which would make it more attractive/usable? ... maybe this is not the box for a C#/D player because of its size.

I would recommend either keeping it in D/D#, or retune it to C#/D. Joe Cooley played a grey D/D#, as does Tony McMahon, and you will always find a sale for one in Ireland, and the best Paolo Soprani that I ever played was a D/D#. But you will probably sell it easier as a C#/D, which it is certainly not too big for (not for an Irish player anyway), the more so as old-style grey ones were not made in that tuning.

 

Certainly don't retune it to B/C !

 

What should I do?

Sell it to me, very cheaply !

[Theo]

Dear Stephen

 

thanks for the response.

 

Is it dark grey, or light grey, and does it have a metal grill or a celluloid one ? Could you send me a photo (or three) ?

 

It's light grey, and here are a couple of pics.

 

 

So is this a red one or grey? As you can see it has a celluloid grille.

Plans to retune to B/C are now officially abandoned. My gut feeling is to keep it D/D#, I'm not in a rush to sell it.

Theo

[Stephen Chambers]

So is this a red one or grey? As you can see it has a celluloid grille.

Plans to retune to B/C are now officially abandoned.  My gut feeling is to keep it D/D# ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Theo,

 

That is one of the last of the grey "grey boxes", probably made in 1953 or '54. I used to have one exactly the same, which Nielsen tuned for me, that had an incredibly sweet sound. He reckons those with the black & white piping, like this one, were actually made by Pancotti, but I can't vouch for that - whilst he was in the trade at the time...

 

It is the same model as the one Joe Cooley is playing on the album sleeve:

 

 

Or in this picture with Paddy O'Brien:

 

 

updated photo link

Edited March 3, 2009 by Stephen Chambers

[DAR]

hi theo iv being looking for a box like that for years they are impossibel to track down in ireland. my neighbour has one the very same as that one tuned in b/c it has a very sweet sound nicer than most paolo sopranis you will heer. you must have it sold by now if not how what price are you asking for it? Darren mayo ireland

Edited March 3, 2009 by DAR

[PaddyLosty]

Mmmmmm grey paolo with black and white piping.

 

My girlfriend says she'd take one of those in lieu of a wedding ring. I think I'll keep her around.