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My Thumb Doesn't Bend Sideways


griffinga

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First of all - I'm not an experienced player and have only held three concertinas in my life. That said - this question is about a late-model Wheatstone (1950s) - wooden ends (30b anglo). It makes a very smooth and pleasant sound and I enjoy playing it. However, the handle on the right side interferes with my ability to strike the air button. Rather than being a bit off to one side of the end of the handnrest, the air button is about 1/2inch inwards from the end of the handrest and relatively close to it. Makes it awkward when playing on the lowerst (G) row. Is this arrangement common on Wheatstones in general, only on later models, or maybe only on this particular model?

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Your problem is not unknown -- at least to me. My first concertina was an early Suttner reproduction of a Wheatstone Linota and I found the air button placed too low relative to the palmrest -- making air button use difficult. My salvation came when I first played a Crabb and later a Jeffries. Both of these brands seem to have originally been made for the working man, and on both the positioning of the inside row and the air button is more comfortable for folks with bigger hands. Now days, I play a Jeffries and also have a Dipper similarly equipped for my paws! For me the Wheatstones are too close and tightly buttoned. Others with smaller hands probably feel really at home with Wheatstones and out of their element with a Crabb or Jeffries.

 

Different strokes for different folks,

 

Ross Schlabach

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