Fretless Concertina

[DavidFR]

Well I understood Leo's explaination but now I'm confused again. Do you mean baseball?

No he means football (American football, not soccer).

 

I don't particularly like it, even if I do watch the Patriots whenever they reach the super bowl. But then I'm a big baseball fan, which some other people can't understand/appreciate.

[bill_mchale]

Well I understood Leo's explaination but now I'm confused again. Do you mean baseball?

 

No, football (American that is). The Buckeyes are the name of Ohio State University's sports teams, and by far they are most well known and popular for their football team.

 

--

Bill

[Dirge]

thank you everyone; I am now satisfied.

[Theodore Kloba]

Pennsylvania: "Land of Taxes".

I do watch the Patriots whenever they reach the super bowl.

So you're from Taxachusetts... Anybody who visits Illinois knows our motto is, "Pay toll ahead."

[asdormire]

Dirge

 

Didn't mean to confuse you, but I hve never lived in a place that worshipped sports like they do here, the whole town is organized around buckeye football. I've heard tell that Manchester is like that on your side of the pond, but having only ever been in the US and Canada, i wouldn't know from first hand experience.

 

ya know, it seems a real shame not to be talking about my brand new beautiful concertina in this wonderful topic area that Bob started for it even before it came home with me. getting Egan's Polka down, learned Drunken Sailor the first night I had it, and am about to relearn Red Iron Ore, because I am sure it will sound better than it ever did on the Trinity College.

 

Alan

[asdormire]

this seems to be the apropriate place to try this experiment, as Bob kindly gave me permission to use his picture of this concertina as my avator thingie.

[PeterT]

So, if any of you were wondering where this particular instrament ended up, currently it is stuck along with me here in buckeye land.

Hi Alan,

 

Keep us posted with your progress.

 

Regards,

Peter.

[asdormire]

I suppose a progress report is due on the instrament. Robin dragged me to Kalamazoo last weekend to attend a friend's house music party. I was forced to play while I was there, and both of the tunes I played were recognizable, so I must be making progress.

 

Alan

[PeterT]

I suppose a progress report is due on the instrament. Robin dragged me to Kalamazoo last weekend to attend a friend's house music party. I was forced to play while I was there, and both of the tunes I played were recognizable, so I must be making progress.

 

Alan

Good news!

[asdormire]

In the last few weeks, several people have asked about this concertina when I have been at various concertina related events in southern 'Hio, so I thought I would make a post here to point this topic out, as Bob far better explains the concertina than I can. It is turning out to be a greet instrament for the Cowboy and oldtime music I have been playing with.

 

Alan

[Takayuki YAGI]

I added these vents along each side. Previously, the sound was quiet and "enclosed" as Stephen predicted.

 

With the addition of the vents, the volume is near that of a fretted concertina, but with a nasal timbre, no sharpness.. very pleasant.

 

Also the vents alongside seem to give the sound a good balance.

Will over-tightening the screws cause that top to warp?

Probably.

 

I thought of that but cut the vents out anyway.

 

I might make the next fretless without any holes in the top, just a pretty veneer and put the threaded brass inserts in the corners.

 

Or scallop the vents and have a third leg in there to match the handrests.

 

Or put a brass spacer in the middle.

Bob,

 

I have an early Jones Anglo, in my collection, with arcaded (scalloped) vents, such as you describe. Otherwise my personal Lachenal Anglo has small areas of fretwork in the sides, which look very attractive and (I'm sure) add to the sound. Hopefully you can see them in this photo?

 

 

But whatever way they added side vents, including the Jeffries/Crabb models with metal fretcut sides, the old English makers always made sure that there was solid support for the "tops" where the endbolts passed through.

 

By the way, the timbre you describe ("a nasal timbre, no sharpness.. very pleasant") sounds rather like that of the early hexagonal "pencil-fret" Wheatstone Æolas, which also had very limited openings in the ends.

 

Have fun experimenting, it's one of the great joys of making!

 

I just came across the similar photo of anglo with side fretworks. Beautiful one.

http://manningsmusicals.co.uk/concertina/lachenal-30-button-anglo-concertina-rare-find/

(The post was 2 years ago and the instrument was sold.)

 

--

Taka

[asdormire]

Has it really been four years since I bought this thing?

 

Alan