Myrtle's cook
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Posts posted by Myrtle's cook
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I would agree with Andy that a good basic Lachenal EC might be a good place to start - it will hold its value and if it falls out of favour for a few years it is likely to remain fully playable if properly stored (not so sure same can be said of Stagis and similar). I would also think contacting the likes of Chris Algar Barleycorn concertinas) or Theo (of this forum) might bear fruit in matching your specification to things they might have in stock or be aware of through their networks - that way you'll be getting a fully playable instrument with some sort of warranty - as a child I was completely put off playing the violin by being given a poorly set up instrument to learn on.
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I think Spindizzy has hit on an important consideration here - the strength of the springs. I have an early Lachenal Excelsior EC with flat topped metal buttons which is a pleasure to play - and whilst my Edeophone Maccan has rounded top buttons and is perhaps a little more comfortable - it doesn't seem to make that much difference to me. That said the Excelsior EC has had 100+ plus years of fairly continual play that has certainly taken any sharp edges and worn in the springs to a 'comfortable' but still effective strength!
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Bravo to the OP!
Suggestion: How about a collection of dots for good cowboy concertina tunes? Here are a few titles to start you out. Move the collection to the right forum though!
Colorado Trail
Red River Valley
I Ride and Old Paint
Bury me Not on the Lone Prairie
Streets of Lerado (I suspect that is what the OP called "The Lament")
the original tune to Yellow Rose of Texas
Timber Trail (might be in copyright by Sons of the Pioneers)
There are more.....
If someone starts the collection in the tunes forum I'm willing to add those I can.
Suzy Bogguss has recently recorded 'The American Songbook' which comes with an excellent song book with all the dots plus chords etc. Very concertina friendly. Lovely recordings too (at least to my ear!). This was a project triggered by her frustration and fear that a whole generation were growing up unaware of this great music. Content includes:Shady Grove
Shenandoah
Red River Valley
Froggy Went A-Courtin'
Wayfaring Stranger
Banks Of The Ohio
Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
Ol' Dan Tucker
Rock Island Line
Sweet Betsy From Pike
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Careless Love
All The Pretty Little Horses
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And what happened next?
Well, second time around it sold to me for the UK sterling equivalent of c.£600 once carraige and duty were included - a not insignificant gamble of my hard earned cash - but within a nail biting whisker of my upper bid.
When it arrived it showed signs of having had a hard working life and a certain degree of bodged repairs. An initial assessment suggested it needed:
- New pads (one had already detached itself)
- New valves (again, some missing/detached)
- Retuning (although mercifully all reeds were sound and in brass frames)
- Bellows: the leather rather dry, but basically sound; air escaping where the bellows are formed over the end frame atthe bass end
- Frame on the treble end: at some point the box had succumbed to gravity and rolled off a table, or been dropped. It looks like it landed on this end, requiring the joints to be re glued with a few rather crude replacement pieces of wood. A rather crude but hopefully reversable job
- Several other small pieces of wood (now detached) also need to be glued back onto the frames
All in all a rather sorry state - but those keys that did play produced a very encouraging sound!
Not wishing to add to a history of bodged repairs I resisted the self-restore route and sent the box to Andrew Norman. His appriasal also identified that the bellows seals had suffesred some bodging and some of the patching to the bellows was a tad workmanlike. At sometime the exterior of the bellows had also been painted gold (eye catching - although not in a particularly pleasant way!?), before being re-blacked. After a little time in Andrew's 'waiting room' the concertina has now been fully restored and back with me for a few months. It looks great and if I ever get to full grips with this duet system (I am an EC player used to a rather more straight forward lay out!) I am sure will also sound brilliant.
Was it worth the eBay gamble in this event? Well total bill was roughly double the purchase price. I have not seen a 55k edeophone Maccan for sale recently so lack a direct comparator, but this feels good value. Unexpectedly, the most satisfying thing is knowing that a rather distressed box has been returned to full playing order. The discussion on concertina.net (above) was tremendously helpful - belated thanks to all those involved.
Will try and post some images when I have mastered that particular trick.
Should add that I consider Andrew's work on this concertina to have been absolutely first rate.
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The delicate ends, the chambers etc have a strong resemblance to a recently listed (and sold) Anglo on Ebay that was subject to discussion elsewhere on Concertina net (sorry, couldn't find link). This too was un marked with Jeffries proposed as a possibility.
Ebay link:
Your similar Duet looks a very nice box.
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In response to a question the vendor says the ends are 16cm in width. Perhaps too small to be a bass?
WANTED- old concertina case
in Buy & Sell
Posted
My thanks also to Theo for the steer towards Storm cases.
For custom cases (any shape!) Calton are worth considering http://www.caltoncases.co.uk/index.html, I have a custom one to protect a much loved guitar. Not cheap, but incredibly strong and hard wearing. I had been thinking about commissioning one for my EC.