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Defra

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Everything posted by Defra

  1. Hello, I would like to buy a used Peacock Duet concertina. It's a long shot but if anyone has a second-hand one for sale could you please PM me? It had better be in Europe as import duties + shipping fees from elsewhere would push the price too high. Cheers, Dean
  2. I loved the film too (I'm 48). Sadly Shaun doesn't play any concertina in it but this photo was posted in the original post. Surprised someone hasn't used it as their avatar yet. https://www.dropbox.com/s/yj47np5vsruc0cx/shaunsheepconcertina.jpg?dl=0 Cheers, Dean
  3. It looks really good, Jake, hats off to you. I make stringed instruments and admire anyone for taking on the challenge of building anything so mechanically complex as a concertina. I'd like to hear it. Cheers, Dean
  4. Hi everyone, Many thanks for all the really helpful replies. I didn't expect such a prompt response and I now have several avenues to explore. And fair point, Stephen, its probably only quite recently that we've been treating our old instruments so preciously. Its interesting how attitudes change and I suppose many of them were formerly treated as just working tools. In a way, it is a shame to be erasing such traces of an instrument's history. It would be considered bad practice to refinish an old Gibson mandolin for example. My own attitude is that they deserve a chance to remain in good shape and making music for as long as possible. Cheers, Dean
  5. I recently acquired a nice old (1930) Wheatstone Aeola duet concertina in good shape mechanically but in need of some TLC on the casework. The finish has worn through in places and, more seriously, a previous owner has scratched his postcode and initials into the beautiful wood, although thankfully not too deeply. What possessed him to do this is beyond me. Anyway, I'd like to restore woodwork and rebush the holes myself. I've acquired a fair bit of French polishing experience through my hobby of stringed instrument making but have never attempted any ebonizing and was wondering if the experts would care to share any tips? For example, would it be best to use one product for the ebonizing and a normal clear French polish to finish? Or do you recommend a black French polish? I have tried to have a small bottle of Liberon black polish sent to my home in France from England but it is prohibited due to it being flammable. So far, my search for equivalent black polish products in France has only revealed much more expensive products (€47 for 250 ml compared to about €10 for the Liberon polish). You can however buy a separate ebonizing product quite reasonably which can be then finished with clear FP. I'd be grateful for any pointers at this stage and will of course be doing plenty of testing on offcuts before attempting the real thing. Thanks in advance, Dean
  6. Thank you Geoff. Being mainly a player of stringed instruments and a dabbler in the English system, I'm finding the left-hand work really hard but I realise that the only cure for this is practice and time. We'll see...
  7. Thanks Wolf and Stuart. I'm very glad to hear that Bb Maccanns do indeed exist and that this wasn't just a one-off. I don't plan on subjecting the world to my singing, however...
  8. Thank you for your helpful reply, Inventor. I'll avoid making any modifications that aren't required. I was just concerned about having a layout that was so rare as to make it unattractive to potential future buyers. In the meantime, as I play alone, it doesn't detract from the pleasure or prevent me from learning. Dean
  9. Hello everyone and Maccannics in particular, Quite by accident I ended up acquiring a very nice 62-key Aeola Maccann concertina and thought, with some trepidation, that I'd see if I could get to grips with learning the system and then decide whether it would be worth getting the instrument serviced or selling it on. To start with, everything seemed better than expected. I knew the instrument would need a service and cleaning but was pleased to find that all of the notes sounded after a gentle cleaning of the reeds with a strip of paper. Armed with a chromatic tuner, I was pleased to find it was in concert pitch and in tune with itself. BUT, I was amazed to find that instead of starting on C as you would expect with a 62 key instrument, it actually starts on Bflat and goes up through the scale of Bflat major instead of C. This is obviously reflected on the left-hand side. So I now have a few questions. Has anyone else encountered this? Was it perhaps to facilitate playing brass band music? Would it have been done in the Wheatstone factory or as a later modification? Would it be a complicated job to restore it to the more conventional layout? I suppose it's naive to think it's just a question of swapping a few reeds around... And finally (although I think I already know the answer to this question) would it affect the value of the instrument, given that I may want to sell it? Many thanks in advance for any insights. Dean
  10. I've decided to sell my 45-key Morse Geordie Tenor English hybrid-style (accordion-reeded) concertina, after finally deciding to use my limited free time to concentrate on my stringed instruments. Manufactured in 2011, I bought this concertina from its original owner who apparently didn't use it much in the summer of 2013. Since then it has been gently used several times a week and always in my smoke-free home. As a result, it is in like new condition with no damage to the bellows, woodwork or reeds. It is in tune across the full range. Here's the information about the Geordie from the Morse website http://www.buttonbox.com/morse-geordie.html I've been most impressed by the very fast and responsive action, the quality of the reeds, especially those booming low notes and the extremely light weight considering the size (7" across the flats). It comes very well protected in the original hard case. A very impressive instrument in every respect that deserves to be played more. I'm reducing my price to £1,400 or the equivalent in euros, as I'd really prefer to sell on this forum rather than Ebay, although that's what I'll have to do if there's still no interest here. This price includes insured postage from France within Europe. If it is shipped further afield, I'll pay half the postage & insurance although buyers outside Europe will be responsible for paying any VAT and/or import duties that may be due. I'll make a contribution to Cnet if I sell it here. Please PM me if you'd like any more information. Now on hold as of 14/12/2015 - NOW SOLD Thanks for reading. Dean
  11. I'd like to add my voice to the majority of TOTM fans that get a lot out of it without actually getting round to posting anything, for the reasons mentioned by others. I've learnt a lot from other people's submissions and learnt some great tunes that i probably wouldn't have come across anywhere else. I feel a bit guilty for not actively contributing and hope to do so as I improve musically and technically… if it still exists!
  12. The Edeophone is currently on hold pending payment.
  13. Thanks for the kind wishes,Wolf. And you're right, it is a very special sound.
  14. I'm regretfully selling my Lachenal Edeophone treble EC. It dates back to the late 1920s and was beautifully restored in 2013 by Bill Crossland who mentioned that it had belonged to the wife of a Salvation Army missionary working in Cuba in the 20s and 30s. I've had it exactly a year during which time it has been played regularly but cosseted and has never left the house. It has a beautiful tone, is in tune (modern tuning) and looks wonderful with no issues. It has ebonised, French polished ends with no cracks. The bellows have 6 folds and are airtight. It has the original leather case, in poor condition and held together by black tape. I've kept it in a hard case which is not for sale. I'm selling purely to raise money for other projects and also because I feel it needs a better player than me to get the best out of it. I have a second concertina of inferior quality which meets my needs and can't justify keeping 2 excellent instruments. The asking price is £1,600 or the equivalent in euros, which includes postage within Europe. I'm not looking to make a profit and this just covers what I have put into it. Anyone interested who lives near La Rochelle in Western France, or is here on holiday, is welcome to visit to try it out. I can also send more photos and a basic soundfile. Dean
  15. There was another great track on yesterday's show - podcast #83 http://www.mikehardingfolkshow.com/category/podcasts/. A lovely version of Midnight on the Water. Mike's right - this is great stuff and Jody's concertina fits into this old-time style so well. Hopefully this will become a regular spot on Mike's great show. Dean
  16. For anyone that didn't know or might have missed it, Mike Harding featured a track by Jody Kruskal on his folk show last night: http://www.mixcloud.com/mikeharding10/the-mike-harding-folk-show-number-80/ Great to hear some old-time concertina. Dean
  17. Really enjoying these postings and hearing just what the EC is capable of in the hands of an expert. Quite an inspiration. Just curious as to how the arranging process works. Do you start with a basic melody and then work out the chords and counterpoint as you go along - writing it down as notation, or is it mainly improvisation? Thanks again for posting. Dean
  18. Sublime. Listening to this as I start my working day - can't imagine a nicer start. Many thanks! Dean
  19. While agreeing with Wolf and Geoff above, I would also like to put in a word for a modern maker of accordion-reeded concertinas worthy of consideration. I'm far from an experienced player but count myself very lucky to have two great instruments with very different attributes. After starting out on a lovely brass-reeded Lachenal tutor model, I quickly upgraded to a beautiful Edeophone which cannot be faulted for tone, in my opinion anyway. Not long after, when not even looking for another concertina, I came across a used Morse Geordie Tenor at a price I couldn't refuse. I was expecting it to compare very unfavourably with the Edeophone but I play both equally and if I had to part with one of them, it would be a really tough decision, but I think I would probably end up keeping the Geordie. While I will always prefer the tone and looks of the Edeophone, the Geordie is way easier to play in terms of its precise action and amazing responsiveness. The Edeophone has been beautifully restored, but it is just naturally a bit "sloppier" and probably deserves a more skillful player than me. The lower notes on the Geordie are a joy to have too, although I would like a few extra notes in the upper register. Just my 2 cents. Dean
  20. What an amazing instrument. Just out of curiosity, do you have a link to any diagrams of the keyboard layouts ? Thanks, Dean
  21. I too am very happy to read more on this subject. I'm far from exclusively an Irish music player, which is part of the problem as I don't immerse myself in it as I should, but I'm really interested in improving my abilities in the areas discussed above, such as ornamentation and rhythm. Rather than being influenced by Anglo players, though, I'm trying to take more of a lead from some of the excellent button accordion players I've been hearing in groups such as Beogha, Danu and Grada in addition to the more established players like Mairtin O'Connor. For some reason, I find them a bit more accessible, or maybe their sound just suits the accordion reeds in my Geordie tenor better. To answer Chas, yes, I'm trying to work in octaves as well as double-stops in general.
  22. Just finished listening to your album - really enjoyed it. The unusual (to me) combinations of instruments work really well and a great selection of tunes. Well done.
  23. Many thanks, Johanna, very interesting and useful tips. You certainly sound like you know what you're doing to me! Keep posting the clips, please. All the best, Dean
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