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Laurence

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Posts posted by Laurence

  1. I bought this Anglo C/G Wakker concertina (listed above) from Stephen a few years ago. He custom ordered it while Wim was still living in Europe. I also bought a couple old Wheatstone concertinas from forum member Ben, at the same time. I bought three because I wanted to compare and see which one I liked best. I sold one of the Wheatstones and decided to keep the other one. This Wakker is available again if someone would like to buy it. This is a high quality instrument and in original condition. It's still like new and everything works great. Between the previous owner and myself, it has probably only been played a few hours. It has great carrying power, but I don't play in sessions, so the mellower Wheatstone suits my needs best. Location of this concertina is in the US. PM me if interested. Asking $4400. There's a demo of this instrument on YouTube. Not sure how to get the link on here, but you can search for the title "For Sale - Wakker Concertina C/G Anglo"

  2. I bought three expensive Anglo concertinas about a year ago, this Wakker and two Wheatstones, just to compare and decide which one I liked best. I resold one of the Wheatstones and spent this last year learning to play, comparing the two, and deciding which one I wanted to keep. Being kind of a mellow guy, I've decided to keep the old Wheatstone because this Wakker is just a little too loud for me. It WILL hold its own in a session though--which I rarely play in.

     

    This Wakker W-A1 C/G Anglo concertina is like new. Made in 2007 while Wim was still in The Netherlands, it was custom ordered with several extras like all leather bellows (7 folds), a drone, and raised ends. According to the price list on the Wakker website, and with all options, it comes to a total of $5600 USD. This one is in perfect working condition and has basically never been played. In fact, it may well be the black W-A1 pictured on his website. With a radial reed pan, metal keys, and finest hand made reeds available in todays technology, it sounds as good or better than any 1st quarter century Wheatstone concertina I've ever played. http://www.wakker-concertinas.com/A-1.htm

     

    Here's a video I made showing the concertina and case.

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR21cxARdew

     

    I don't expect to get full replacement value. Asking $4400 USD + shipping.

    This is what I paid for it from the original owner.

    Message me if interested

  3. A friend brought me the leather bag for his bagpipes, which had a puncture hole in it, and asked me to fix it. I went shopping at the thrift stores for some similar matching leather (often found in the women's purses section), brought it home and cut out a patch to cover the hole. I was surprised how well it worked. First, I sanded the leather on both surfaces, then applied contact cement (stays flexible), then applied a second coat after the first dried, let it dry till it just barely lost it's stickiness, then clamped it for a day and night.

     

    Not sure this works on concertina leather--you'd have to find a clamp with the right reach. If the leak is on a corner or edge, you might have to get creative. But I've seen leather patches overlaid there before...in pictures of concertinas for sale. I would think the outside would be the best place for a patch. Thin leather too so it doesn't interfere very much with closing the folds.

  4. Here's a few links for you to read up on duets--if it is indeed a duet. Duets give the same note pushing or pulling. The lower pitched reeds would be on the LH side, the higher pitched reeds on the RH, like an Anglo. In fact, on one of these links I read that many of these were converted to Anglos.

     

    http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1285

     

    http://www.concertina.net/iv_duetguide.html

     

    http://www.concertina.co.uk/Duet-Concertinas.htm

     

    http://hmi.homewood.net/bnick/duet.htm

     

    I wouldn't sell it, or accept any offers, till you know a lot more about it. Your concertina may be very rare and valuable.

  5. There are about a dozen main venues (most are outdoors)

    That's strange. In the past there have been about 35 different stages with performers/bands changing about every 30 minutes or every hour. The flyer (with map) clearly shows where they all are and who is scheduled to perform at each stage. But I haven't been for a few years, so I suppose things could have changed. Most outdoor stages have an indoor alternative too, in case of rain.

  6. Gary brought his Jeffries over to my house tonight.

     

    I'm not going to claim to be an expert, but I've played about a dozen Jeffries anglos and this one is the real deal.

     

    It seems to be a Bb/F but the reeds are scattered around so that I couldn't find a scale. On each side, some of the high buttons have low notes and some of the low have high notes. A few buttons don't sound. I was unwilling to open it up.

     

    The bellows are original and they are fantastic. The soft leather pulls and pushes better than any I've ever played - just amazing quality. And the bellows papers are right too, beautiful detail with some even wear and, well, grime on them.

     

    The instrument is quite leaky, but it is probably from multiple places like valves and dried out gaskets.

     

    The tone wasn't the Jeffries "honk" I was expecting, but it does sound like steel reeds and brass shoes.

     

    The metal buttons are small and the action could be very fast. I was disconcerted by not being able to play a tune on it!

     

    The case is smooth dark leather, and seems to be the same age as the instrument.

     

    I'd say this is the real thing, and it was a joy to examine it and play it, to the extent that it let me!

     

    Gary, I enjoyed meeting you and your wife. Congratulations on your good fortune, there are many folks who would consider this their "grail."

     

    Ken

    There are pictures of this concertina over on http://theirishconcertina.com/

     

    Ken, looking at the fingering chart for C/G Jeffries concertinas http://www.concertina.info/tina.faq/images/finger3.htm

    I see there are several Bb buttons, and F as well. What if someone switched the reeds around trying to make some sense out of it but had no idea how it should be? What if someone tried to play it left handed? What if this Jeffries doesn't have the "honk" you'd expect because some of the reeds are not in the right chambers, or don't fit the slots correctly? Just wondering about some possiblilities...

  7. Even though the reed pan is referred to as a soundboard, it doesn't really function as one. Then, the choice of wood (sycamore vs. mahogany, etc.) is mostly for stability purposes and changing moisture/temperature conditions so it doesn't move or crack. I wonder if kevlar or carbon has been experimented with...metals like aluminum would expand and contract too much thus pinching the reed frames during hot weather. Speaking of that, it must be for some other purpose that the shoe touches the wood along the sides of the slots at the toe and the heel, but is left loose in between. I assume then that the tone and volume is produced in the reed chamber and responds according to material used there and on the end plates...perhaps even the shape of the end plates. And here I thought that raised ends were meant for people with short fingers!

  8. So, this begs the question. What is the wire made of that's used for springs? All steel "music wire" is tempered, right? Steel is an alloy, right? Iron and a whole bunch of other metals including aluminum and titanium. But how much? Adding more tin or phosphor, perhaps even a little copper...would this prevent a wire from being tempered for adequate spring strength, or giving it adequate resistance? BTW, if musical instrument wire is used, such as autoharp mentioned at the top of this thread, it's probably best to avoid "used" strings, right? They've been stretched and thinned probably?

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