Notemaker

I have tried to copy a description plus 2 photos but not sure how to? Can you see this please. Your posting and advertizement are just fine :0) My 2009 updated Windows 8.1 Pro computer got and displayed your Word Doc quickly and easily, BTW thank you for taking the time to make such an excellent presentation. You might consider advertizing also on Ebay to get the best bid for this item! It appears to me to be far in excess of US $8,000.00. But, best of luck however you sell it. I could never justify spending that much on anything except a new vehicle!

@Market pumpers. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wheatstone-C-G-40-Button-Anglo-concertina-/251638522719?%C2%A0 Item relisted several times and never a bid. Seriously gentlemen your sore spot is the collapse of the trade in 'this' old stuff! Old cars and such go to scrap yards, hint hint.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. However I do not think, today, with fallling attendance at sessions, and the collapse of audience interest in Celtic music, that prices are as high as you publsh. In fact I simply do not believe that anybody in their right mind would part with several thousand dollars for something old and in the bad condition shown. In additiion if I were to be parting with that much money I would buy a new item which is not full of old dust and the dieseases which thrive in it. Indeed the flood sale of high end models here, Jefferies etc, from the heart of the Celtic boom in Concetina playing, Co Clare ireland by some heavy weight sessionistas, leads me to conclude that the shakers and movers in this game are jumping ship before the storm. I wager in a few years you will not be able to give away any of the old stuff except to antique collectors. Buying new or not at all!

Is this for real? I see the same photos on Ebay for a long time !

Thank you all for the replies. As for the irish Stuff, I do fair bit of it but I love Morris dance music just as much. I guess I like all Concertina music. Now I will be looking for a D/G which is not too expensive :0)

I am getting very very confused! I now see Anglo players turn up at sessions with both C/G and D/G Anglo Concertinas. I can appreciate the need to use the D/G for some tunes in D, Irish tunes are often a little tricky on the C/G, but is this a common strategy? Are players now using both boxes because playing D tunes on a C/G is too hard to do, or taking too much time to learn? I see some old timers out here galloping away on harder Irish reels, Wise Maid and similar, on the D/G. Is this a trend? Should I stop learning the cross row method and go back to push and draw Melodion style for harder Irish tunes in D and so on? Thank you in advance. :0)

A lesson or so into a teaching stint has brought to my attention the dearth of Tabs for Anglo Concertina. And sure there are some in books already out there, but on the internet nearly nothing. How about a website of Tabs like the ABC websites? Thank you.

Don't be so sure. My understanding is that ornaments are generally done similarly on the various stringed instruments. (That's what I tend to copy on my English.) Also on flute and whistle, with the exception of which "note" to use for cuts and the cut part of rolls. But on anglo concertina, the selection of the notes comprising a named ornament -- and in some cases even the number of notes comprising the ornament -- is frequently (usually?) quite different. I don't see why. Aren't those springs made of steel? Well yes they are, but in my case, and perhaps it may be due to the climate here, the springs tend to break. Just yesterday one broke and I had to make and fit a replacement! BTW I form my replacement springs from custom Guitar string wire, in this case I wanted a stiffer press so I selected a 19Th string. With care one can get several springs from one string. Here in the US i buy the strings for $1 each :0)

Yes, I'd like to know what you mean by "horrible" ? I use both Bs and they both sound great. Also, on anglo I often think it's nice to have a pull B and push E on the C row. Also, if I really wanted to play push B on the G row followed by a push E on the C row, I'd probably use my pinky for the push B and middle finger for the E. You can borrow fingers, it's "legal" and not that hard ;-) Without adressing any other replies, what sounds so horrid in my case is having to quickly go from push to draw to get B on the RHS C scale. It just sounds too abrupt and harsh. But if I could use the LHS G scale / C scale E minor chord buttons it comes out smooth and sweet. And becuase my fingers are bigger than most I cannot put them all three on the LHS buttons needed for the chord. I still imagine, then, that a mechanical lever on another finger row, eg 1, would make it possible to quickly play the E minor chording passages which now cause me to use the RHS C scale draw note B.

I have been trying to get some tunes on my 30B Anglo, and discover that there is a dearth of the notes B on low side, and it so just happens that the one on the G row makes me chop to get an E off the C for my pharse, B-E-G.. So Ok, I get the B off the other end on the draw ( C scale). It sounds horrible! I wish I had a button to press the low side B but not in the same line as the existing one. Moved down or up but off the second finger. One common tune I like in E minor is "The Drunken Sailor" but there are loads of dance tunes in E minor and D major. I don't want to switch reeds out or anything radical, I imagined I could make a remote button on the outside of the concertina which would press the B button but with another finger. I have seen this sort of arrangement on other instruments such as the saxaphone and boheme flute. So I do not think this is impossible to do, however complicated the engineering might be. As a general rule I would not want to do the same to every key that causes the problems outlined, but would like to try it for those combinations which keep recurring. Any suggestions welcome.

I didn't have that problem with the Jackie's I've tried, though single-hand ornaments are unusual in my playing on the English. But I don't recall others complaining about that problem on the Rochelle. (Let's see what responses this gets.) Have you contacted Wim Wakker to ask whether it might be a correctable problem? Thank you for replying. Well you are correct, it should, in most cases, not be a problem. However I have an early model which is approaching renovation and there are several little things that need fixing. After I posted my reply I was compelled to take off the ends and explore the source of the 'popping' button. It turned out to be nothing more than the end of the offending button lever snagging on another lever, so on random occasions it would click off the other lever up and push the button off the spike. When the offending lever end was bent away from its neighbor the problem ceased. As for the embellishments, I can do them easily almost on everything else that I have, Fiddle, TW, and to some extent on t Greek Bouzouki ( fiddle tuning ), so I know HOW to make the sounds on Concertina, however I suspect that very soon I would have many broken springs from the rigour of rapid repitition on them.

I have not managed to easily play single hand decorations on my Rochelle, but if I go end to end using two hands I can do it. On one end sometimes the buttons pop out and lock off the stem if I try to press too fast, then I have to stop and wiggle the button back on its stem. Still it is not a deal breaker since I have learned loads of tunes in D and G on the Rochelle, including some ugly fingerings, like D minor, and such without having to pay high dollar for the opportunity of playing Anglo Concertina. Later when I can figure a way out to justify spending a small fortune on a better model I can then proceed with exploring the embellishments possible on a more solid action. From my experience with the Melodion I can testify that the better quality action makes adding decorations very easy, as opposed to on a lower quality action where it is almost impossible.

Please tell me about 'extra notes and reversals' ? Thank you :0)

Has any one ever tried to add a D row of notes to the 30 button Anglo? That is make it into a 40 button Anglo. My idea is to add the D row behind the G row thus creating a much easier way to perform in E min, D maj, B min etc. I took the time to see if I could reach across the existing 3 rows on my instrument. I can easily do it! I guess my hands are a bit longer than some. Also I notice there are other types of Concertina with more than 3 rows, so I don't think there is a technical reason other than making the body bigger to accomodate the extra 20 reeds.

I am hopefully upgrading to another model by Wakker. Tuning layout is C/G Complete with original instruction book, gig bag etc. ( Gig bag is pretty worn, might consider getting a new one for it ) have had it over 6 years. It is very well played in. There is a little air loss but the action is remains solid and excellent for cross row work. I mess with English folk dance Morris and Celtic mostly. I have played it in C, D, G and a bit in F. So most of the reeds are loosed out and well exercised. Originally set up by Wim Wakker the tuning is solid and as sweet as the first day I played it! I must say that this in an excellent beginners instrument! I would like $340ish for it. But because I live in S Texas perhaps a local sale would work better for you if you live down here ? Then you can try before you buy etc.