Noel Ways

Here's another one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNsk9yHDjKg SHEER FUN !!!!

I found an intersting video that uses a novalty button. Not sure if it is a cock crowing or a baby cry. Any thoughts? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9IpixipbN8 If anyone out there has additional examples, please do post. Thanks !!

If you have not heard this, fasten your seat belt first !!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFUTmiij1J4

Hi, I have been using this humidifier for several seasons and find it excellent. If you have a questions whether it will fit in your case, just give them a call, if interested. https://humistat.com -Noel

A special stand for that special instrument: http://www.misterstandman.com/woodstain2.htm

Dean, Wim has a nice trade in program where he will give you the full purchase price for the instrument if you upgrade to a professional model. I imagine that this would include trading up to get an English. Just a thought. You might be able to get a great concertina for a very reasonable price this way. The Concertina Connection web site explains the trade in program. http://www.concertinaconnection.com/ Noel

Has Inventor posted any youtubes?? I've looked and looked, but alas, find none. I'll keep looking, though ....

I had put together a document with which to make some flash cards to fix in my mind primary chord options for each note - sort of like the times tables of way back when. What just caught my eye is that the mathematical patterns for primary chords associated with each note are all identical. I thought it was intriguing. If interested, I posted the file here: http://www.noelways.com/Concertina/Chord%20Study/Chord%20Study.pdf

Please listen carefully to everything written above !!I I think we would all go into mourning, if you attempted anything yourself. The previous posts are wisdom speaking, borne out of years of experience by seasoned concertina players. You are one lucky person to come across such a concertina.

I get this with the changing of the humidity with seasons. At this point, I just wait it out and attempt to regulate humidity within the case. It always works out for me. It is a seasonal phenomenon, and although frustrating at time, it always works out.

Don, thanks for the tip. 6 3/4 " is workable for a backpack. I just put a bid on one of those - we'll see. I'm now determined !! If it works, I'll start another forum. If it doesn't, well, I know it can - just try again. Your not a grinch, your the silver lining of the cloud. Hope you got my email earlier. Got to get back to work, this has been way to consuming !! PS, what do you think of the following from previous post: " ... the fact one could make a limited Wicki/Hayden with no more effort than an Anglo might encourage one of the Anglo makers to do so and increase the choices of Wicki/Haydens available." - rlgph http://www.noelways.com/ANG_HAD_05.jpg

!!!!! YES !!!!! " ... the fact one could make a limited Wicki/Hayden with no more effort than an Anglo might encourage one of the Anglo makers to do so and increase the choices of Wicki/Haydens available." - rlgph http://www.noelways.com/ANG_HAD_05.jpg

Goals to this project • Keep it SMALL • Keep it INEXPENSIVE • Anyone can do it using "cheepo Anglo" and Accordian Reeds from ebay (or where ever) • Keep if FUN • Protect one's primary Hayden Instrument from adversity.

Good point. I had an Elise for a few years. Do not want to do back to that again - for lots of reason; further it is too big. The goal is a small compact inexpensive traveler concertina. If I do this I would look for a concertina 5-6 inches across the flats. Perhaps it would be only 20 buttons. One can find them readily, and accordion reed are likewise readily available on ebay.

http://www.noelways.com/ANG_HAY_04.jpg Perhaps. But if Wim were to do this, it would be expensive, and in this case one should just buy a Peacock. I wonder if Wim would even consider it !?!? The goal here is a do-it-your-self inexpensive "hayden key layout" on some cheepo Anglo, that one would not mind backpacking with or playing in the rain !! Or don't mind taking to such places as Bogotá, Colombia !!, Remember the context of this forum. Matt Vanitas, who started this forum, already has an excellent hybrid Hayden Concertina, but he does not want to take is much beloved Baumount to such places as Bogotá, Colombia; so his goal here is to acquire a very inexpensive hayden concertina that he is comfortable having in such places. My interest here is that I like to hike in the forest and would like to have a inexpensive concertina to carry in my backpack. I have a Peacock, and I do not want to cart my much beloved Peacock where it might start to rain !! Anyone out there willing to try it ?? I'm giving it some serious thought ....

With some trepidation, here is another image which I think far better shows what I am thinking about. I note that I can also play many tunes with just the first two rows !! Therefore, a 20 key Anglo, could certainly be used. I confess, I have never touched an Anglo concertina in my life, but I think, I hope, that this image correctly shows the way the Anglo keys are and how I think reed arrangement can be adjusted to make a very inexpensive, do-it-yourself, Hayden type concertina for travel / compact purposes; using, perhaps, a Stagi or other inexpensive Anglo concertina and getting a hold of some accordion reeds. Hope this helps somebody somewhere ... Matt ??

Hmmm, good point! OK, how about this arraignment: http://www.noelways.com/conc_03.jpg One could still play in several keys, and keep the all important uniformity of the Hayden Key Layout in tack. I think I could work with this, in a pinch; and Matt is in a pinch at the moment...

Matt, I have been giving your questions some thought and was wondering if you have considered contacting a concertina maker (they all make Anglos), and ask for a rearrangement of the reeds for an anglo to look like the image below. I believe that most concertina makers are fine with changing notes/reeds. I also note that Button Box has a Stagi with a very minor curvature and the buttons seem parallel to the hand rest. I bet they might be able to do this for you, and if they aren't, I bet you could do it yourself. I have been giving some serious thought about trying it, as I would like a very small concertina that would fit into my backpack when I go hiking, which I do frequently. Also, this arraignment would allow for the playing in at least four keys http://www.noelways.com/conc_01.jpg If you wanted an even smaller concertina, a 20 key anglo, could probably work as well, but it might have some limitations. Below is the link to view the Stagi concertinas. Note keys are "parallel" to hand rest: http://www.buttonbox.com/concertinas-in-stock.html#anglo

Another interesting concertina jewelry piece: http://www.sterlingcharms.co.uk/chim-accordion-sterling-silver-charm.html Alex, have you given any thought about a small supplemental business?

I recently purchased two more of these so I now have three, so that when it gets real dry I'll have several going. It's probably better to have more control this way. Also, it may make a difference having the water touching the felt and not just having the water on the bottom of the tube so that the vapor can make it's way into the chamber - In other words, have it on it's side or "upside down". Perhaps David might be willing to add to this post at this point ?? -- I'll ask him ... Oh, one more thing, if your case is not air tight, you will need to add more humidity to compensate for loss.

Hi Matt, I am not a concertina construction expert, by any means; but I know that sound boards may be of • good quality ply wood (button box concertinas for example) These are far more humidity resistant than: • solid quarter sawn wood (concertina connection) Note, if you do get a solid wood sound board that will be attached another piece of wood that will serve as the action board, you will want to make sure that the grain of the two boards is going in the same direction. My Peacock has the two solid wood boards going in two different directions. And it is that way on both sides, which predictably causes hugh changes in the instruments performance; and has therefore led me to do much research on climate control in order to keep the instrument playable. If you get an instrument build for you, ask to have the grain of wood for action board and sound board go in the same direction. In this way, they will expand and contract together and there will be less or no difference as air becomes more dry or less so. Hope this helps.

Roger, It is very simple, just open the closure and put water into, now replace the closure. Place the device into the concertina case in a place where there is room to fit. You will see well enough when it is time to put more water into it. I ordered mine directly from the company that makes it. You can do it from this link here: http://www.humistat....tat_Model-1.htm Best to you...

Hi Doug, I use humistat #1. That's a good point, I will edit my comments above !! The larger one might work just fine as well, but it was not a product option a year ago when I got mine. If you email the president of the company (David C. Berliner), he is very prompt to reply to all questions and comments !!

I have been using this excellent Humidifier (Humistat #1) made by the Humistat Co. for a year now, and have found it to work wonderfully: http://www.humistat.com/Humistat_Model-1.htm If you don't have a way to add some moisture to your concertina this winter, this is an nice investment. It does not leak. Made in USA. Inexpensive. Fits nicely in the case. And it works!!

Look closely at the first concertina at the link below and you will note BOTH doomed and flat buttons. The doomed are C and E. Everything else are flat buttons. The reason that I did it this way is to have a system help me know where I am on the keyboard. (the concertina shown is the one I had purchased and use). http://www.concertinaconnection.com/peacock.htm Therefore, every song I play, day after day, year after year, I am using both. So what is the difference - not much !! But there are some slight advantages to both. Rounded: when I have a finger on one button, but am going to need that same finger play another note (but not interrupt the sound playing), I will need to quickly replace the finger with another. A rounded key makes this transition easier. Flat: When it is hot out, and one's hands begin to get a bit sweaty, the moistened fingers can more easily slip off of rounded keys than flat keys. Regarding using both way I did in the image shown, this has been minimally useful for navigation purpses, but I do think it looks nice. And I do suspect, if I really trained myself, it could be much more useful as a navigation tool. If I were FORCED to choose one over the other, I would probably go with flat keys as my fingers will be more apt to on the keys and not slip off. Hope this helps.