HansiRowe

My Anglo has now sold...

Hi Guys I've decided to sell my lovely Anglo… I've enjoyed playing it but I've returned to guitars and ukuleles, and I find that I can only devote myself to one type of instrument, so I've decided to sell it. You all know this Anglo but I'll run through the spec... Rosewood ends, bone buttons (20), serial number 87119 which has been dated 1885 by Randall Merris, 5 bellows, new straps. Purchased from Barleycorn in September 2014. Bellows, reeds & valves all in good condition. No cracks, leaks, or damage anywhere. It didn't come with a case but I purchased a rather interesting box for it, which, depending on location, I would include free. I am selling it much cheaper than I purchased it for, just £360 Contact me for more photos

Thanks Alex, Peter, and Chris… yes, exactly! I guess what I meant to write is… keeping it cool is one thing easy but combating the lack of humidity is something else completely the difficult part!

Down here in West Australia we have the same lack of humidity problem but during summer, caused by the extremely dry heat… I have had wooden picture frames hanging on the wall that have 'sprung' a corner and warped so much that they have ended up twisting out as far as 12 inches from the wall. I have a lot of books and many of them end up with curled up pages… it's a big problem. As it cools down the pliable objects, like book pages, return to their flat position, but if a wooden object cracks, or glue melts, etc. then one is in all sorts of trouble! Most music shops here sell tiny humidifiers that sit inside instrument cases, and for a few dollars more you can purchase a gauge that lets you know the amount of humidity inside the case and when to top the humidifier up with water. The big problem is when you take the instrument out from its case… as my old Lachenal came over from the UK and hasn't experienced the Australian summer heat yet, I am very worried about how it will react. Most houses have the air conditioning going full blast throughout the summer and, although the rooms are cool I'm not sure if the air conditioning provides any humidity or not… I don't think so. Usually, when the sun starts to go down in the evenings the houses begin to crack and creak as they cool down, even heavy pieces of furniture expand and contract with audible creaks as the temperature rises or falls… I wonder how those early settlers from Europe managed with instruments that they brought over with them? There are many photos showing early settlers playing out in the 'bush' or sitting around camp fires… they surely must have had all sorts of problems? I'm going to try and keep my concertina in the coolest and most stable room throughout the summer months. I only play at home so I'm hoping this will help keep the concertina at a fairly constant temperature… keeping it cool is one thing but combating the lack of humidity is something else completely!

Wow…! Stunning… way out of my price range but it doesn't cost anything to look, dream, and drool….

Hi Alex… wow, this one could be a touchy (pun intended) subject! Anyway, here's my humble opinion and how I personally interpret 'hand-crafted' when I see it written on an object… For me (very important to keep aware of that!) the term 'hand-crafted' has the feel that an item has been made without the use of power-tools, that each tool has been powered and guided by hand. I feel that the moment a power-tool is used the item in question looses that certain 'innocence' or 'purity' that most people still, perhaps romantically, associate with the term 'hand-crafted'. Go to a crafts fair and it's written everywhere… on candles, wooden fruit bowls, woollen socks, woven underpants, etc. etc. people love it, it conjures up images of crafts people bravely hanging on by their fingernails to something that's disappearing from our world. it's part of our heritage and we don't want to loose it… it means someone actually cared about the item they made by hand… no doubt this term is sometimes misused, either mistakenly or maybe even dishonestly, but it still gives most people a warm glow inside, so do we really care if it's 100% hand-crafted or just parts of it… speaking for myself, I care a lot. How, or where though, can one draw the line? For example, the Queen Elizabeth was put together by hand but I don't think it could be classed as 'hand-crafted'… at least I wouldn't class it as such. I really like your term 'Crafted in England with Care'… 'crafted' still implies care was taken, hands were used, love was imparted, etc. but it allows the freedom to use tools, either the powered variety or the hand pushed and turned variety… and I for one, would be extremely happy to purchase a concertina from you if I read 'Crafted in England with Care' written on it... Okay, those are my thoughts Alex, but I would just like to add that I think it's really nice that you care so much about this...

I have a nice CD called 'Christmas with Dickens'… Festive music from the life and works of Charles Dickens. Here's a list of the songs...

"Mine is B push/C pull as well, so it isn't all that rare." Thanks Ted… well, that makes at least three of us, I wonder how many others have the B/C set-up? Actually, the B/A set-up means that there are 5 As on the pull, including the 2 right hand ones, so maybe that extra C instead of an A isn't such a bad thing… reducing the As to 4 and increasing the Cs to 3 on the pull...

"For some reason my 20-button Lachenal has the left hand #6 button as "B" push and "C" pull" Mine too Gary… ! I hadn't noticed that before as I haven't had to dig down that deep on the G row yet… any ideas why our Lachenals should be set up B/C? All of the fingering charts that I've seen show the B/A configuration…

What I meant to say Gary… in Weeping, Sad & Lonely in bar 9, I have to break up that beautiful, long 1 drone by playing 10 on the push, and then continue the drone for the 3-1-9-2 run on the pull. It's a shame to have to do this as that long, deep drone is wonderful… at least when you play it! I'll have to save that long note for the day I upgrade to an extra bellows-fold or two...

Sehr schön gesungen Ruediger, und so ein tolles Lied… (= very nicely sung and such an amazing song)…

Thanks Rod… that'll be the day to break out the champagne…! I just wasn't sure if finding easier, alternative notes and ways around tricky passages was the accepted way. I feel now as if I have been given the green light to go ahead and do my own thing… within reason, of course! Cheers, John

Thanks Mike… yes, two months is absolutely nothing at all and I'm not impatient, I'm really enjoying learning and discovering something new each day… as you say, it's a tricky instrument but very rewarding. Thanks very much for the run-down on the position of the duplicate notes... Cheers, John

.."a music oriented science fiction convention.."! Uh… !

Thanks very much Gary… yes, this does help a lot with the shortage of air although, playing 10 & 9 on the pull instead of the eighth note couplet of 2 &1 on the push doesn't sound quite as nice as the original 2 & 1 over the 5 & 3 drone… I guess it's one of those situations where playability just has to be the main factor. I like that 10 pull alternative in bar 8 as well, and gives some much needed air in preparation for bars 9 &10 on the push… thanks so much for working this out for me, I really appreciate that. That 10 pull is also a good place for me to practice using the air valve while simultaneously playing the note... In 'Weeping, Sad & Lonely' 1st bar, I have changed the left hand 10 push for right hand 2 pull, stopping the drone while pulling and then continuing the drone for the 2-1-5-4 run down… this just about gives me enough air to complete that whole first phrase, the same again in bars 5,9, & 21 Bar 13 is okay as it already has the 3 on the pull… The 3rd bar D7 chord using 4 fingers is a bit of a challenge at the moment and needs some more practice to hit all the correct buttons. I love the little run between left and right hand in bar 9, so simple and yet still catching me out… I'll get it eventually! This is such a beautiful and haunting tune and one of my all time favourites... Thanks again Gary for all the time you are taking in helping me out… cheers, John