Stephen Selby

I can't answer directly; but I've got a lot of Lachenal salvage material : buttons, levers, reed shoes/reeds (mostly brass but some steel).

Indeed. Thank you!

Somewhere during the last month I saw an advertisement for an e-book about how to play old-time ad bluegrass fiddle tunes on the concertina. I even downloaded the free sample. Now I can find neither my download nor the advertisement. Can anyone help me?

I think they had plain black straps with parallel edges, impressed with an indented (uncoloured) line about 4mm inside each edge on the outside face. That is from a relatively late model around 1915-1920. They may have varied over time.

Looks great. Remember to cover with a matte paper lacquer.

I had blocks made (at considerable expense) and had them done by gold leaf hot stamping. (Not real gold). US$32 for a pair, plus shipping. Rather expensive, but I need to try and recover the cost of the blocks.

130g. From Der Kunstladen. Colour No. 53804. A4 size. Chlorine-free.

Here is a sample of the gold blocked wrist straps for the Maccan (only).

I have new wrist straps for this model.

Lachenal_L_Papers.pdf May also be useful. Print in black onto gold A4 paper.

Yes, This is the wrong forum. Can we move it?

I have a good maker's mark scan for Lachenal. Can be printed using a 'sepia' printer setting and then varnished over. If your Maccann system is a Lachenal, I have excellent gold blocked reproductions of the old wrist straps with the patent number.

I'd be happy if this discussion could continue. I suspect that quit a lot of Members have miniature (7cm diam.) concertinas but don't play them because of the difficulties involved. I'm just starting out and I'd like to share 'tips and tricks' and learn from others. I don't think it matters what system - English, Anglo or Maccann - is used, the issues are the same: shortage of breath. My system is English, 12 buttons, g'' to b''' pus a c-sharp and f-sharp. First observation: it's worth spending time practicing how long you can hold a note by bellows control. e.g. at 60 bpm, can I hold for two or even three beats? If I can't, are there leakage problems? Or is it just inadequate bellows control? Second: no point in developing a style which copies chording on bigger instruments. My personal feeling is that I should emulate mouth-whistling of pretty tunes by people who can do it well. With practice, I can get a bit of vibrato in. Third: there are masses of tunes within one octave: not just Scottish pipe tunes but also English fiddle tunes and Northumbrian tunes. I have to transpose many of them. I'd like to hear opinions and recordings from anyone who would like to share techniques.

Bastari is a well-known brand for low-cost Italian concertinas. Many beginners have been happy to start off with them. Internally, they are not like the 'classic' antique concertinas such as Lachenal and Wheatstone. The insides are made in a completely different way. They are made with accordion parts, and without a separate chamber for each reed, they sound very different from the 'classic' concertinas. Enjoy learning with this concertina, then upgrade to a 30-button 'classic'!