Greg Jowaisas

Woody, If you go to the concertina.net Home Page and click on Buyer's Guide there is a wealth of information (and some opinions) about a number of concertinas and makers. Questions about specific models come up periodically. I'm sure you would get some responses to a particular question. Greg

Wow! I have toyed with the idea of getting a concertina midi for late night practice and the possibilities of sampling. Congratulations to Roy for all his brilliant tinkering and refining. I'm impressed. But after seeing/hearing the John Nixon video I am personally left with some ambivilant feelings??!! Certainly not with John's wonderful playing but... I was seeing english concertina...and I was hearing strings!! I kept checking the settings to see if I was doing something wrong on my computer. The second video where the midi sounds like an organ/calliope was a bit less disconcerting. I have to wonder in the event I got a midi and sampled my old time banjo playing and then had that sound come out of a concertina if I might not lose it all together. Concertina midi owners comments and experiences welcome. Again congratulations to Roy for a job well done! Greg

I like Dirge's suggestion. $400. for the concertina. $200. for bellows. (I would suggest replacing the valves so you get a good idea of the reeds' true response. Material cost $30.) Pads as needed. (Material cost for complete replacement pads $35.) A bit of sweat and table work. Then you can decide if this is a concertina you'd like to live with for a while. If so, get it tuned by a professional. If it turns out not to be the concertina for you, then I would think someone on ebay may answer the challenge for what you have in the instrument. Again, all the above is dependent upon your willingness to do the grunt work and defer playing gratification until the repairs are done. And there is the chance you may miss potential problems that will require additional time and money to repair. Best of luck, Greg Edited to correct faulty math.

Hi Tom, I would ballpark your expenses at around $1000 to have the 30b Lachenal put right. That's assuming all it needs is a tuning, a good set of bellows, pads, valves and perhaps straps. Perhaps your biggest problem will be finding someone to do the work and in a timely fashion. Wouldn't a great set of Rosalie Dipper bellows make it player!? But I've heard rumors that Colin is no longer doing repair. Not sure if Rosalie will make bellows for outside work. The Button Box could fix you up or perhaps Bob Tedrow. David Leese in Wales could also restore the box. The Concertina Connection, Roy Whitely or John Conner might be other possibilities. It will take months to schedule and complete the work. Are you the kind of person who does not mind waiting and then enjoys having a restored classic? Or would you rather be playing and practicing on a different playable 30b that you purchased for your $1500? Your money will be tied up for awhile as the instrument is repaired. Some Lachenals can be world class. Others are only so so. There are no guaranties. But if everthing went right, in six months you might have a good instrument that you might need to spend $2500 to $3000 to buy in playing condition from a dealer or shop. Roll those concertina dice! Best of luck, Greg

Michaelpier, The Button Box has a t/t Edeophone currently for sale that was made around 1895. With their experience I'm sure Doug or Bob could give you their opinion. Greg

Now this one is tougher! http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-German-Concertina-...1QQcmdZViewItem The bellows papers are german but this one really looks very much like a Lachenal at first and even second glance. Thank heavens for the identification stamp on the side of the end. This is getting too tricky for me! From now on you are on your own! Greg PS. On third glance the fretwork is significantlly different than a Lachenal and has a more precise, angular feel to it. But closed up, those bellows....

Check this one out: http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-WOODEN-CONCERT...1QQcmdZViewItem The bellows have more wear and a different end run treatment but the papers and look are consistant with the one you spotted. This one reveals the German/chemnitzer wooden arm action seen through the missing button hole. Greg

Daniel, The bellows are the tipoff to me. 8 folds, a typical German pattern to the papers and a....a chemnitzer feel to the bellows. Not quite as...robust as Lachenal's, although I don't usually associate that term with lower end Lachenal bellows. Anyway, the more German type bellows you see the easier they are to spot. (Now watch the exception turn up on ebay tomorrow!) This was a more interesting one with the fretwork on the sides of the ends. Thanks for sharing. Regards, Greg

Hi Tom, I've reconditioned over a dozen 20b Lachenals. The rosewood ones are on a whole more carefully made with a bit better materials. Brass endbolts that don't rust unlike the steel ones on the mahogany. The rosewood reed pan will almost fill the bellows frame where the mahogany reed pan will be attenuated. Occasionally the action mechanism is better on the rosewood models but more often not significantly so. The bellows are generally stouter on the rosewood model; less prone to wobble and better for the ins and outs of anglo playing. A "good" rosewood Lachenal is going to be a better playing instrument than most mahagony ones. But... That said, better materials do not always translate into better sound. Several of the mahogony ones I've worked on had really good reeds and played quick and loud. They were as good sounding or better than many of the rosewood ones. And I have had the ocassional rosewood one that seemed "tight" where the sound wasn't forthcoming. Another one really deserved a new bellows to have a chance to be a good instrument. All other things being equal I'd go with the rosewood one if the price differential wasn't more than 100 GBP. At more than 100 GBP than a decent mahogony I'd make sure I was getting a really good instrument. Good luck, Greg

Oh my!! This is a self fullfilling prophecy. Dark Templar, Before things get too out of hand, I'd go back and reread Old Nickilby's offer to get together and let you play his instrument. That is a gracious offer. I won't attempt to interpret any hidden meanings or perceived slights I'll just say that my experience is that by and large people who participate in this forum are polite and helpful. Any exceptions are best ignored. I've played music for over 40 years but I am a just a beginner in the concertina world. I would prefer to don a cloak of humbleness and seek help from the knowledgable and experienced rather than set myself on fire with a self rightous torch of indignity and then wonder why no one helps me. You seem like an intelligent, passionate young man (perhaps a bit impulsive?). Give yourself some time and patience to explore the concertina. There are many who post on this forum who can assist. Regards, Greg

Hi Richard, As an individual who took up concertina with great gusto at the age of 53 and who has had to work through joint and connective tissue issues the past 2 & 1/2 years, you have my sympathies. I concur with Jim Besser. Ask the healthcare experts. But be aware that some are more expert and in tune with your problem than others. If you can get a recommendation from musicians (violinists, symphony members) for a physician who treats performing related repetitive stress injury you will have a much better chance of getting a specific diagnosis and practical advice. Physical therapists are amazing people. They are in the healthcare trenches everyday helping people rehab and resume their activities. If you get physical therapy pay attention to what they say and KEEP doing the stretch and exercise regimine they recommend. There are procedures and treatment for connective tissue problems. They all take some time and dilligence. Best to get help sooner than later. Playing through pain almost always makes things worse and recovery longer. Maintenance is always preferable to rehab. Do your stretches, practice with good technique and in shorter duration. Improve your general health and conditioning. Being a musician is being a small muscle athelete. It takes time, training, maintenance and reasonable goals for atheletes to compete at any level. Why should it be different for musicians? I wish you well. You will get better and there are people who can help. Greg

Thanks for the pictures, Dave. The riveted action, larger buttons and post for the palm rest screw are consistent with the Jones I've seen. The fretwork is something isn't it? I haven't seen a Jones exactly like this, but there are more experienced hands (and eyes) out there that might comment. Brass or steel reeds? Are you up for the restoration task?! An instrument like this deserves to be done up right. Best of luck, Greg

Hi DJPH72, Lachenal and Jones made instruments for Campbells. I have a 26b with the Campbells label that was probably made by Nickolds. Pictures of your instrument would be very helpful in determining the maker. In the case of my 26b identification of the maker was made by taking an endplate off and looking at the action mechanism. Give us some pictures and we will try and help. Greg

This link should take you to the cnet discussion and a picture of the cylindrical Lachenal. http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2279 Greg The first link gets you to a picture of the instrument. This second link will take you to the discussion. http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2365 And here is more discussion: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php...wtopic=2272&hl=

nuc, The advice you are getting comes from the experience that cnet members have had in general with these types of concertinas. Usually someone who plays more than six months outgrows the sound and response of these kinds of instruments. In the meantime there is a likelyhood of things going wrong, like sticking buttons, that can discourage even the most ardent of students. We all hope your concertina is the exception but experience says it probably won't be. Before you sink more money into a box that you will probably leave behind in six months I wonder if it wouldn't be better to use it as a practice instrument and take that repair money and start a "next instrument fund"? A decent 20b reconditioned Lachenal might cost $500. USD and be ready to for ANOTHER hundred years of playing! A 30b Stagi at $500 to $650., while not a lifetime instrument, would give you more key choices and probably better performance than reconditioning your current box. There don't seem to be any inexpensive good choices for anglo concertina beginners. Most folks who like the concertina move on to a better instrument as soon as possible. However things turn out I hope you continue to enjoy and play the concertina. Best of luck, Greg

Thanks for your site, Morganna. It is very interesting and fun to read! The updates are welcome here. Greg

Jeff, You are doing great work. I can't wait to hear your arrangement of "Georgia Camp Meeting". Greg

Hello Seosamh, The Wheatstones from the 1950s can be good to mediocre. I had a good one for a couple of years. The good ones are usually mid-level instruments. The other ones I've heard were reasonably loud and had some cut to their sound. I would not describe them as mellow instruments. The action is a hook and lever. Often the reed shoes are screwed to the pan. These are not necessarilly bad points but serve to make these Wheatstones generally of a lesser quality than the top notch instruments made before WW II. A number of these kinds of Wheatstones are coming from South Africa. Sometimes they are modified with 8 fold bellows which can be less than optimium for Irish music. As with any concertina the quality is in the reeds. You may want to check with Vic, the seller, who seems pretty forthcoming. Ask about the reeds and general playability. As I said, the one I played for several years was a good, ttrouble free instrument. By the way, I bought it from The Button Box. Best of luck, Greg

Wow! Very nice presentation. It is going to be a treat to encounter one of these and hear and play it. More choices for concertina lovers! Three cheers! Greg

Hi Brian, Depending on your touring plans and open dates you might want to consider a workshop/concert in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. We have a growing contingent of anglo players who, while devoted to Irish Traditional Music, would support an English style workshop. There is a house concert venue which regularly features Celtic and English Traditional Music and an organization which sponsors stage concerts for folk acts. Email me for contacts. We are 5+ hours driving time south of Lansing, MI. Even if you cannot visit us, best of luck with your tour. Greg

Michaelpier, I see that more experienced people are already at work on this. Yes, a tenor would be 4 notes lower than a treble, and with 48 buttons it would have 4 notes less than a treble at the high end. I will repeat Jim's question and ask why you think it is a tenor? For thoose of you who would like a look at the instrument in question here is a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 Perhaps the 7 fold bellows could point in that direction and I wonder about the 6 & 3/4 measurement which is slightly (3/8 of an inch) larger than another model 17 Aeola that I am familiar with. That they would record the 6 & 3/4 in the ledger is interesting. Is it just me, the photo angle, or does anyone else get the feeling that the horizontal in the pictures are a bit longer than the vertical? If Louise can determine the lowest note on her concertina and let us know, then we can lay all speculation to rest. Greg

Hi Louise, You can find your uncle's concertina in the Wheatstone ledgers by going to the Horniman Museum website: http://www.horniman.info/ Look under the Dickenson section of the Wheatstone ledgers. The concertina is an Aeola which was among Wheatstones best models. 1933, which is when your concertina appears in the ledgers, was during a transition period for Wheatstone. They were in the process of buying out another company, Lachenal, and would incorperate some of Lachenal's features in their concertinas. One of the big differences between the companies was the action mechanism which connects the buttons on the outside of the concertina to the pads inside the ends. Wheatstone used a lever that was rivetted to a post; Lachenal had a lever arm go through a rectangular frame. Another way of describing the difference is: rivetted vs hook and arm. I have a Wheatstone anglo concertina from 1934 and it has Wheatstone's adaption of the hook and arm arrangement. It would be interesting to see which arm system they used in your concertina. Regardless of what kind of action your concertina has, it is a quality instrument built by a prestigious company. It would probably cost in excess of 1500 British pounds to buy a concertina of similar quality today. Are you sure you and your family want to sell such a musical teasure? Is there no one who would like to take the musical journey and learn how to play? Regards, Greg

Hi Lyndall, Apparently you are not the only person who has had this problem with the Stagi. If you go to the cnet. Ergonomics Forum; first page; Post by Ruth Myers. She discusses her solution. This link "might" take you there: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1906 Best of luck, Greg Edited for the usual spelling mishaps. The above link works by the way.

Intuitively I am intrigued. (I promise to go back and try and read as much of the information as I can and use more of my left brain.) I am optomistic enough concerning the potential of the "Thummer" that I would seriously consider: learning yet another system, Wicki/Hayden ; and become more familiar with my computer's ability to enable electronic music. I will eagerly await the critiques of our more analytical community. But I will extend my congratulations to Jim Plamomdon for seeing his dream and this project through to this stage of developement. I hope the "Thummer" is all he hopes it will be. Regards, Greg

In the midwestern USA the real culprit is central heating. When we hit a stretch of cold weather where the temperature doesn't get above freezing for a week or more and nights are in the single digits (Fahrenheit) you can bet that the furnace is running most of the time. Unless your furnace has a means of introducing humidity to the air, all that warm, dry, forced air is drying out everything in the house. That includes your concertina and other instruments. While I think sudden changes are the worst (I once had a skin banjo head split before my very eyes in northern Florida on a rare day when we got a blast of Canadian dry air!) a long dry winter can take a toll. A humidifier in a designated instrument room can help. Bathroom doors open during showers can't hurt. Controlling the instrument's immediate humidity in the case as has been suggested is usually the most practical strategy. Best of luck during a long winter of practice. Greg PS. The desert can be unkind to instruments made in temperate England. I am still trying to straighten out a Lachenal that spent time in Needles, California on the edge of the Mojave Desert.