arkwright
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Concertina with ostrich decoration on UK eBay
arkwright replied to Daniel Hersh's topic in General Concertina Discussion
And the rider is playing one, too! -
ABC looks complicated!
arkwright replied to SIMON GABRIELOW's topic in General Concertina Discussion
If you were to plot log of frequency of pitch (notes) vs. time you would get something that looks like the position of notes on a musical staff, except for sharps and flats. That's why you have the visual similarity. -
Looking for Maker of this little wooden concertina
arkwright replied to Seusss's topic in Concertina History
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Looking for key to fit old wooden hexagonal case
arkwright replied to arkwright's topic in General Concertina Discussion
Thanks for all comments. As suggested by Ken_Coles and Alex West, I went to a locksmith in my area (Oakland CA). He had a rack of hundreds of skeleton key blanks. One came close to matching, except that the "tooth" was taller and longer than needed, even too tall to enter the keyhole. He ground the tooth down match the existing key, more or less, and the end result is that both keys work in both locks. They are not exact matches, but these are not precision locks. For reference, the final dimensions of the tooth are 0.121" wide (along the axis of the key) and 0.167" high. This is slightly different from the original, because the stem diameters are different, and as Tradewinds Ted said, exact match is not necessary -- the thousandths digit is not significant. The blank he used was Taylor #663. He didn't saw cuts into the tooth; as expected, they are not needed. -
Looking for key to fit old wooden hexagonal case
arkwright replied to arkwright's topic in General Concertina Discussion
Right, if you carry it by the handle (which has torn off in almost all the cases I have seen) it won't stay closed unless it is locked. I have seen a basket of old keys in an antique shop in a town where I will be visiting soon, one of which may fit, or come close enough that I could rework it. Thanks for the lead to horologists! -
Looking for key to fit old wooden hexagonal case
arkwright replied to arkwright's topic in General Concertina Discussion
Thanks, if I can't find a key that fits I'll try that. -
I have two cases, the common wooden hexagonal cases used by Crabb about 1910. The same key will lock them both, but I only have one; looking for another. I would describe it as a tube with one tooth; the stem is about 19 mm long, and in the tooth there are two small cuts. I don't know whether those cuts are necessary for the key to work. There is a pin in the middle of the keyhole, and the stem is a tube so it can be inserted around the pin. Are replacement keys available anywhere? Does anyone have a spare? Has anyone tried to reproduce a key by 3-D printing? Thanks for any help!
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Thank you both!
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I wonder if any recordings exist of Hussey playing the zither banjo after they were back in England. Or recordings of (zither) banjoist playing pieces that he might have played?
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Beginner help - Anglo or Hayden Duet?
arkwright replied to Darabin's topic in General Concertina Discussion
You have also played Harmonica in the past , and you play guitar. On the anglo concertina you should be able to play melodies by ear, and the I , IV, and V chords are not hard to find. If you don't want to be limited to the keys of C and G, gi fior a 30 button. The advantage of the Hayden is that the fingering follows a regular pattern, while on the anglo the system is in a sense arbitrary and irregular. But I would try the anglo first. -
Tobacco card featuring concertina on UK eBay
arkwright replied to Daniel Hersh's topic in General Concertina Discussion
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English Concertina Quartets??
arkwright replied to Connie M.'s topic in General Concertina Discussion
Do you have any music arranged for concertina quartet? It might be possible to round up four people on the internet using some software (which I've heard exists) that allows you to play without a delay in the sound (more information needed). -
Safest shipping option for high value instruments
arkwright replied to Jim Besser's topic in General Concertina Discussion
Nowadays we order so much stuff on line that we always have lots of bubblewrap and styrofoam arriving almost daily. Accumulate a bunch of that. Then use bubble wrap to fill the space between the concertina and the inside of the case. This is so the concertina won't bounce around inside the case. Then get a corrugated cardboard box slightly larger than the case, and stuff styrofoam or bubble wrap to fill the space between the case and the inside of the box. Then get another slightly larger corrugated cardboard box and repeat. Use duct tape as described by others. I think how you pack it is more important than who ships it . I have shipped safely using United Parcel Service in the United States, it was about $42. I would also trust the USPS. Get a tracking number. -
Hindrances to learning in anglo tutors
arkwright replied to tunelover's topic in Teaching and Learning
Have you ever played the harmonica? The 20 button anglo is like two harmonicas, pitched in C and G. Then in the 30 button box, the "farthest from your body" row (or top row) is the sharps and flats (black keys) and some white keys in the other direction. -
Idk if my new concertina is ok - bellows problem
arkwright replied to Cla's topic in Instrument Construction & Repair
Hold it by one end and let the other end descend by gravity. If it moves more than 1 cm per second that means air is leaking into the bellows. But the leak may also be through pads or ends that don't seal well. To locate the leak, try gently squeezing the bellows, with no key open, while holding it in front of your closed mouth. You may feel the air, coming out, that will locate the leak. I suppose you could also use a candle to locate a leak. Then if it is a cheap concertina, you might find some kind of tape or sealing material in a hardware store that might work. If it is a good concertina, the bellows are probably leather and it would be worth finding a repair person who has done this before. -
Thank you both for the answers!
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Does anyone here know what import duties will be charged if an American sells a vintage UK-made instrument to someone in the UK? Some prospective buyers have expressed concern about the added cost.
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Serial Number 19363, made in 1876. This is one octave below the standard English. It is in good tune with itself (G sharp = A flat, etc.). Single action plays on the press only; when you open the bellows, flaps allow instant refill of the bellows. Private message me for more information. In Northern California. See photos, some damage to fretwork. "Double decker" reed pan to accommodate long reeds. Reeds are riveted to frames and screwed to reed pan.
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Sent photos to your gmail address.
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Repair Scholer Leaky Bellows - Airproofing Fabric
arkwright replied to Arno89's topic in Instrument Construction & Repair
In the US there is a brand of paint called "flex seal". I have never tried it but I understand it "dries" to a flexible rubber-like material. (sort of like room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber ), It also comes as a spray. If you had access to the inside of the bellows, you could dab a little inside the leaking corners and that might stop the leak and be almost invisible from the outside. If you don't have access to the inside, you could try painting it on the corners from the outside, or spraying it on. As I say I have not tried this but it seems like something to try if you have no better solution, and if you do try it, I'd be curious to know how it worked. It is rather expensive, though, like $90 per gallon; a spray can seems to be about $13. -
The strangest concertina I have ever seen...
arkwright replied to Tarquinbiscuitbox's topic in General Concertina Discussion
I guess I was wrong! Thanks for the correction. -
The strangest concertina I have ever seen...
arkwright replied to Tarquinbiscuitbox's topic in General Concertina Discussion
I think there are reeds. In the fingerboard there are buttons of a sort so you press the buttons like fretting a string. The buttons are connected to pads so if you "fret" a button then air goes through the reed for that note , which may be hidden inside the body of the fiddle. So if you know the fingering on a fiddle (or for that matter a mandolin) you can play this instrument and move the bellows as if you were bowing strings. I actually saw an instrument shaped like a guitar that worked that way (but no bow, I think it was hand-pumped). Wheatstone may also have made that. -
Thank you!