wunks
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Posts posted by wunks
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Nicely played. I'd slow down a bit and thin out the infill. The tempo and aggressive ornamentation create a bit of a calliope effect. I think of these as somewhat pensive tunes that should flow more.
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For a different session format consider each player featured once 'round the horn. See Jeff and Ilean's session ; "Brilliancy" on Utube. Brings those old favorites back to life! Adds a little nudge to play out as well.
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If the lead in were Fanny Power, Da Slocket Light, My Cape Breton Home or Westphalia Waltz, would you object to following with one of the myriad beautiful English traditional tunes?
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That makes sense. I was thinking of "other" old pitch references below A 440 but now I read Philharmonic old pitch came in around 1890, probably close to the time of build for this instrument. Testing against my piano however, C sounds to my ear dead on C# or ever so slightly above (C being determined on this by the corresponding button on the Wheatstone). Maybe it's purposely tuned to C#. I seem to remember something about some concertinas being tuned this way. Might make it good for Horn Keys, Jazz etc.!
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Thank you gentlemen. The size is still a mystery but Wheatstone (others?) made some Jeff Duets. I'm taking them both out to the Button Box for evaluation soon and I'll get some pics' with serial #s and any other internal marks.
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I'm confused as to the relationship between size and scale. I have two Jeff Duet pattern instruments both 52 button. The Jeffries is 6 1/4 inches across the flat and pitched somewhere around C#. I'm guessing it's in old pitch centered on D. The other is a Wheatstone 8 1/2 inches centered on C. The smaller one actually reaches lower on the scale (including the outlying thumb key, although that's not the lowest note). while the larger has more overlapping notes in the center. Both have the same tone range. Is the Wheatstone a Baritone because of its size? If not, why would it be so big. the finger pattern is not more spread out, and it's not louder than the Jefferies. It has 7 bellows folds. The Jeffries has six. Custom built for some reason?
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Just something about airiness; as a dance fiddler I agree with most of what's been said about bowing similarities but my breathy Jeff Duet allows more gusto and variation when played in the middle of the bellows range than my Wheatstone of the same pattern which I find too tight to really rip into a tune. Maybe I'll try working the air button a bit to free things up.
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As a note of possible interest, I've come across a Lachenal 48 key that's small in the other dimension; It has only four bellows folds and fits snugly in it's original case. Is this common?
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Hello. This is my first post here. I recently acquired a 48 key Lachenal English from a friend who is a luthier. It's been sitting in his shop for several years and is apparently in original condition. It's a bit rough but not tampered with as far as I can tell and looks to be a fairly easy restoration. The bellows look quite nice, it leaks a bit round the ends and some of the buttons need ring felts and re-seating. My friend had one end off and the reeds and felts looked intact. Because of the air leakage I can't really tell the condition of the reeds and I don't want to monkey with it or force it. One fretted end (rosewood?) has fine cracks through the finger and thumb strap locations and those fittings are missing on that side. it's in it's original box. I play Jeffries duet system on instruments acquired in London in the 70's. One is a Wheatstone centered on C and the other a Jeffries that is either C# or D old pitch. Rather than invest in a restoration of the Lachenal and learn a new system or try to sell it, I'd rather trade for another Jeff Duet. Few people seem to play them so perhaps someone is in the opposite situation and wanting an English. I'd also consider a swap for a Bass au Pied ( bass for the feet) My fingers are tied in Knots from the Duet so why not my toes? Feel free to make inquiries. I'll probably leave the ad up for a while to see what (if anything) pops up. I'm located in upstate NY.
Lachenal English Dating Evidence
in Concertina History
Posted
It's a dark and stormy night, no one home but me (and the pups, the cat, the rabbit, and the horse) so I braved the autopsy of a Lachenal English I got from a luthier friend who was cleaning out. It's stamped #21153 on all parts which I guess would date it around 1878. It looks the same as the one above with box but four fold bellows.