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Aldon Sanders

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Interests
    Ukulele, English Concertina, piano, flute, pennywhistle, guitar, mandolin, fiddle. Anything musical.
  • Location
    San Jose, California USA

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  1. I played for a music group that focused on music in California in the 1850s. There were a couple of tunes where I played EC with a trumpet player. The 2 instruments blend remarably well!
  2. I found the harp I asked about in the first post! It's called a Valiha and is the national instrument of Madagascar. Here's some online images: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=valiha&t=samsung&iax=images&ia=images I really want to try one!
  3. I've had a Hugh Tracy kalimba since around 1982. I enjoyed its sound, and enjoyed playing it when I first got it, but it has only been dusted off and left aside for 30 years. It called to me yesterday so I dusted it off yet again, did some tuning, and then spent 3 hours playing around on it. I was amazed at how much more sense the layout made now that I've been playing EC, than it did when I first bought and played it! I have read about an Asian harp that was made of a bamboo tube that had notes that alternated back and forth like an EC; and also just saw a zither type instrument that had the same note set-up (scale goes from left to right). This leads me to the question I have for all of you: Do you know of any other instruments that have their scales set up this way? Also, if you happen to know the name of the bamboo tube Asian harp I'm talking about please let me know what its name is! Thanks! Aldon
  4. Yes. Unless the Wheatstone ledger is wrong, or we're misinterpreting the information.
  5. The buttons are pretty pretty rough. There's no flaking. Just a rough texture that will quickly develop verdisgris if I don't give it a good wiping after playing it. It would be great if they were salvageable. I'll try to figure out how to post pictures here so folks can see. I don't do social media so it might bet a bit of trial and error on my part to get the images up. I'd think that given how much care was taken making this instrument the buttons should be consistent (and so also swapable), but there's no way to know without actually digging into the action. Thanks to all who've responded. You've given my brain something to chew on. I really hope that I can help this concertina be the best it can be. Aldon
  6. I have a Wheatstone Aeola 64 button tenor-treble English concertina with raised amboyna ends. It was made in the 1950s (and according to the Wheatstone ledgers has a twin that was made at the same time). When I bought it (c.1999) it was unplayable with stuck and corroded buttons and non-speaking reeds. I was able to get it playable myself, but eventually sent it to the Button Box to get it refurbished and tuned. At the time Bob thought the buttons were okay and usable. They still are, but the buttons in the most used area (the area that corresponds to the basic 45 button instruments) are still roughish, corroded, and ugly. I'd really like to either replace them, or move the overused ones to the higher register where they'll be rarely touched, and move the more pristine ones from the higher register into the more played area. Is this possible for me to do without too much hassle or is it best left to a professional? I've come to realize more and more how rare and valuable this concertina is. It has a glorious ear-pleasing smooth round tone that I've never heard on any other concertina and plays like a dream. I now consider myself a steward of this instrument - entrusted to play, love, and care for it. The rough feel and look of the most used buttons is the only thing that really bothers me. I'm seeking advice from you knowledgeable people about how to deal with this. All opinions and advice are welcome. Thank you! Aldon
  7. I was so looking forward to being there today, but my ankle had different plans (swollen & sore) so I won't be able to make it. Hope you all have a great gathering! Please share pix & videos! Aldon
  8. Great playing! What's the name of the last tune? It's familiar & I've played it before, but the title eludes me.
  9. The link opened fine for me using Google drive. Thank you for sharing.
  10. The buttons on the beginner instruments do wobble and get stuck, though not as horribly consistenlty as the Stagi instruments do. This is from personal first-hand experience, not a description on a website. The fix for buttons on the Jack, Jackie & Elise that slip under their holes and get stuck: open the action and move the spring of the offending button closer to its mechanism. When the spring slips away from the mechanism it allows the button to move around in its hole and sink down below the hole where it gets stuck. I've had this happen on both a Jackie and Elise. The hardest part of the fix is getting the buttons to line up again so they go through their proper holes while reassembling. Carefully inverting the action (holding it upside down) while not letting any of the buttons fall off their mechanisms lets gravity do the aligning. Then it's a matter of getting the cover back on without disturbing the buttons' positions. I do this with the action still inverted. Aldon
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