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Dirge

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About Dirge

  • Birthday 09/17/1957

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    Male
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    I've decided (Jan '14) to back away from all this, or perhaps it backed away from me, but if you have a serious duet question feel free to pm me, and I'll reply when I notice it!


    Strictly Wheatstone ("Maccan") duet, which I came to from piano accordion and piano before that; I'm not particularly a folky, with ambitions to play all sorts of music. The repertoire goes from Tallis to the Beatles, although increasingly these days I'm leaning towards classical music.

    Three-wheeler sports cars as well; not at the same time. That's my 1934 Morgan in the picture, with Hawkes Bay (where I live) behind.

    Perhaps I'm drawn to any mechanical eccentricities, full stop!
  • Location
    Napier, New Zealand

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  1. Hallo Ken, yes thanks music has been the (moderately) constant relief in all the recent tiresomeness. and I'm fine; NZ got away a lot better than most and until recently (omicron) life was close to normal, apart from not being allowed to go abroad. Being on an island in the middle of nowhere has its perks. Cheers Dirge
  2. This has turned up I don't know much about Anglos but I'm guessing this is a good one so I thought I'd better pass the word. There are usually about 2 NZ$ to the £. You may have problems in that Trade Me used to be NZ only traders, (it's our local version of Ebay) but that has been relaxed to some degree certainly Aussies can buy; maybe others these days. I'm happy to help as long as you don't expect me to actually buy it for you on spec'... I have no use for an Anglo, not even one as alluring as this. (and I'm too far away to try it out for you)
  3. Right I shall be back in Somerset in a week or so and would like to have another go at selling this. I have a forum member wanting to try it; she gets first go.
  4. Hallo folks; although I still have the 'box and want to sell it, doing so would be difficult at the moment as it is still in Wells and I am back in NZ. I've decided to leave it until next year. (If anyone is really desperate you'd better email me...)
  5. It's in Wells; but I'm on;ly there until sunday myself. I was going to leave it to deal with next year but if you can get over fairly fast pm me a phone no I'll ring you.
  6. Hallo Wolf; thanks for the good wishes. If anyone is interested in the concertina contact me through the website.
  7. Small at 6 3/4" across the flats but with 7 fold bellows and RH going down to middle C, so a really useful size and range, no. 3981 was fully rebuilt by Mike Acott last year for me but I did not really take to it (spoilt by a diet of aeolas!) so it's for sale for £1750. Donation to Cnet if it sells of course. It's still a bit stiff needing playing in, but ready to go and will benefit from being used regularly. It comes in a tin case made for a German thingy which does give it some pro tection. View/test run in Somerset, but don't leave it too long, it goes on ebay in a few days .
  8. I just happen to have a 71 key Wheatstone aeola available...it's the one I used for many of the recordings I posted here years ago, A special lightweight model, never properly played in since Richard Evans (of Kookaburrah, a duet player) painstakingly set it up. DURAL, not just aluminium, ends and frames and not corroding in any way whatsoever! 71s are the best for grown men. 81s are beasts to heave around for anyone. I've got one and have to admit I use it very little. 67s are perhaps better if you aren't so physically strong but you miss air capacity and the bottom Fs . VGC genuine reason for sale, view in Marlow. I'd better think what I want for it,
  9. If it were mine I'd play it until the alloy framed reeds cause trouble then worry about it. It may happen fairly soon but it may not, and even when one gives up it shouldn't damage anything else. Even then you'll still have the note the other way to finish the piece on.. Most repairers seem to have a store of spare reeds they can simply find replacements from. I'd do your basic recovery (as it sounds like this is part of the fun for you) then hand it over and let them find reeds and a spare button to match and tune it too. If you aim to play it yourself get the holes bushed as well, wood straight on bone rattles like old skellingtons. Wheatstone and Lach used aluminium in some lightweight instruments. Lach' ones (I think particularly the early ones) can corode frighteningly. There was an edeophone on Ebay some years ago that must have been a rather nice instrument once upon a time and coroded shoes had basically written it off. Rather sad. You don't say what notes they are. They may be a mod to add a couple of low bass notes, maybe done at the works. One is probably a D? I have a similar box (mine has brass reeds) and I don't remember a reed in the middle of the bass pan like that. I haven't had to look for a while mind you. You can do a lot with a 46. I have big duets for written music but often pick up a 46 for choice when I'm playing by ear.
  10. I agree. My appreciation of my 46-key Hayden (Wheatstone, sorry John) went up enormously after I spent some time playing the Wheatstone 82 key Hayden that showed up at the Button Box some years ago. I remember describing it (the switch back to my 46) as "like playing a jet engine." OK I think this piece of stupidity does it. Cnet has changed recently; it used to be a very broad church. Now it seems to be concerned purely with rather unimaginative folk music. I don't feel I have anything to offer, or anything to gain, so I'll go and sit in a darkened room for a while instead. Paul, Ken, thank you so much for what was at one stage a real support line; there weren't many duet players but there were at least other concertina players and through you I learnt what they were up to, got in touch with them and have made many real friends. I have got a lot out of it and am grateful. I hope I put something back too. I'm not saying I'm going for good; who knows what may happen, but I think this is quite enough for the moment. Time for a break.
  11. Good that's all right then.
  12. 'Michael Sam Wild'. Usually a fairly lively member. Anyone seen him lately? Is he OK?
  13. 12.08 on the first of the first of 2014 here in NZ and I wish you all a most sincere happy new year. (Just to make those of you in the northern hemisphere sick, I'm still in shorts and T shirt)
  14. Very nice (and very slick!) Randy but it reminds me irresistably of an early John Wayne film; can't remember exactly which but I think the US cavalry are waiting for the injuns to wipe them out tomorrow or something; there's some 'calm before the storm' evening shots and, as I remember it, you must have been playing just like this in the background. (It was probably really a harmonica really but you know how the mind plays tricks)
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