Mike Pierceall

Dean, for jazz or contemporary music I start with the melody line and then add harmonies. I try the piece in different keys until I find the best match and then I add the bridges and other ornamentation. There is a lot of editing. I typeset the music. I can play it straight off the page or improvise here and there. I work with certain time constraints so not every recording is going to be a polished performance, but I'm okay with that.

I think you'll find a number of concertina players here who play jazz as part of their repertoire. I play the English concertina, so my arrangements are to suit.

Or here on Soundcloud

Something new I've been working on here:

Try your local model train shop and see if they carry tubes of phosphor bronze wire. A tube contains about 12 pieces, each about 8 inches long and costs about $2.50US. Also Tichy Train Group has a web site, and they are a supplier. It comes in different gauges. I use .025.

I am reminded, of course, of Lea Nicholson's production of the 4th Brandenburg Concerto in 3 parts from his concertina album. The 3rd part, the solo, is my favorite.

A very short film I made in commemoration of the lives lost on Empire Day in 1913. Sound track is my version of Roslin Castle, played on a 2007 Holmwood trenor-treble concertina, made by Hamish Bayne. The film is here:

Sadly, they're my best feature

Here is a nice little jazz standard, published in 1932, titled "My Silent Love." I'm playing the Wheatstone Aeola.

I would second Greg's recommendations. I use a very thin feeler gauge to clear filings and use a magnifier to examine the edges of the reed to rule out any burrs that may have formed or alignment issues.

Very good, indeed!

Wish I could attend. Should be great.

New arrangement here:

I think you are right on the button here. There are options that don't require re-profiling the reeds, though I may tune one of my hex instruments to 1/5 comma. My Aeola, however, will remain in it's original old pitch, equal temperament.

That nearly doubles the air capacity. Does yours have rivetted reeds?

Rather nice looking example. It's here:

I've never come across an English tuned in fifth comma although, as you say, they were originally designed with that scheme. Did they come out of the factory that way, and, if so, why would they have been altered to equal temperament? My 1909 Aeola, for instance, is tuned to old pitch but in equal temperament.

Congratulations on your Aeola. Any chance you could record something to demonstrate the effects of the tuning? What type of music do you regularly play on the concertina?

Should work now. Evidently I uploaded a draft previously.

On the Aeola here:

Thanks. This Aeola is such a well-balanced instrument, I think it can handle just about anything I can imagine.

Sounds good, but unless they can make one that looks like a guitar or an iphone, it would be an uphill battle

Whenever I restore an instrument I try to sympathetically return it to somewhere close to how it might have been the day it left the factory. I like an instrument to look good and to play well. My current plan for the embedded bolt heads is: - remove all finish - remove side veneers as appropriate - drill out the bolt holes to a stop just less than the depth of the wooden end hoop - insert a hard wood dowel into the hole and drill through for the bolt - the end plates bolt holes to be machine out with an cutter just larger than the size of the damaged holes - these to be plugged with a piece of wood made from pear laminate - stained, glued in position using hide glue - cut the moulding using a router - refinish the ends If threads are damaged on the bolts and/or receiver plates, I may make a decision to replace all bolts and receiver plates. Overtightening the end bolts is done to try and cure an air leak (it never works). Air leaks can arise as the chamois gasket flattens over time, damage or warping. Using a larger screwdriver, sufficient torque can be applied to force the bolts into the relatively softer wood of the end hoops. The screwdriver head also serves to open up the bolt holes, making it more likely that the bolt will start to bear down on the wood of the end hoops - as will an ill-fitting screwdriver. A sound plan, indeed.

Thanks for listening. Enjoy the journey, as they say. Mike

Thanks, Randy. I've been kicking around that arrangement for awhile. Likewise, I enjoyed your ensemble piece and your many contributions to the repertoire over the years. Inspiration for us all. Mike