Marien

When I was invited to pick up the old german family melodeon (made about 1900) the wood appeared to be pulverised by woodwurms, the red, orange and yellow bellows papers had all loosened and it fell apart, unfortunately it was too bad to be restored. In fact it was a cheap type melodeon from Germany for export to the states. While my grand mother was an accordian tuner when she was young, I'ld be more interested to see top line instruments of that time that she has been tuning around 1910. I guess I´ll have to do with a family piano that is much newer.

This interesting miniature Wheatstone in England is a real bidders gadget. There is no feed back of the seller. Have we seen this one before? Marien

Congratulations to Geoff and all involved in Crabb concertinas. A good occasion to play a . Thanks to all Crabb concertina makers for letting me play this beautiful instrument. Thanks again! Marien

Hello Juanma Is there a site with Pipe and Tabor tunes on the internet? Marien

Nice tune! Could this tune be for the same kind of dance as the 5/8 tunes that I heard in Vitoria Gasteiz (Basque country) and Berga (in Catalunia)? Marien

Now sold, time for a donation to keep up this site.

Hello Henrik Indeed quite close. I am trying to find the names of more nice tunes that will bev on our new cd with irish, scottish and breton music that will be presented in a week or two. So I am trying to get the proper names on the cover... Thanks for helping to find the titles, also to michael. Marien

I found this tune has no name (Gan Ainm) in Breandan Breathnach 5. I think I'll call it the Wo Lo Fuh (it is typically for a banjo) or does anyone know the real title?

Another reel I am searching for the title is the one typed in ABC format below. Who can tell me the name of the tune? Thanks, Marien ================= X:1 T:unknown title M:4/4 L:1/8 R:reel K:G DEFG | A2GF | EcBc | dcBc | DEFG | A2GF | GEcE | EDD2 :| K:C Addc | d2ed | cAAB | c3G | Addc | d2ed | cAGE | EDD2 | Addc | d2ed | cAAB | c3G | Addc | A2cA | GEcE | EDD2 |

Thanks!

Hi all, I have been searching for the name of - played on an octave mandola for a change. Does anyone know the name of this tune? Sorry for the low sound quality. Thanks Marien

Micha, Maybe you like it better if I add incorrect statements. Of course the sound of a concertina is suitable to classical music. And I like the sound of it - although not for every sheet of music that crosses my table. I like to try out things on various instruments. Every instrument can add asomething new to a composition (even if it is its limitation). What instrument is nice, beautiful or suitable is just a personal thing. I'ld say any instrument is suitable for classical music (correct correct). Even a typical folk instrument like a low whistle can play a bloody marvellous classical solo - not speaking about the beautiful sound of it in irish and scottish folk. If one low whistle may have reduced possibilities such as the diatonic scale and a limit to one octave. Music does not have to be complicated at all to be classical. Some simple solos can be done very nicely on a low whistle and if you want more, a group of flutes could play beautiful classical arrangements. The concertina sound with one reed per button sounding may be difficult for solo ball room concerts especially when everybody is talking and drinking. It does not fill up a room like a big accordian does with 5 reeds singing if you press only one key. But for a listening audience the concertina can sound very nice. It will give another atmosphere to the music. One thing I like in the concertina sound is the sonority of one reed (if it is perfectly in concert pitch). It may be compared to the sound of a mouth organ played by Toots Thielemans, light and transparent. Another thing is using chords on a concertina. I think that French music like written by Yann Thierssen for the movie Amely (a kind of classical) fits a concertina very well. It needs some chord play. To my taste these compositions fit a concertina better than a fully open Bandonion or Bayan. Another sound of the concertina is the clarinet like snappy sound which to my idea is very suitable for classical music written for wind instruments and also for jazz. Hoping not to be too correct , Marien

Nice, is it on a 48 button english system wheatstone?

Danny, I am not sure about your ideas about your Duet experiences. I think it is not the fingers that press the bellows on a Duet but the hand palm. This does not withhold the fingers too much from moving freely. But there is a constraint on the duet and it is related to the position of the buttons and the position of the hand rest (and the form of your hand and the length of your fingers). It can make it difficult to put the fingers on certain buttons. A typical constraint which is absent on an english concertina. But don´t forget you are used to the english system. The english concertina has the constraint that your thumbs are bound to the leathers. This constraint is absent on the Duet concertinas. I think that a Duet is very suitable for classical music, just as is the english concertina. In both cases it needs a skilled player on the specific instrument - one who knows how to deal with the limitations and constraints of the instrument.

It is all highly subjective. My idea is that the Duet (while it allows you to play all kinds of chords) is also very suitable for melody solo.

Like Bill I was thinking of a DDR German double reed concertina in GD. It may help if you add a picture. Is it something like this? Thanks, Marien

I think there is not much curve if I make a 90 degree angle between hand and fingers and I don´t think my hands are exceptionally shaped. Partly I think it is "getting used to". As for my crane concertinas, I got used to find all buttons on my lachenal blindfolded but I play more on the Crabb 71b eola. The fingering positions are different, The bars are higher and the distance to the rows is greater. As I tried the lachenal today it seems to be more difficult to press notes on the lowest row on the left hand / although I must say that I like the raised ends. I guess that the bar on the 55b lachenal (the new model type with raised ends) is high enough but the problem is that (compared to the eola) the lowest row on the right hand side is close to the bar. But what can you do if there are 30 buttons to place on one end of a 6.5 inch concertina with 60 reeds which are placed on the outer circle of the reed pan on the right hand side. There is not much freedom to put the buttons elsewhere...

Ken, Yes you can add my Viceroy 30 button concertina as example for an E/B. It is tuned one third higher than the usual lachenal layout of a C/G. It sounds a bit like a mouth organ. The instrument is not too loud, It has single (steel) reeds - not double. The notes are a bit high but it can be used with songs in E. I would prefer a bariton tuning for that. It is an imitation of the mahogany lachenals - looks quite the same from a distance. The ends are real mahogany but looking closer you'll see that it is german (it says made in Saxony so it will be made somewhere between 1918 and 1940. The seller back then told me that it was from 1924, but I think he was just gambling about the date. It has rolled paper buttons with ivory on top - glued on wooden levers - 4 wood screws to fit the ends - zinc plates - the whole thing is quite light (760 gram). For a german box it plays okay and the bellows are fine - with leather in every corner. The text on the box says: V I C E R O Y regist. made in Saxony broad steel reeds I have seen more of the same model and they were always E/B. Marien.

its removed...

Hi Theo, Nice gallery, good ideas but it made me wonder about the joints. Maybe it is an optical illusion but it seems like the connecting parts are allergic to glue and they are standing right up like sparkling fishes in the water. Wouldn't the joint be better if a greater surface would be clamped to the parts of the broken end or do I need new glasses? No big deal though. Marien

I agree with Theo, it can be repaired. For a small piece of rosewood like the missing part you could ask your local guitar maker and try to find wood of a matching colour.

E/B is quite common for old german 30b boxes. The inside looks a lot like my old 30b E/B Viceroy concertina. The bellows are better than average. The action is nothing compared to a lachenal. The buttons are glued on the wooden levers. The layout of mine is ordinary wheatstone layout transposed from E down to C. If the layout is otherwise I suspect that the reed plates have been exchanged.

When trying a new song with the concertina - in the beginning - I focus on how to sing it. Another time I focus on how it should be played on the concertina. Both parts may have different emphasis moments. Both parts seem to be stored in different parts of my head. When the song goes okay - somehow - it feels like two of my split personalities are becoming alive. One is singing and the other one is playing the concertina. Now a third personality wakes up and tells me that it is time to get something to drink.

Pear is sometimes used for backs and sides for stringed instruments (guitars, mandolins, mandolas, dulcimers,...) It is not the "top" wood for acoustical instruments. Using brasil or indo rosewood, european walnut or maple are acoustically better for backs and sides. Mahogany and maple and even rosewood (good zound but it's heavy) is good for necks. Maple is more suitable for soprano instruments - resonates the high notes well. There are more suitable woods but for a luthier pear is kind of second choice wood.

Already removed... So was it a scam?