Marien

Who knows where this tune comes from? It is I know from ABC sites for a long time is called "air". The tune is also known as "Trip to Skye" but in that case the order of the first two parts has been changed. Another thing is that it might be better to play it slower than I do in the clip. My question is: What is the original of this Irish tune, is it a "real" traditional or is it a relatively new tune, and if so, who wrote it? Thanks. Marien

Stephen, That is great to see the concertina type used for the painting - even the bellows in the painting have the same green and gold appearance as this one (number [16] in your article. My source was this internet page Marien

A nice painting by John Everett Millais (dated 1854-1856). The Blind Girl: 1854-56 " The story of a blind vagrant relates to the social themes Millais explored in his monochromatic modern-life drawings of the period. Here, however, exploding colors and rich details reveal the full range of the senses in the double rainbow that marks the passing of a storm, the butterfly, the concertina, and the scent of flowers and moist earth. In the background is the church in Winchelsea where Millais painted L'Enfant du Régiment, also in this room. " Marien

I think this is an interesting model which may be the oldest 30 button lachenal that's ever been made. It is currently on ebay UK, the seller is cocoa111. It has the label near the hand strap and the buttons on the third row are black. Serial number is 1363. Are there known examples of older 30b lachenals?

Is it the same as "lebelzaikte"? (lepelziekte) leads to loosing hair anf teeths caused by eating patatoes and eggs only. This also leads to writing constantina in stead of concertina.

How about 10 buttons, or aren't there mini concertina's with a duet layout??

1896-1900? My bets are on the low side of the same guess. Here is a quote from crane driver: "Well, my 48 key Lachenal Crane is number 256 according to the reed pan. It has a "Crane & Sons" pot-metal label on the end, instead of the Lachenal mark, but it's obviously a Lachenal. John Butterworth, who patented what became known as the Crane system, was a piano tuner from Cheshire. Crane & Sons were (still are) piano makers and sellers from Liverpool, just across the river Mersey from Cheshire, so Butterworth almost certainly knew them and sold them the rights to his system, around 1896/7. Lachenal were obviously brought in to make them, under license. Lachenal probably only got to put their own name on "Cranes" once Crane & Sons gave up the monopoly - maybe C&S have records/ledgers from then which would help to date this." If I understand well Lachenal started to make Cranes under license in 1896 or 1897, and started with a number higher than 256. Possibly Lachenal started another ledger (starting at 300?)in Londen while in Liverpool they continued in the 2xx range). The lowest serial number I know of a Crane made by Lachenal with the `Cranes Liverpool` lable is 339. Number 350 has `Lachenal Patent Concertina Manufacturors London` on the label and does not have a Liverpool or Cranes quote, as far as I know. If we 'ld know when Lachenal discarded Cranes from the lable that could help to date the concertinas. Another thing that could be interesting to know is if there are Crane serial numbers higher than 256 and lower than 339 - and what is on the lable. Has anybody a Lachenal Crane with this kind of numbers (256 - 338)? Best of luck Marien

It is like Jim indicates, there is no doubt that it´s older. My lachenal 55b crane is number 532. Stephen Chambers and some older discussions gave me some information. It must be before 1910 and Stephen´s best guess was 1900. The real year is uncertain. It is somewhere between 1895 and 1905. Yours is older, may be 1890-ish? Who can tell... If you look in the Crane concertina gallery you will see concertina number 330 (currently in a nice region in France) as well. How about the layout of the label? Does it tell one of us something about the age??? Marien

There is another shakespeare crane (50b) at hobgoblin. There is a remarkable big difference between the shop (2500) and the auction price (620) . There may be some work on the 48b, but that doesn't need 1900 pound I suppose. What is the real street value of a 48b or 50b Shakespeare Crane?

The H4 has a built in stereo mike plus the possibility to connect 2 additional mikes with a mono male guitar plug - one for the left and one for the right channel. I read that the H4 enables 4 channel recordings but dont't ask me how it works, never used it...

Dirge, In addition to Danny's remark about the H2 this is my idea about the Zoom H4. I think zoom H2 is quite similar but I never saw one. The Zoom-H4 has some extras which I don't use. I am not sure about differences in microphone quality. To my opinion the built in microphones of the Zoom H4 are very good - not only for concertina but also to tape the full acoustic sound of stringed instruments. It is possible to plug in better microphones but - so far - I did not need that. If I remember well there was an adaptor that came with the H4 but don´t ask me where it is... I use batteries to avoid any risk on a 50Hz noise and the only real problem is that I should keep in mind is to have enough power and reload the batteries in time. What I like in the Zoom-H4 is that it is good against studiofobics - it is very easy to handle. It fits on a camera tripod. Switch it on and press a button 2 times, A red light gives you a warm feeling and tells you that it is busy recording. Squeeze a tune and afterwards press the same button again. Now you have a recording. Switch it off and start your PC. Now the worst part . Get your hands on the CABLE that comes with the H4. Plug it in the USB port of your PC and connect it to the H4. It requires some button presses on the H4 and on the PC. The H4 acts as a hard disk of your computer and your recordings will be in a folder called STEREO. Copy the sound files to your computer. Check the recording in a media player. I think the actions are quite similar on a H2(?). If the recording was too loud then there is a switch on the H4 to adjust the input level of the microphone and start all over again. If the recording is okay then you can edit it (if you have the software). Another way is to send it to somebody who does it for you. Things I often do is removing the non musical beginnings and ends - normalise the sound level - add a tiny bit of delay when the recording is very dry. Is there anyone who knows both the H2 and H4 and can tell more about the real differences between the two? Marien

H TomB-R I think you are right about the pull tight effect. Though there may be one drawback on the same feature. For making a joint for a guitar, mandola or mandolin top there is not much glue surface (while the blade is thin), and if it pulls tight inside the (relatively soft) wood of the top, the joint may loosen on some places. I am not sure if this is the cause, but I have seen some (about 30 years old) mandolins and guitars t(h)reate(ne)d with titebond that show a small gap like this in the top )less than one mm but still...). Could it be specific types of finish (car spray or even worse, thinner based cellulose lacquers) that cuased this? It makes me think it is better to use another type of glue for top joints. Any ideas? Woops this is concertina net...

Tombr, I agree that hide glue is great stuff. Although it smells au bain marie, it does not keep me from using it. Still, Titebond is easier to process than hide glue (you don't need to warm it up) and my gamble is that Stradivarius would use it if he would live today. It dries out completely and it isn´t flexible like most of the available white glues - it joins in the resonance of the body. For a fiddle, after building it (using spruce that has been dried for 12 years) the acoustical quality of the spruce top is optimal after a year or ten. The resonance of the back is important via the post. Like hide glue, titebond is rigid when dry and it does not mute the sound. As for differences in need of repairs it is what I read one day (and I believe it is true) that it in practice guitars and bouzoukis are more often played on a knee. If you play a fiddle it has a less obvious and stressful position from an ergonomical view and that is why (relatively) more accidents happen with violins (also new ones).

- about using hide glue for stringed wooden instruments - For violins the tradition claims that it is "not done" to use other glue than hide glue, but I don't see the point of not using (white) titebond instead. To my idea instruments are made to be a fine instrument - they are not made to be repaired on beforehand, to sit on it, to throw it on stage, to smash it on a stone. Is it true that - on average - fiddles do suffer more from repair needs than bouzouki's, guitars and mandolins? Compared to instruments with hide glue - I don't see much difference (ease and damage) to take apart instruments glued with titebond.

it is here:

There heve been discussions on "the best" number of folds before. On beforehand: The instrument should be decently air tight. To my idea the main points are: - A smaller the amount of air in the bellows the directer the response is. That is why some anglo players like to have 5 folds only. - for a 6 inch C/G concertina or Duet you won't need more than 6 folds. - for a slightly bigger size (like a GD or FC anglo) you could decide for 7 folds but usually 7 folds is more than you really need. A bigger size concertina (like an eola) usually has 8 folds, the content of the bellows increases a lot when the sidses are larger. In fact you could move enough air with 4 bellows. For a bigger concertina - with dubbel sized ends - even 2 folds could be enough but the instrument would look very weird.

How about Royal Mail, they use to deliver secure to the European mainland isn't it? At least when they are not on strike... What is the latest news from UK about the current strikes? Thanks

I just played this clip on my computer. Someone came in and said: MOOI!! Check your Dutch dictionary to know what it means...

Do you mean one on octagonal small one like the one I tipped you and you recently bought?

The basic models of Bandonion have only 3 rows, I guess you've only seen the larger, more-developed versions... That's right, there are big and small bandoneons. My small bandoneon has 3 rows on both sides, it has 32 buttons only. When I once got it I expected to receive an anglo concertina but it really is a bandoneon. Compared to a C-G concertina my bandoneon has basically an A-E layout, quite common for a bandoneon. The first row is in E on push, but a part of the buttons is placed elsewhere (for example, compared to a cg anglo, the twin G (E on the bandoneon) you´ld expect on the 1st row left has moved to the middle row on the right hand side). The middle row is quite what you could expect for an AE anglo with A on push. On the middle row only the highest 2 notes on the right hand side are quite different. The F# is not on this row. Where you expect it you'll find a G on pull and a high A on push. In stead of the accidentals row - the 3d row - on the bandoneon you´ll find a G row on push (A minor on pull). A typical Bandoneon feature is that F and F# notes are positioned on the first and the third row close to your nose, before the anglo system begins on a button row. There are some more `deviant notes`. Obviously a bandonion with 32 or 40 butttons is quite limited compared to a 144b bandoneon. But if you take a 144b bandoneon, you will find exactly the same key layout in the heart of the system (eventually after transposing). If that is the case you have a real bandoneon.

To check if it is a bandoneon you may compare the key layout with the center part of this one. I think that a part on the middle row of your bandonion (left hand) behaves the same as on a 20 button concertina. Which chord does it produce when you push?

Make that 4 then please Ralphie. Sounds like a good idea to me. Marien

Yes Geuns is a real Genius...

We may be driving up the price by talking about it on a public forum I am not surprised that the price is going up. After all it is a "real Alfred Arnold" and it looks very clean. It maybe in unplayed condition but then the question is why? I suspect it is because the system - like the Jedcertina - is not very popular and may be difficult to play. It is like playing piano with hands in a concertina strap. You can´t fly up and down the keyboard with your hands and using the thumb may be restricted to the air button. There are some more discussion topics about jedcertinas on concertina net. °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° editied to correct a typo