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SteveS

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    FS: Lachenal TT 56 keys

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted · Edited by SteveS

    I'm selling my Lachenal Tenor-Treble 56 keys.

     

    Fully restored by me a few years ago.  I no longer play this instrument since I have an Aeola TT.

     

    The restoration included:

    - tuning to A440

    - new pads, valves, resetting action, polishing buttons and other bright work

    - French polished to a high gloss

     

    Comes complete with a leather case (leather carry strap needs a little attention).

     

    What's unusual about this 'tina is that it looks like a 48 key instrument with the spindle-cut fretwork, but it looks to me like it's of much better quality.  It's abou8t the same size as the equivalent 48-key instrument.  My guess it was made to a price-point by Lachenal for JJ Vickers as a student instrument.

     

    This 'tina plays well, and has a fast action and bright sound.  While it's not as loud as an Aeola, it should hold up in sessions, and would make a great singers instrument.  I've played it in Nordic music jam sessions and it played well against massed fiddles.

     

    Price £1900.

    Shipping extra at cost.

     

    Edit - this concertina is in UK and will ship from UK.

     

    Here are some more photos on DropBox..

     

    104161406_10222413467543620_6206790783342012944_500.jpg

    Baritone/tenor music question

    in Teaching and Learning

    Posted · Edited by SteveS

    19 minutes ago, Wolf Molkentin said:

    my TT has a very low B (replacing the D#), though a very low Bb would of course be lovely too, and my BT (which transposes to Fmaj) has a very low E replacing the G# (though a very low Eb would be desirable as well), asf. ad infinitum... ?

     

    (BTW, the solder work is all mine...)

    I have a TT with Bb in that position - it's useful when building chords in Gm Swedish tunes :)

    Baritone/tenor music question

    in Teaching and Learning

    Posted

    53 minutes ago, JimLucas said:

     

    Normally, a "bass" would have as its lowest note the low C of a cello, though some (I have one) continue down to the G below.  However, I haven't seen such a "G-bass" in any Wheatstone price list.

    FWIW I also have a Wheatstone G bass with massive resonance tubes.

     

    I once tried writing out arrangements for my TT using the treble and bass staves - it confused the hell out of me.  I quickly reverted back to using just the treble stave with ledger lines for the tenor parts.

    Re-finishing Ebonised Ends

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted

    On 9/26/2003 at 5:20 PM, d.elliott said:

    If you are thinking of 'local' repairs to worn areas, then please don't.

     

    Unless you are skilled at putting 'umpty' layers of french polish on, then take it to an antique furniture restorer, take out the action box felt bushes, and expect to have to ream out the key holes and re-bush the action box ends. Don't let them sand off too much wood from around the key holes as these are tapered with a very short parallel section at the outer end of the hole.

     

    You then have the decision to take about re-polishing the veneered and ebonised action box frame edges to match.

     

    If you want to do its yourself get pre-made up spirit black to re apply the stain, after having removed the old finish and re-flatted the worn and chipped woodwork. Then use ebony 'flavoured' black french polish let down with methelated spirits to build up the full depth of the polish, may be in excess of a dozen coats, flatting back every so often. Apply with a cloth 'rubber' not a brush. Finsh with superfine 'OOOO' grade wire wool and wax

     

    I can give you material suppliers if you are UK based

     

    Or just see the character of the instrument, and leave well enough alone.

     

    Dave

    Alternatively you might want to finish to a shiny gloss rather than a waxed sheen.  In this case you will polish the layers of shellac with a cloth rubber with a little methylated spirits. 

    This is my preferred finish.

    Reed setting tips?

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted · Edited by SteveS

    15 hours ago, ttonon said:

    For those interested, I'm not sure how many of you are aware that harmonium manufacturers have their own standards about "best practice."  Here's a drawing of one of their free reeds.  I'm under the impression that the curious bend is rather typical.  Can anyone here venture as to its advantages?

     

    Free reed from harmonium.png

    Larger reed organ reeds do indeed have a shape similar to this - although from my experience I'd say that this drawing is an exaggeration for illustrative purposes only.

    • Like 1

    Amboyna TT on eBay

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    7 hours ago, conzertino said:

    The instrument had quite a story and finally ended up with me!

    Originally it was bought in Portugal and was exported ( by steamer ) to Brasil.

    Eventually it returned to Portugal.

    At the first ebay auction Chris Algar outbid me and bought the box.

    But as the reeds were in really bad condition, he returned it ( somebody had in fact "polished" the reeds! ).

    I contacted the seller, met him in Germany at a family wedding and finally bought it at a fraction of the initial price.

    Some time later I bought a derelict EE TT in Belgium with good reeds.

    David Robertson swapped the entire reed-pans and beautifully restored the instrumentt to mint condition.

    Some time later he managed to restore the EE TT as well with many exchange reeds...

    The tort TT ended up in my collection and was never played...

    My life is changing right now, so I will start to sell part of the collection in the future.

    So I would sell this unique box ( mint original gold-tooled bellows! ) at the right price.

    Open to offers...

     

     

     

     

    Thanks - what a story.  I'm glad that it was eventually restored.

    Valve leather suppliers

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, Don Taylor said:

    Not sure if this is what you mean, but I would set up the wood block so that you are punching into the ends of the wood fibres, not across the grain.

    But, better still:

    https://www.sailrite.com/3-Tips-for-Better-Hole-Cutting

     

    That punch looks pretty knackered.  See:

    https://www.sailrite.com/Can-I-Sharpen-My-Hole-Cutter

    Yes, punch into the ends of the fibres of the punch wood block.

    Also, as the article say, use a mallet not a hammer to strike the cutter.

    Valve leather suppliers

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted · Edited by SteveS

    Is your wad punch sharp enough?

    How is your wooden block setup?

    Set your punch and wood block so that you're punching parallel with the grain of the wood, this way you're punching along the wood fibres and it'll preserve the sharp edge of your wad punch for longer.

    Quarantined

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted · Edited by SteveS

    Jim

    Thanks for the message.  So sorry about your sister, her friends, and especially for her friend that died.

     

    We're doing fine, thanks for asking.  We've been in quarantine for 17 days now.  This for me is an opportunity to knuckle down to some of my concertina projects.  Now even more stringent quarantine rules have been introduced in Italy, so we can't go out at all, only to the supermarket (where btw there are stringent rules about masks, gloves, and distance from others).

     

    Everyone - keep safe and observe social distancing rules (keep at least 2 metres/7 feet apart) - and stay home!!
     

    Quarantined

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    48 minutes ago, Geoff Wooff said:

     

    Learning new tunes is  far  more annoying  to  those around us  than playing  those pieces  we know well.  Of  course  Jim, you know this  ... so  I'm just saying   for  the  benefit of  those    who    may not  realise  the disturbance  inflicted  on  others.

    I'm having to close 2 sets of doors between my practice space and my nearest and dearest - repeating the same phrases over and over, making mistakes in the same places each time though a passage, can be annoying.  I'm also working on some harmonium accompaniment, so I'm playing back recordings of tunes, sometimes recordings of my playing, to which I'm trying to jam along.

    Quarantined

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted · Edited by SteveS

    The whole of Italy is now in lockdown, initially until 3 April.  The province of Asti, where we live, was put into lockdown on Sunday morning.  We have supplies and some good wines in store. 

    And I have plenty of great tunes to learn - so I'd better get on with them.  One of things I'm looking to do is work more on rhythmic, chordal and harmony accompaniment to songs and Nordic folk tunes during this lockdown period.  Plus there are other tunes that I'm sharing with a fiddler friend - we're planning to have regular Skype sessions and tune swaps.

    Shame I haven't got my workshop here - it's still in storage in UK - I have plenty of restoration jobs to get on with.

     

    #IoRestoACasa

    • Like 3

    Ros

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted · Edited by SteveS

    On 2/22/2020 at 4:42 PM, Ros said:

    I have inherited a Jeffries concertina. It doesn't seem to play terribly well (tho I can't actually play the concertina). My question is - should I try to sell it as it is, or have it restored first? Also where is best to sell, music shop or auction house?

    I suggest sell it here unrestored, and it get into the hands of an enthusiast.

    Music shop will take a hefty cut in commission, and may not be able to correctly assess its value.

    An auction house might get a good price for it (depending on who is in the room at the time) and will take a huge sellers premium (20-33% being typical of the hammer price).

     

    Alternatively, get it restored and learn to play yourself, and have fun.

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