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SteveS
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Posts posted by SteveS
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I have a New Model TT on the bench that has the usual Lachenal cartouches that are fitted flush with the surface of the ends.
Previously I've removed the cartouches prior to French polishing. To refit the cartouches has then required some cleaning and careful removal of excess shellac from the indented spaces before refitting the cartouches.
Is there a better way to finish the ends without recourse to removal of the cartouches?
How might I clean up the excess polish in this case?
All tips appreciated.
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On 11/14/2019 at 6:12 PM, d.elliott said:
The issue that Chris is referring to is not a instant result of using a overly strong spring substitute, but over time the pivot post 'tang' can back out of the action plate. I once saw it happen after a full re-spring with good 'tina springs, about ten posts started to extract themselves. Causing the key heights to rise.
Yup seen that too.
I currently have a 'tina in my resto pile where several springs have been switched for safety pins - inevitably the pivot posts have backed out of their slots. I've disconnected the springs while the instrument awaits restoration.
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16 hours ago, Mikael said:
Hej Jim!
Yes I live in Stockholm.
Im rather occupied this coming week but December sounds good to me.
Then I will have my concertina as well.
Best regards,
Mikael
Hej Mikael
I'll be in Stockholm that weekend too (29 Nov - 4 Dec). Would be good to meet up.
There's an English music session on Sunday 1 Dec and Swedish music session on Tuesday 3 Dec - both at Sjaette Tunnan in Gamla Stan.
Irish session at Wikstroems Pub in Gamla Stan on Monday 2 Dec.
I'll have my concertina with me.
Hope to see you then.
mvh
Steve
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I've been thinking for the last few years about making a bass 'tina from harmonium reeds.
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7 hours ago, Geoff Wooff said:
A friend has a metal ended 64 Baritone Aeola with 'Bronze' reeds. As far as I recall I tuned it down from pre war pitch in 1978 and I'm told the tuning is still fine. The tone was very nice and I can only imagine what an improvement 1/5 comma would make.
My avatar TT Aeola has a super tone - ideal for singing, hence the desire to tune to 1/5 comma.
I used to use it for playing for dancing, but that really was too much for the reeds, so I now use a TT Aeola which has steel reeds.
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4 hours ago, Geoff Wooff said:
Here are the figures I use for 1/5th Comma Meantone. One just needs to use any tuner set to Equal Temperament and off set each note accordingly:
C +6 . C# -8 , D +2 . D# - 12 . Eb +12 . E -2 . F +8 . F# -6 . G +4 . G# -10 . Ab + 14 . A zero . Bb +10 . B -4 .
Currently both my EC's are tuned in this fashion and I am most content with the results, in fact I have exclusively used 1/5th Comma for the last 30 years.
Thanks Geoff - very useful.
I'm thinking to tune the Aeola in my avatar to 1/5 comma (this 'tina has non-ferrous reeds).
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3 hours ago, Gail_Smith said:
Hm - but I can't find slot-head screws that are small enough.
Have you approached any of the makers?
eg. Steve Dickinson (Wheatstone), Wim Wakker (Wakker concertinas), Colin Dipper.
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36 minutes ago, Gail_Smith said:
I hope to be replacing other smaller (rusted) screws at the same time - it looks like I will be having Pozidrive heads to everything eventually. I'm sure Mr. Lachenal - as an engineer - would approve of Pozidrive screws, and wish he had invented them.
I suggest not using Pozidrive screws - speaking as a restorer, they often round off rendering them impossible to remove with out having to drill them out - and they require access to a proper Pozidrive screwdriver. It also means carrying at least 2 screwdrivers in a repair kit.
Always use slotted head screws - as used traditionally by makers - even modern makers use slotted head screws and bolts.
I doubt Lachenal would have used Pozidrive screws even if he had had access to them.
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On 5/22/2019 at 8:38 AM, Wolf Molkentin said:
Do you think your 56 baritone is slightly larger? rather not so I guess, and I reckon it has the partly radial, partly parallel reedpan like mine...
Hi Wolf
Here's a picture of my 56-key New Model baritone
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8 hours ago, JimLucas said:
A "statement" from whom?
Since it's an Aeola, its date of origin should be in the Wheatstone ledgers, so you could print out a copy of the relevant page. (And have the web site information with you, in case they want to check that it really is a public document, not some sort of forgery.)
Unless it's from the "missing" period? Then print out pages from before and after (especially after) that period, to show that it was made before the middle of 1910.
Thanks Jim - a good idea - I may just print out the ledger page and keep in the bottom of my 'tina case.
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3 hours ago, Devils' Dream said:
If you REALLY want to be prepared, be ready to open it up, i.e. prove nothing hid inside. Had this happen to me ONCE with trusty Pokerwork returning Boston (pre-cannabis law) from Amsterdam. (!) Easy enough to pull the pins. Not so convenient on concertina.
I usually carry a small toolkit with a screwdriver - I usually make sure that its in my checked-in bag ?
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30 minutes ago, Halifax said:
Are you going to perform for pay? If you are playing in concerts and you're getting paid, they will expect you to have a well-defined work visa. I know my Canadian friends who tour in the US have to prepare buckets of paperwork before they go.
No, purely amateur and unpaid.
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I'm travelling to Seattle, and then Vancouver, in about 12 days time. I'm going to meet up with Scandi dancers and musicians in Seattle and Vancouver.
I'd thought to take my Aeola TT.
With thoughts of CITES, should I be concerned about the import of my 'tina into US and Canada?
The 'tina has ebonised ends, probably of pear wood veneer - but will this cause any consternation at customs?
What experiences have other people had at US/Canadian border controls?
Thanks.
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3 hours ago, paulbrennan said:
Steve I think you mentioned you could do the tuning yourself. I'd love to hear more about what's involved. I would not contemplate trying to retune a whole instrument but it would be very useful to be able to make small adjustments in a reed or two. Do you think that's a learnable skill on these kind of reeds?
I use a tuning table for accordion reeds, and a tuning bellows for concertina reeds.
It's possible to learn tuning, and with care good results can be achieved.
But always practice initially on reeds from a scrap instrument
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51 minutes ago, paulbrennan said:
Thanks Paul - this is a really useful resource.
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I'm away in Italy at the moment and so haven't yet got this bandoneon into my hands.
However I've been doing so digging on the keyboard layout since I suspected it didn't quite appear consistent with the 142-note Rheinische tonlage.
It appears that I may be right - the system appears to be the Einheits tonlage (description here), which differs slightly in the keyboard layout from Rheinische, and may have up to 3 reeds per button. According to this link, this type of bandoneon system may be better suited to folk and classical music.
Here is a link to a comparison of the Einheits and Rheinische layouts.
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Here's some history about ELA bandoneons:
http://escuelatangoba.com/marcelosolis/history-of-tango-part-5/
"Heinrich Band did not make the bandoneon himself. He designed it and ordered its production from Carl F. Zimmerman."
"Ernst Louis Arnold, who bought Zimmerman’s factory, will became the most prominent bandoneon producer."
And here:
https://www.carlsfeld.com/bandoneon.html
"In 1854 Carl Friedrich Zimmermann and his brothers began industrial production of these instruments. In 1864, however, they emigrated to America and handed over the business to the former factory foreman Ernst-Louis Arnold. Under the name “ELA” high-quality instruments were made and exported around the world. His successors then produced under the brand name “AA”, an abbreviation of Alfred Arnold. In 1924, Arnold made the German unified bandoneon and the “Rheinische Tonlage” for export to South America."
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9 hours ago, paulbrennan said:
Yes, my mistake I missed that it was Rheinische tonlage. I sincerely hope it's a double reed - it certainly looks big enough - you'll be all set to tango. I am looking for one of these myself and have just about given up. As far as teaching materials there is also a new set put out by the Argentine cultural agency Tango Sin Fin. They are very good but very advanced in parts. Some of it is free online.
Thanks for the tip re. Tango Sin Fin - they certainly seem to have a lot of material for learning.
It'll be quite a while before I dare play tango with others - balfolk may be more accessible.
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11 hours ago, Mandagh said:
The two are going into a museum exhibit next month and the museum would like to know how much they are worth.
Argh!! museum exhibits. Instruments should be played IMO. ?
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6 hours ago, Stephen Selby said:
Retuning would be expensive. The one I bought first was in tune with itself but not at modern pitch. I just left it, on the principle that it would be years before I was ready to play work anyone else! Yes, South American bandoneons are tuned a little sharp
I can do the retuning and all other repairs myself.
I expect it'll be years before I could contemplate playing with other bandos - on the other hand I may get to play with others on the balfolk circuit sooner - so I guess A440 will be what to aim for.
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17 hours ago, Stephen Selby said:
Ambro is quoted by those who are top players; but it's a really daunting method for newbies without a teacher at their side. I particularly like Don Benito because within a couple of lessons, you are playing things that you would not mind other people hearing. You need to watch out for another thing: some methods (not Don B ) teach a style that is predominantly pull. To me, that style leads to too much use of the breather lever, which makes for choppy phrasing.
Another thing I suggest is to check carefully the tuning. I bought one once which had been accurately re-tuned to 1930s standard pitch, rather than modern European pitch or Argentinian piths (a little bit higher).
Thanks for the tips - I like the look of the Don B method so I may invest in that. I noticed that the keyboard layout on the extremities of the Lange are different to the Arnold bandoneons.
I haven't yet received the bandoneon, but I'm expecting it to be in 1930s pitch - whatever that'll be centred on. Hopefully I'll be able to retune it.
I have noticed that modern bandos appear to be tuned a little higher than A=440.
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15 hours ago, Stephen Selby said:
They are scary to learn. Best to think of them in guitar terms, with groups of notes most associated with hand chord positions in 'rosettes' rather than a linear pattern. 'Don Benito' books 1 and 2 by Luciano Jungman are a comforting introduction.
Thanks - the Don Benito course looks interesting.
I've found the Ambros tutor by an Argentinian master published in 1930s (at a guess - in Spanish).
One tutorial I found on YouTube describes it as learning 4 different keyboard layouts in one instrument - scary!
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On 9/13/2019 at 9:25 PM, paulbrennan said:
Nice! The people at the FB group "US Concertina Assoc" know a lot about these I think. Double, triple reed?
It's winging its way to me now - once I receive it and open it I'll let you know - though I suspect it'll be single reed.
Edit: turns out the US Conc Assoc people are for the Chemitzer concertina, and not the Rheinishe tonlage variety most popular with Argentinian tango aficionados.
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I've just acquired a bandoneon - a F.Lange, Chemnitz, model from 1930s at a guess.
37/35 buttons, Rheinische tonlage (the type used for Argentinian tango).
Looks to be in reasonable condition, with 1 missing button.
We'll see what it's really like once I open it.
Finishing ends with flush Lachenal cartouches
in Instrument Construction & Repair
Posted
Thanks Theo - great idea.