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Dieppe

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Posts posted by Dieppe

    How are the Hohrner Concertinas?

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    I started out with a cheap anglo from eBay. The buttons would stick, it was red pearl and shiny, and as I was coming from a PA background, the push and pull thing just blew my mind too much. That was $75 down the drain. I keep it as an example of an Anglo, if anybody asks. Having 20 buttons and no sharps/flats made it less than useful for me based on music that I like to be able to play. $75 for the education that I shouldn't play an Anglo...

     

    The next one I bought was the cheapo 30 button Chinese English also from eBay. You know the one that has 2 pairs of reeds that are swapped. I actually was able to use it to get to a point where I thought I was good enough to consider a better instrument. I tried swapping the reeds to the correct notes, but gave up on it. I don't play it now. That was $150 or so to learn another lesson. Get a decent instrument.

     

    I spent $350 or so on a Stagi tenor. That was interesting, but the buttons were shifted up, or down, I forget. Made it confusing on my still learning how to play fingers. I was able to sell that for about what I put into it...

     

    Somewhere along the line I bought a Wheatstone treble, 1898 or so, had it refurbished/repaired/tuned, and it's been my favorite instrument since then. I think I paid $1000 or so, another $800 to restore, but it's just been an awesome little concertina for me since then!

     

    The moral of my story? I don't know if I could have sunk $2,000 initially into an instrument, least of all having one restored, if I didn't have the experience of the crappy and money lost experiences before that. I don't recommend people do that, but on the other hand not knowing if it's going to be an instrument worth playing how can you know? I would say for beginners, don't get anything less than a low-end Stagi to see what you'd like. You might be able to see it for about what you bought.

     

    I bought a Stagi treble for about $350 years later, intending to use it as my "stunt instrument". I found I would much rather play my Wheatstone, as I just like the feel better. I gave that Stagi to my niece, and she's been playing for about two years now. I have a surprise for her the next time I see her, in a refurbished Lachenal. One benefit of a beginner's instrument is you do have a better means to introduce someone to concertina playing a lot easier and if they don't like it, they can always give it back. :)

     

    -Patrick

    Orange County, Los Angeles, Long Beach Players

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    I'm up in Hawthorne, and I play English Concertina. How many do you have in your band so far?

     

    -Patrick

     

    Greetings,

     

    I am looking to organize a Concertina Band in sunny, Southern California. If there is any interest, please respond to this post or contact me through the forum. Kindly let me know your playing level, instrument type, and any other info that might be relevant.

     

    Repertoire will be based on interest.

    post-1193-0-78690900-1340686453_thumb.jpg

     

     

    Thanks

    Carl

    As new baritone

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    I have a Wheatstone Baritone #3792, and it looks almost exactly the same! It's got such a wonderful lovely deep voice, but yeah it's not so good for fast playing. Definitely enjoy it! We call my Baritone "Barry" for obvious reasons, of course. :D

     

    -Patrick

    I lost a key!

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted

    Concerta Spares (http://concertina-spares.com/) can often get buttons that match what you've got. You're on a boat, but can you receive mail?

     

    -Patrick

     

    You guys, I was sitting on the deck playing Rights of Man on a lovely sail with a bunch of people listening and some people filming with swanky cameras and suddenly, my G key was stuck.

    So I finished the tune (I was almost done anyway) and then inspected it. Not unstickable. Put the concertina back in my lap, and suddenly the errant key was ROLLING ACROSS THE DECK. Fortunately it was scooped up before it vanished into the scuppers.

     

    However, the fact remains that I am without a key that I use in pretty much every song ever. Also I am on a boat. So, while I have tools at my disposal, I don't really have the concertina know-how (or anyone nearby with it, or time to work on personal projects like this one that might take longer than a few hours) and so don't feel confident doing an on-the-fly fix. Also I think one time my dad and I tried to open up my concertina to see its guts and encountered difficulties. I don't remember what they were, though...

     

    For background info, since I know I never come on here anymore, we're talking my 48 key Stagi English that I've been abusing for roughly four years now by playing a lot and dragging onto boats and using for impromptu concertina lessons.

    I love that piece of shit.

     

    So yeah.

     

    What do? It appears that the metal is actually broken, as the key has a jagged metal bit sticking out of the plastic piece. Like I said though, I've not really looked into it too closely, as this all happened while on a sail with passengers from the public (and a fresh breeze that kept us on our toes) and since that day I've been working and then too tired/timid to do anything with it.

     

    I could send it away to the Button Box (where I got it), or even maybe even somehow find a way of getting there in person since I'm currently in the Northeast, but ugh. Also I've been eying the tenor Morse 45 key English for some time now...time to upgrade at last? But starving college student funds.....LIFE IS HARD.

     

    Any ideas? Have you had this happen to you? Is it easily fixable? Should I not even bother? Is the instrument even worth trying to fix, since it's got other issues, like being a relatively crappy instrument to begin with?

    It's been a long time since I did this, but I vaguely remember doing a temporary fix for a similar problem with duct tape. In my situation, there was a metal tab sticking down from the button with a slot in it for the action lever to stick through. The action lever had worn its way through the bottom of the slot in the button tab. I believe that I wrapped the tape around the metal tab a couple of times and cut a slot in it for the action lever. It lasted for quite a while and was easy to re-do when it did wear out..

     

    The idea of switching it out with a rarely-used button sounds good too. Perhaps you could do both, with the jury-rigged button in the less-used spot.

     

    One more thought - Button Box might be willing to send you a replacement button free or cheap.

     

    Good luck!

    Concertinas in the Cinema

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    Time to revive this thread after a couple of years:

     

    I just saw the latest sci-fi blockbuster, Ridley Scott's Prometheus, billed as a prequel of sorts to the Alien franchise. I went in with low expectations after reading the reviews, but was generally entertained.

     

    Anyway, what makes it pertinent here is a scene in which the character played by Idris Elba (better known as 'Stringer Bell' from The Wire) is briefly seen holding (and unconvincingly squeezing) a concertina! It looked like an Edeophone. When asked about it, he claims, rather implausibly, that it once belonged to Stephen Stills.

     

    I'd like to add that the instrument plays a critical role in the resolution of the plot, but alas, it makes no further appearance. Still, this must be the most high-profile Hollywood deployment of a concertina in a while.

     

    I have not seen the film yet, but i do know that Chris Algar sold a concertina to the film company for this purpose. I do not know if they acquired more than one, The one I know about once belonged to the late Glad Thorp, and later, the late David Lee. It was a 43-button Wheatstone piccolo concertina, made by Steve Dickinson probably in the early 1990's.. The serial number was 60106.

     

    Did it look like the one attached here?

     

    regards

     

    John Wild

     

    Nope, it looked like a twelve-sided, metal buttons one.

     

    -Patrick

    Looking for a English Baritone Vintage Concertina

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    I'm quite fond of my baritone. It has nickel silver reeds in hand cut reed shoes, so must date from 1849 or so. A very mellow instrument if a bit temperamental. It is nice to have the variety. It took a little while for the baritone to come along--it was languishing in Australia and went to Wim Wakker for rehab after I got it. It's better traveled than I am.

     

    I have also played a steel reeded Lachenal baritone which was much louder and more brash. I guess part of my point is that a baritone could be an early parlor instrument or a later band instrument and the character of the sound could be quite different.

     

    Good luck in your search. I'm going to hang on to mine, though my heirs might not!

     

    I have a Wheatstone Baritone, Wakker refurbished, and it's just beautiful! 1851 or so, with brass reeds, rosewood. The bass notes are just so deep and... well you know. I lucked out with an eBay auction from the UK, it needed a fair bit of work and I don't think the sellers knew what they had. It doesn't speak quick, but when it does... ahhhh!

     

    I'm not willing to sell it yet though. :)

     

    Patrick

    Today's xkcd

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    It's here, and while at first glance it doesn't look like it has anything to do with concertinas, if you mouseover (that is, put your mouse pointer on the image without clicking), you'll see why I've posted it.

     

    Joshua

     

    i never thought i'd see xkcd cross-posted to c-net!

     

    I suspect for his Bridge not his Concertinas.

     

    Patrick

    Bony finger syndrome?

    in Ergonomics

    Posted

    Since November I've lost a bit of weight - about 23 lbs. (This was to become more healthy, not because I'm ill.) Just recently I've got the feeling that my fingertips are less well padded and now feel a bit bony when I press the buttons. Has anyone else had this experience?

     

    If they aren't Bony, it's possible they could be Ivory... :lol:

     

    Patrick

    Screw this!

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted

    I have a concertina that I'm restoring (an English Lachenal), and some of the screws under the pinky rest and the thumb strap are old, worn, and don't really have much of a slot with which to unscrew.

     

    Mind you, if I wanted the screws I could easily get them with damage to the face, but I want the screws out with minimal damage to the brass, or the wood. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions as to how I can get these screws out without causing damage to the instrument?

     

    Thanks in advance!

     

    Patrick

    Wheatstone baritone on eBay

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    48 key Wheatstone baritone here

    Six-sided, but they say it's an Aeola.

     

    No serial number given.

     

    #28615 given in the written description.

     

    I'd speculate that they read the Wheatstone label that said "Makers of Aeolas and Concertinas". Still doesn't explain how they counted 6 sides as 8. (8 sides listed in their written description! :blink:

     

    Greg

     

    Obviously 6 sides and two ends! :D

     

    Patrick

    Lachenal English - Green Leather?

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted

    I recently purchased a Lachenal 48-buttton English Concertina (#11126) to restore, and the leather is green. On front of the thumb straps the leather looks black, but on the bellows, the top of the thumb straps, and even bleeding a little on the bellows paper is green.

     

    So my question is this: Was this concertina originally green and the black of the thumb straps are either faded, brushed off, or not well dyed? Or, was the leather originally black, but turned green with the ravages of time? Exposure to moth balls? (It smells of moth balls (Naphthalene?).) (Shouldn't those be "anti-Moth balls" anyway?)

     

    Patrick

    From accordion to concertina

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    People said good stuff. My advice is similar. If you play Piano Accordion, then either a Duet or an English would be good. IF you played a button accordion with a different note on push or pull, then go for an Anglo.

     

    If you're used to making chords on your own on a PA (somehow) then a duet would be good. All in all bellows will determine what you could look into, IMHO.

     

    Patrick

    Friends

    in Forum Questions, Suggestions, Help

    Posted · Edited by Dieppe

    It's funny, but there's a member of C.net who actually lives in the *SAME* condo complex as I do! (Though not the same building, cause that'd be too unlikely!)

     

    We've never met in person, though we've shared a few emails. I'm never pushed any "Hey, I should walk over to your building with my concertina and say 'Hi' in person!" thing, and neither have they. :ph34r: So... about the only people I've met from here is Noel Hill and a few other C.netters at a Noel Hill concert. Go figure, eh?

     

    Patrick

    High Barbaree

    in Tunes /Songs

    Posted

    Thanks for the comments and critique. :) The 'musical bridge' was to allow her to take a breath between verses.

    Kate (the singer) has said next time she's going to throw a song at me and let me make up a tune from scratch...

     

    -------

     

    btw. I've re-uploaded on youtube for those who have trouble with the other link.

     

    That'll be awesome! Heh, my only advice here is... play what feels right and it'll happen. :) Use the Force!

     

    Patrick

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