Pete Dunk

In which key specifically?

I'll split it 50/50 with English.

I must have different models of Jack and Jackie to you m3838 because the valves in mine are all acetate (if that's what it is), no leather to be seen.

All I can see is last months tune. I have trouble viewing this site anyway, many pages seem to continue beyond the visible screen page but I can't scroll down. Perhaps it's one of the few sites that aren't compatible with Firefox. Edited to add: Cancel most of the above. My browser had cached the page so refreshing worked. Still have pages disappearing off the bottom of the screen though. Edited again to add: The Ken Bongort tune is there but no sign of Hark the Herald Angels Sing... Final edit!: Today (24 hours later) the Christmas carol is there. I'm beginning to wonder if I have a cookies problem.

I think this is the first Crane I've seen on ebay (but I haven't been watching that long). With only 48 keys it's probably a bit basic for a duet but it looks very tidy. I fancy a crack at duet playing but funds won't permit.

They will add a great deal to the overall weight of a concertina of course and yes, most 'metal' keys were caps over a wooden core but I think you might struggle to buy those at a pound each new. Cross bushings are an interference fit so the question of glueing them in place doesn't arise. Please let us know how you get on with the fifty you've bought Jack, I'm sure there will be more from the same source if there's enough interest. I thought about buying an odd few to refurbish an old 'tina that has a few cap ends missing but I think they would stand out too much and I'm reluctant to fit a complete new set because they wouldn't suit the 'tina in question. Good resourse if you were building from scratch though.

Here's an interesting item on ebay.co .uk 150 available at the moment.

I would imagine your bid was outdone by cocusflute so I wouldn't worry too much unless you bid 8 grand and were outbid ...

Richard, don't be deflated mate! Beauty in this case is very much in the ear of the listener, which is you. You've always been happy with the sound of your concertina so why should the news that your reeds aren't the very best influence you at all? Many instrument makers produce 'basic' 'standard' and 'best' models but happy accidents happen and the odd basic or standard model creeps out that is a cut above the rest; by the same token some of the 'best' quality instruments from a manufacturers' range are indifferent to say the least. So take delight in the fact that you have an exceptional 'standard' model and smile quietly to yourself when other brag about owning 'top flight' models. At the end of the day the only critic that really matters is you.

This is where I have a problem with terminology. A 'staple' to me is simply a piece of round wire bent into a 'u' shape and I have seen a concertina (a Wheatstone in fact) with just such an action. Lachenal's 'standard' slotted pillars, whilst not being ideal, are much more sophisticated - but I guess it would take an engineer to say if the degree of sophistication had any material effect compared to a simple piece of bent wire. The point is that the action you have is just about as good as Lachenal ever got so unless you want to go down the road of fitting a complete replacement riveted action (expensive!) there isn't much you can do other than a straight replacement if the existing action is so badly worn.

30th November 1957. As to the reed shoe material I haven't a clue, did aluminium have any other effect than to make the instrument lighter? Was the durability/tolerance of aluminium vs. brass an issue?

Hello Dirk, Rob is remarkably adept at playing Irish music on the EC because when he was learning he heard recordings of tunes being played on a concertina; at the time he didn't know that an anglo was being used and because nobody had explained to him that playing that style on an EC was impossible he just went ahead and figured it out! Here are a couple of practice tips to get you started. First of all pick a tune that you can already play well, now play it with a change of bellows direction for every single note where possible. I won't sound nice, particularly at first, but it will teach you to be able to play a short passage with a distinctive 'bounce' Next try playing a piece as you normally would while tapping your foot to the rhythm of the music, use the same leg that you rest the concertina on (assuming you play that way). Rob doesn't rest the concertina end on his leg but the bellows; many players say you shouldn't do this because it wears the bellows too much but in fifteen years playing the same concertina he hasn't found this to be the case. This technique gives you a very distinctive 'bellows wobble' much beloved by players of ITM. Combine bits of the two techniques and you are well on the way to playing an EC in an anglo style. One thing I have to mention here is that Rob Harbron is a consummate musician with a deep understanding of musical theory. He is able to play well in any style and is particularly fond of playing Bach pieces which are technically challenging at the best of times. If I were to pick out the single most noticeable aspect of his playing it would have to be economy of movement; next would be his ability to create space in his playing. If you ever get the chance go to one of his workshops do so, you won't be disappointed. When all of the notes and practice pieces have been written up I'll get in touch and let you have a copy. Pete.

Have you reported it to ebay David?

I've just searched ebay worldwide for both 'Wheatstone' and 'Aeola' and all I've found is one rather lovely 48 key from a seller in the States. Are you sure you've set up the auction properly?

A direct link or at least the ebay item number would help so we can take a look. I'm going back to check but I'm sure that the 36485 serial no. you have quoted is for a model 5E which would be a 72 key duet...

I Googled 'Lachenal' but selected 'Images' - it was on page 2 I think. Foreshortening the link to the home page will give you the website - I'm sure that any further detail will be somewhere in there.

This Lachenal picture looks like proof positive to me

I think it's safe to say the workshop was a resounding success although I came away with more new information buzzing around in my head than I can generally absorb in one sitting. Fortunately Sal is adept at recalling vast quantities of info and writing them down afterwards so I've locked her in the back room with her computer to start writing out the details. The workshop covered a lot of ground; everything from warmup exercises (I kid you not!) through practice drills and scales to bellows use and techniques and included a very interesting talk on the subject of how approach an unfamiliar tune and turn the dots into a performance ready tune with your own interpretation. One thing that will occupy much of my practice time in future was Rob's technique for playing tunes on the English concertina with all of the 'bounce' of an anglo, just to give a little more variety.

What's more the end frames appear to have five sides, moderately unusual in my experience.

You could always try the BBC Virtual Session. It doesn't have everything you want but you can print the dots and join in without annoying anyone.

New Lachenal lever pillars are available direct from C.Wheatstone & Co but they are 65p each. I posted off an order to Steve Dickinson two days ago for a set of wrist straps and fixings and they arrived today! Remarkable service.

Another fairly low end model but it does look in quite nice condition. That will be the last we see of our 'new member' then ...

Now it's on ebay

I nearly did meself a mischief trying to hit the top harmony in the Cadgwith Anthem!

There are several formulae for dating Lachenals (and probably as many threads on the same subject on here), have a look around on Concertina.com and run a search through the old posts on this forum. Hopefully someone who remembers more about it than me will be along in a while to point you in the right direction.