Pete Dunk
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Posts posted by Pete Dunk
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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.
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Are there weight implications here since a wooden core must be lighter? (Thinking about the playing action weight but then adding 48 of these to a 'tina would maybe make the whole thing feel different).
Also what about the bushing (or lack of) in the lever hole - I presume that will have to be added and how about the security of gluing cloth into (onto) metal? What would one use.
Just a few initial thoughts..
Foxy[/color]
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.
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Here's an interesting item on ebay.co .uk 150 available at the moment.
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I would imagine your bid was outdone by cocusflute so I wouldn't worry too much unless you bid 8 grand and were outbid ...
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Hello
Recently I had my Lachenal worked on by a very experienced concertina maker and repairer. I think of my Ab/Eb Lachenal (Metal ended "Jeffries" like ends) as a wonderful instrument (to play and hear). I was a bit surprised(and perhaps deflated half a notch) when he told my that the reeds were "standard" Lachenal reeds.
Now I wonder....How many grades of Lachenal reeds were there? For Anglos I know there was the mahagony ended and the rosewood ended, with the rosewood listed as the "better" quality. I understand the Edeophones were the top of the English models so I assume their reeds were the best Lachenal could make. and so on.
Some questions I'd like to toss out there for any generous and knowledgable members are:
How many grades of reeds are Lachenal known to have made? What are the differences between them? Some differences I guess would be measurable such as tolerances, some would be audible and apparent to the ear. Is it obvious and easy to discern the differences between the standard and the top?
Thanks,
Richard
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.
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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.
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serial number 36297
What year would it be? Is it one of those with allouminium reedplates?
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?
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Hi tallship,
i would be interested in reading Sal's notes. If you want to share them i would be very thankfull. The selfteaching method needs some input from time to time. I'm studying the Irish repretoire on the EC for half a year now. Started from scratch. The 'bounce' of the anglo draws my attention
Dirk De Bleser
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.
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Have you reported it to ebay David?
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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?
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I just put my concertina for sale on ebay it is a WHEATSTONE 56 KEY #36485
Can you give me some input on my add, what I need to change or add to it
I dont play the concertina I bought it 15 years ago because It was such a Beautiful
instrument. and looks like good investment. Thank You for your help.
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...
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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.
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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.
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What's more the end frames appear to have five sides, moderately unusual in my experience.
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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.
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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.
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And here's the English:
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 ...
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I nearly did meself a mischief trying to hit the top harmony in the Cadgwith Anthem!
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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.
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Hello every one - my first posting
I have two old concertinas. An old English one in good nick and has Lachenal badge and serial number on it. Is this sellable?
Hello Steve, welcome to the forum. All concertinas are salable but you'd have to define 'good nick' in order to find out how salable. Pics would help too.
The socond I always thought was a Lachenal Anglo but on reexamination I cant find any label for the maker. There is a serial number 177700. I attach 3 pictures in the hope someone can help identify.Looks like a Lachenal to me. The clue is in the 'steel reeds' stamped on the handrest. The bellows look shot to me; is there any reason why you've posted two photos of the right hand end and none of the left?
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And for card a good quality rag board is nice and strong and allows you to use thinner material than with cheaper board.
Why can't thin airplane model plywood (1-2mm) be used? It's much stronger than cardboard, will not indent with time, and can be re-used. I'm sure 100 years ago thin plywood didn't exist, but why makers keep on using cardboard?
I also don't think that thick felt-leather sandwich will make the buttons spongy. Why? It will just seal better.
But I wonder how does one glue new pads to the levers and secure pads' positions? Not an easy process to my naked eye.
When you take the top end off, buttons lose their uppermost guides, right? The levers go through the buttons, and use them as guids too, so the ends of levers get all disarranged. Given the tight space inside, how does one arrange the whole thing? Just eyeballing?
Using aero-ply would be impractical as I see it, the beauty of the traditional construction is that you can make the three part sandwich as a flat sheet and then punch them out - quick, neat, simple. With ply you'd have to cut and tidy up the discs singly and then glue on the other layers which would take forever. I wouldn't think that durability was an issue in any instance as a set of pads should last decades. I buy mine in from David Leese and wouldn't even consider making my own, that's carrying DIY a little to far.
As for fitting new pads, it is relatively straight forward and requires a quite modest level of skill. It does however require a little patience and a good eye for detail. Replacing one or two at a time (I prefer to do one at a time) reduces the possibility of having levers flapping about all over the place to nil; it also allows you to set the key heights as you go. As for the glue used, some use hide glue, others (like me) use PVA (Elmer's). Both work well.
If you are really interested in how things like this are done I would recommend that you buy a copy of Dave Elliott's excellent Concertina Maintenance Manual. Come to think of it I would have thought this book would be of great interest to any concertina owner whether they intend to do repairs themselves or not.
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Doesn't one have to join Facebook to do this. I hope to go to my grave without ever having my profile on those particular social networks.
Seconded - and eloquently phrased if I might be so bold. I'll remain a Luddite too, it suits my nature.
Exercises For English Concertina
in Teaching and Learning
Posted · Edited by tallship
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.