Pete Dunk
-
Posts
1,858 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Pete Dunk
-
-
Now that is a thing of beauty!
-
This has been discussed near the end of this thread. Not that you were to know that.
It would seem there is yet another variety of concertina. Anglo, English and Duet I've heard of but what on earth is a Double?
-
You'd better check the serial number because 36488 was a model 2E with rosewood ends dated 3rd February 1959.
Is this a tenor/treble or an extended treble?
-
While browsing for a tune I came across Gordon's Tune, not the same one of course - this one's Irish. The whole freesheetmusic.net site is a great resource.
-
There isn't all that much of North Yorkshire.
Mmm,
Ribblehead (railway) station to Dent station is all of seven miles. Do that in thirty minutes on any day in February and I'll buy you a pint mate!
-
Without wanting to sound patronizing or stupid would it be too much to ask that you post a link? If you do I'll take a look, if you don't I'll pass.
-
I've had a Jack and a Jackie (from the Music Room in Cleckheaton) since April. From day one the Jack was my favourite, I just loved the deep warm tone. From a playing point of view it has to be said that the lowest notes on a baritone are noticeably slower to respond than those of a treble. I've moved on to a Wheatstone treble now but Jack is still played quite regularly and I played it at a recent workshop so I could have a stab at the third part of the arrangements.
On that occasion the baritone parts were written in the treble clef with 8va written at the beginning to indicate that it should be played an octave lower than written. It's many years since I last read and played bass clef so I would have struggled to get the pieces ready in time.
Have fun with the Jack, and if you got as far as 'Oh When The Saints' in the tutor within a day or so you're obviously getting to grips with the English keyboard layout pretty well, keep up the good work!
-
Alan I think you're letting the H4 psych you out, connecting it to a PC is very simple. With the unit switched off plug in the USB cable, the screen will come on displaying two options
1. Audio I/O
2. Connect to PC
Audio I/O is the default so you have to move the jog wheel down once to point to 'Connect to PC' press the jog wheel in to select the option then put the Zoom down because you've finished with it until it's time to disconnect the cable. The Zoom is just another drive on your PC now.
Other things like setting recording levels are indeed buried in the menus and take a bit of getting to but there's also a mic level switch on the side with low/med/high settings. I set the input level up once in the menu and now use the switch on the side in either low or mid depending on the application. I won't defend the H4 here though because it is indeed cumbersome to use at times. I love the recording quality but if it ever breaks I would replace it with something a lot more straightforward.
The Zoom H4 is capable of a great deal more than I would ever use it for and if the H2 had been around at the time I would have bought that without doubt. The four track recording capability is a bit gimmicky to me but the audio I/O and line in are handy because I can plug into the hi-fi amp and record old vinyl for transfer to CD or use the H4 as an audio interface for the PC. Most of the other recorders can probably do that of course so it's no big deal. I might have been tempted by the Edirol R-09 simply because Roland make good kit but the price difference decided the matter in the end.
-
We're booked to go to this workshop and now have the dots. Nasty little finger jumps in one of the pieces so I'd better get practicing!
-
The quick and dirty way is to buy one of these, mask off the buttons and spray it black. Overnight delivery included in the price.
-
It's enough to drive you bonkers, piles of scrap going for big money. That one doesn't look too bad compared to some I've seen on ebay recently, but to me it would have been worth £120 tops. Perhaps I'm losing touch with dealer prices but isn't that kind of money you'd expect to pay for a half decent playable 20 button in concert pitch?
The other week I watched a lovely, concert pitch Lachenal 48 button treble English with metal ends go for £550. There are times when it all doesn't make much sense...
-
Buy it now secondhand - for only £3.00 more than a new one!
-
Hello all,
Dave Elliott suffered a PC catastrophe this afternoon and has no hope of getting it sorted out before next weekend at the earliest, and it may possibly much longer than that. If you need to contact Dave in the meantime, the quickest way is to visit his website for his telephone number.
Don't you just love computers?
-
It's of great interest to me Dave. I have a Lachenal with three key tops missing and have been scouting around for suitably thin sheet material and a metal punch that would produce the correct size of 'slug'. We have one such punch at the school where I work but the slugs it makes are too small. So can I either buy some of the tops you have or post the keys to you for repair?
-
In case you wanted to jump straight to a better instrument I've just had a quick look about and Theo Gibb at The Box Place has an almost new Morse Ceili and a refurbished 30 Button Lachenal. Morse concertinas are incredibly light in weight and very responsive to play, they are also available new from The Music Room or direct from The Button Box in the States.
-
Do I need to state a certain key? Is it a paper cardboard matchwood job or a bit better than that? Thanks.
The Rochelle only comes in C/G so no choice of key to worry about. All the Concertina Connection budget concertinas (Jack, Jackie and Rochelle) are sturdily built and physically much larger than 'standard' concertinas. They have accordion reeds in them which take up quite a lot of room and that explains the size although other makers of 'high end' accordion reeded concertinas manage a much more compact design but the price tag is much higher.
If you take to the concertina you'll be wanting to move on to a better instrument within a year or two, fortunately the Rochelle retains a high second hand value and there's always the option to upgrade to a top flight Wakker (Concertina Connection) concertina and get a full refund on the Rocehelle. I'm not sure if the Music Room offers this upgrade so you may be better buying direct from Wim Wakker in Holland. Yes, the Music Room are helpful, I'm sure they will explain the options if you give them a call, and don't forget the 30 day money back guarantee if you're not happy when the Rochelle arrives.
Have fun playing and let us know how you get on.
-
I have one strap which was on it when it arrived in post and there is another which I guess must go on it somewhere but I cant work out where. Does a melodeon usually have 2 separate straps? I feel it is not anchored correctly against me and the control of it is thus unnecessarily strained and is interrupting the squeezes. Putting my thumb into the leather thumb loop tends to restrict my finger movements as my fingers are short though hands are fairly strong and broad.
From what I've seen more melodeon players use only one strap than those who use two. I think there's usually only one bracket top and bottom so both straps attach to the same point. I've fancied having a crack at playing a melodeon for a while and might have been interested in a trade but the only concertina I have available at the moment is an all but new Jackie English.
If you have your heart set on an anglo and don't want to part with loads of cash, consider a Rochelle.
-
There is a similar item here which may give you some idea about ebay value although final selling prices vary quite a lot.
-
Leo, What is the "Video subforum" and how to get there? Thanks, Jim
It's the fifth heading down on the main page - and it's here
-
Would this be the best section of the forum for discussions regarding audio and video hardware and software? Odd discussions pop up now and again regarding the relative merits of recorders, mics/pickup devices and software for editing audio and video files in order to create the web based media referred to in the threads here. Just a thought.
Pete.
-
Good to hear you've got the Zoom up and running Alan, have you managed to transfer your recordings and edit them or do we need to start talking about suitable audio editing software elsewhere?
-
Alan, everything about changing your email address in 'My Controls' looks fairly straightforward. If you have changed your email address and you are now able to log on but your email contacts via the board don't work I suggest you contact Paul and report a possible problem with the software.
I'll try and send an email via the link in your profile and see what happens ...
Pete.
-
I would venture to suggest that the asking price is very reasonable. So who's going to lend me 2 grand?
-
And a "melodeon" as a depiction of one row accordion is outdated.
A melodeon isn't a one row accordion in the English idiom. It's a diatonic button accordion, the number of rows isn't even considered. 'Most' people here would describe a 'melodeon' as a two or two and a half row button diatonic squeeze-box available in a variety of keys - oh, and there are also one row boxes but we don't talk about those ...
Hello
in General Concertina Discussion
Posted
Hello and welcome. The forum is a wonderful place, full of lively debate and friendly advice. Take a bit of time to browse through the various sections and read up on the many questions previously posted about the relative merits of the various types of concertina - English isn't the only type with the same note push and pull. Then there's the hoary question of where you start. New/secondhand/vintage instrument; cheap and cheerful, mid priced workhorse, bespoke handmade antique of the future. The list goes on...
Give us a rough idea of where in the world you are and the kind of music you are interested in. There may be a c.net member close by who can give you a little guidance and perhaps let you 'have a go' to see if your interest will ever amount to anything and help you decide on the concertina type/price range that's best for you.
I would echo Nicholas' advice regarding the Jack (baritone) and Jackie (treble - same range as the violin), good basic instruments at a very reasonable price. They hold their value so you would loose little of the modest outlay if you decide the concertina isn't for you.
So pull up a chair - and as a newbie it's your round at the bar!