Wally Carroll

Alcohol can dissolve certain finishes such as French Polish (shellac) and can soften lacquer finishes. Definitely make sure you don't get any of this on your instruments.

On that instrument I used EVA foam.

I recently made this change to both the reed pans and action/pad boards in order to better keep the pieces from warping. It works really well. That being said, warped pieces are often not a problem as they are usually flattened out sufficiently when the instrument is bolted together. I would only go the route I outlined above if you are unable to get a good seal after bolting the instrument together.

Thanks Bruce! I think I was missing the second step. I was choosing the pic but didn't realize I also had to to hit the attach button.

Thanks Bruce! I think I was missing the second step. I was choosing the pic but didn't realize I also had to to hit the attach button.

Sorry, can't get the photo to attach. I've tried several times now. It might be too large. Anyone know how to lower the resolution on an iPhone?

Sorry to be a little late on this . . . In my experience the only way to really keep it flat is to somewhat crush the wood fibers by bending it in the opposite direction. See photo. A few notes on the process . . . Make sure the paper towels are damp and touching the pans. A damp sponge would probably work better. Apply a small amount of pressure to start the flattening then walk away for an hour. Add a little more pressure and redampen towels if needed then walk away for another hour. Repeat this process until you go about 1/8" - 3/16" past flat. Remove towels and leave for 24 hours. Next day remove all pressure and let it sit for a few hours. You may need to reclamp and take it even further. Please be extremely careful when doing this as you can easily crack the pan!

This instrument is now sold!

This instrument is still available. The seller has lowered the price to $4500. I've attached a picture below. This instrument will ship from the Carroll Concertinas factory. Thanks!

The owner is asking $5000 for this instrument.

On behalf of a client, I am selling Carroll Concertina #168. This instrument has a brand new exterior (woodwork, buttons, action, and bellows). The reedpans are from an older instrument where the original owner had ordered an extra set of reedpans and now the current owner has decided to have a second instrument made out of the extra pans. This instrument is a Walnut Burl Wheatstone Design in the key of Bflat/F. This instrument has a lovely warm tone and is a fast player. Please PM me if interested or contact me through www.carrollconcertinas.com. Also, an appropriate donation to C'Net will be made in the event of a sale. Sorry but I wasn't able to attach a photo through the mobile version of the website. Contact me for a photo. Thanks, Wally

I just added a couple of files Edel Fox sent me playing her small size Carroll Concertina at last year's Willie Clancy week. They are in the middle of the page at: http://www.carrollconcertinas.com Also, I will be at Willie Clancy this year for the second half of the week (Wed. through Sat). If anyone is interested in meeting up, send me a message. Wally

Maugham is one of my favorite authors as well. Sadly he is not read much on this side of the pond. I haven't read the "Moon and Sixpence" in many years and didn't recognize this passage so I think it is safe to say that it must have been before I developed an interest in concertinas. Over the past 15 years or so I have been slowly making my way through Maugham's works. Currently I am reading "The Narrow Corner." That is to say, I will soon be reading it . . . it has been sitting on the side of my bed for two weeks now in the "on deck" position and my Tivo recordings are nearly exhausted so it will be any day now that I begin.

Hey all, if anyone is going to be in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, I'm going to be hosting Noel Hill for a house concert on Sunday August 12th at 7pm. PM me if you would like to attend and I can send you more details. Thanks, Wally Carroll

We're going to do the concert again this year at my home on Thursday August 4th. Noel will start at 7pm. A session will follow. For mapping purposes, my address is 912 Squire Oaks Dr., Villa Hills, KY 41017. Please let me know if you are planning on attending - either PM, email or call 513-604-1340. If you are travelling, this would be a great opportunity to also attend the Dublin, OH Irish Fest which is the weekend after the concert and is about 2 hours away. Also, if anyone is interested, I can arrange for a tour of the new shop earlier on Thursday. Thanks and Hope to see you there! Wally