
meltzer
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Everything posted by meltzer
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Action Box End Replacement Questions
meltzer replied to astrotina's topic in Instrument Construction & Repair
I reckon you'll get one, too. For all the talk about these being basic instruments (which is no doubt true), they still have "that sound," and can have a kind of responsiveness that you just won't find on their lower-end equivalents today. I am the (genuinely) proud owner of a basic Lachenal (except mine's a 30-key anglo), and it just does far more than the modern "student" instrument I had first. Plus the five-fold bellows give me a lot more air to play with than the 7-fold bellows of my learner box, not least because of the quality of the reeds. Now, no doubt as I improve as a player (I hope!), I'll come up against its limitations -- to an extent this is already happening as my chords get a bit bigger & more adventurous for song accompaniment. But I'll never want a box that I can play at 100mph because that doesn't interest me. (I have a melodeon for doing that ) -
Oh blimey. All those low notes. And some of them would be "drones" for the obvious minor keys on a G/D box. *drools* Unfortunately I am skint, so I'll have to let this one pass.
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I've Been Cheating On My Concertina.
meltzer replied to polkabeast's topic in General Concertina Discussion
So does it play the same notes strumming up the strings as it does down? -
Although this said, aren't the usual Sally Ann neckstrap attachments like little eyelet things? Hmm.
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I reckon so -- especially since the description says it's ex-Salvation Army. All that playing outdoors.
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I think you'd be better off sticking with the Rochelle for the time being, given your budget. Unless continental Europe is a haven for cheap 30k anglos, which somehow I doubt. I bought a "basic" Lachenal a few months back (fully restored, and a lovely little box) for the best part of 800 sterling. I'm sorry to say, but I doubt you'll find much for 800 euros -- unless you were willing to go down to a 26 key instrument, and even then you might struggle.
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We look forward to your new career as a soprano.
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Maybe some hand/finger stretching exercises might be an alternative to messing about with your 'tina. Is your span greater on your right hand than your left, and are you right-handed? I say this because my span on my left hand is about a finger's breadth wider than on my right, because I'm left-handed, and also my music teacher at school made us do finger exercises -- touching the little & index fingers in front of & behind the other fingers as quickly as possible.
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Dodgy ground this, are you actually saying that anglo concertina is for musical tree swingers? :lol: No, just me. This is another thread, like, but I'd be genuinely interested to know how EC players work out countermelodies, accompaniments, etc.
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Oi! Some of us like being able to work out chords without needing a slide rule, you know.
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Cheers for that, Peter. I might very well take you up on that. My work takes me to Manchester quite a lot and the train stops at Stoke-on-Trent, so I reckon the thing to do when I'm ready to make the switch, travel home via the hallowed garden shed of Barleycorn.
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Cheers for the responses. Helpful about the brass reed issue. Try before you buy. Oh yes. But I just need a few things to fret about to feed into the months of prevarication that go with these things. For me, anyway.
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Yeah, I know. I've only had my 30k mahogany-ended steel-reed Lachenal for a few months.... But I was just wondering about where to go when I'm in a position to 'upgrade.' I'd stress that I love the tone of the Lachenal, and I don't want anything too loud -- it'll be for song accompaniment. I suppose I have a few questions/concerns: - * is there a signifinant difference in the performance of a rosewood-ended Lachenal, or am I paying for a fancier finish? * as well as the completely different tone I got when PeterT let me loose on his Wheatstone was the amount of air I had to play with. Would I get this with a better -quality Lachenal, or would I have to switch makes? * would switching to a higher quality brass-reeded instrument be an option? I got my current 'tina from Chris Algar, so could do the part-exchange thing. However, it would mean replacing my only decent instrument, so I suppose that what I'm after is "what I've got now, but better," rather than another kind of 'tina entirely.
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thankyou I am actually 57, [born the same day as the drummer in Genesis Phil Collins] but just feel 99,and happy birthday to R Cowlin. I was born on the same day that The Beatles decided to split up. It set the tone for my lifelong contribution to music.
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Well, he is according to the birthdays thing at the bottom of the page. Happy birthday, Dick.
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Perhaps I should start a poll so that people could decide what key I was playing in. Anyone who's familiar with the tune, the whole of the first line was a run on the "pull." My poor 5-fold bellows.
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Cheers, Peter. Obviously seeing you playing across the rows like that was something of an inspiration. On balance, I'm not entirely sure it was in F at all. I started playing the thing on the C row but it was too low for my voice. But it was in the "pull" major key on the C row, which would be a G with a flatted 7th. So..... I tried in on the G row, reaching across to the C row for the lower notes, but it was a fraction too high. That would have made it in "pull" D. So..... taking it down a tone would mean it was back in C again. Hang on, that can't be right. OK, the low note in the chord on the left hand was a "pull" on the accidental row on the lowest note.... so that makes it (checks fingering chart)... er... actually it was an F all along. Unless the low note wasn't the tonic of the chord. It's a minefield, I tells ya. So that means I wasn't taking it a tone down, I was taking it a flatted third up, but singing it an octave lower. Hang on again, that's what it would have been in F all along. (Compared to playing it on the C row) * Anyway, it was an attempt at "Gypsy laddie" to the same tune as on the John Kirkpatrick/Sue Harris album Shreds & patches (but without the skill). Not sure I'd be able to play it again anyway. * See everyone? This is what happens when English anglo players think about what they're doing too much.
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Just thought I'd share that with you. Bit of a milestone & all that. Feel free to congratulate me, buy me a small present, etc.
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Prepay or travelcard? Could be important if things get dirty.
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Jesus, it doesn't get any better, does it?
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Just imagining an earnest American 'tina player visiting the land of his fathers for the first time. Tentatively, he sits down on the edge of a session, and begins to play quietly (unlikely I know, but stick with me on this one). After a while, he comes to the attention of one of the regulars. "Lovely wee box," he says, "What is it?"
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Reed Not Sounding All The Time
meltzer replied to meltzer's topic in Instrument Construction & Repair
Thanks to Peter, my troublesome reed (which was indeed a bit loose, and fixed with the 'bit of paper' trick) is now sounding well. And making some of the others sound a bit woozy in comparison. Thanks also for letting my untutored fingers loose on some lovely instruments, & for hospitality. -
Then again, you might prefer to go for a modern instrument. In that case, I'd go for a (Johnny) Depper.
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Or, if you haven't got enough pieces of eight for one of those, maybe a Lachenaaaaarrrrrghl.