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kfk'51

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    Libertyville IL

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  1. Tired of my stagi, I just woke up one morning, looked at my bank balance and gave Bob Tedrow a call. I ordered a standard (30 key Jeffries sys) C/G in the middle of Feb '08 (I think) and I got it some time in Apr. It's fast (the air valve and bellows deliver at something approaching the speed of light) and has a nice "honk" to it. I was used to the "standard" layout, but I now enjoy the Jeffries layout--especially in the keys of D and A. I'm still a tyro, and confine my playing to my living room, but I think it would make a good session choice as it's quite strident--a lot of bang for the buck. Kevin
  2. That's certainly thinking outside the box Catty, and seems like an elegant solution. I'd thought about building a case, but this looks good and would keep one item off an already lengthy "things to do" list. Kevin
  3. As Laitch alluded to in a different thread, the air button is difficult to operate because of the handrest extention. I took a fine toothed saw and a good chisel and lowered the extension about 3/8" (it really shouldn't be there at all) and that allowed me to operate the button with my thumb the way it's supposed to be operated.
  4. Other than cars, airplanes and iceboats, I really question the wisdom of trying to operate any machine (musical or otherwise) that you have to stap yourself into. It makes it hard to beat a retreat.
  5. Bravo David Boveri--I would suggest that even casual music can warrant careful listening and even then some nuances may escape. I would also ask (rhetorically perhaps) why is the fiddle held up as an example? It could be argued that such an instrument should only be employed in playing Bach's and Ysaye's works for solo fiddle. Perhaps TIM should only be performed as "mouth music" with a couple of sheep's ribs for backup. Kevin
  6. As a bachelor inclined to indulging my whims, though I started on an anglo (Stagi), I later picked up a "cheap" post war english Wheatstone and learned enough to realize it was neither the style nor the "sound" (although the sound of the instrument itself is wonderful) I was looking for so I finally ordered an anglo from Bob Tedrow. While waiting for it I picked up a 55 button Latchenal Maccann and started mucking about with it, and I really like it--I love the fact that you can play a piece on the RH only, and by playing only a drone or double stops on the LH get a nice full sound. I actually think the layout is quite sensible with about 80% of the accidentals where you might expect them. My one abidance has been that I don't try to learn a tune that I already play on a different system (old dog learning the same trick in a different language sort of thing). I've been working on a Bach Bouree (lots of accidentals for learning and a nice bass line) and it hasn't taken long to learn the two parts, although getting them together is taking some time. My personal bigotry is that for most instrumental folk music I really like the anglo but as song accompaniment or for something slow in a minor key, I'm intrigued with the duet. As a ps, I got my Tedrow last week and love it--what a machine! Kevin
  7. Thinking outside the box (or booth). . . my other really expensive hobby is large format photagraphy and for loading film holders outside of the darkroom I use a "changing bag", which is usually a double lined bag of rubberized fabric closed by a couple of zippers and having two arm holes. I stuck my stagi (should have my Tedrow in another week) in mine and it really muffles the sound. My bag is 16" x 16" and really to small for concertina playing but you can get them up to 24" X 30" and that might do the trick. They're warm too (well, actually sweaty on a summer day) so if you're banished to practising on a mountain top it should be splendid. Anyhow, you can find them on ebay in the camera section. Kevin
  8. Hi--Yeah it does cover a lot of ground doesn't it--under all that snow lie a bunch of "fly-over states". I'm in the tracted wildness between Chicago and Milwaukee, Illinois side, and if it gets any colder I'm going to have to start burning books and instruments for heat.
  9. Ah--he's moved back to Scotland (Perthshire). He took his concertina, accordian, bouzouki, mandolin,bass, autoharp and wife of 37 years with him. And my life here in the midwest had been much more staid ever since--he could be quite bonkers.
  10. I had a friend who played (among many instruments) accordian--he took an autoharp and rearranged the keys and their felts so that they were arranged the same as the bass side buttons of an accordian and became an instant expert. He is a Scotsman and something of an iconoclast (i.e. he plays an English).
  11. My cats are largely ambivalent except for one who absolutely adores the sound of concertinas. As soon as I start to play he has to throw himself into my lap--the volume doesn't seem to bother him--and he'll stay there until I quit playing. He would also try(often successfully) to get onto my shoulder when I played fiddle so I would generally generally wear a heavy shirt when I practiced.
  12. Hey Mark--I'm VERY interested in purchasing your Tedrow at the stated price(if it's still for sale)--if you could email me--wiglaf0951@msn.com--with contact info I'd like to work something out. Regards, Kevin Kann
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