[64 key Aeola sold in auction - on TV]

On a daytime TV programme in England, called 'Flog It!', a woman brought Wheatstone 26546 along.

 

She had kept it in her garage for 30 years: it was kept after an old lady she used to know died.

 

She had no idea what it was worth: the 'expert' had a bit more idea.

 

If you are in the UK, you can see the episode here for a few more days:

 

Flog It!

 

It's about 32 minutes in. The auction is very near the end - about 41 minutes in.

 

It went for £2,200.

 

In my defence, I don't watch daytime TV programmes like this. My mother told me about it!

 

Steve

[A reed going flat]

Just so that you recognise the symptoms.

A reed that suddenly starts to go flat that you may even tune back to pitch and then goes flat again.

You have a problem !

It is about to snap in two.

This may save you from an embarrassing moment on stage.

Al

 

This happened to me quite a few years ago. I heard that someone in the band I was in kept playing a wrong note. After a while I realised it was me, on my 56 key Wheatstone bass/baritone!

 

I checked I was pressing the correct button: yes. The concertina is single-acting, so I couldn't even play that note in the other direction.

 

At the end of that number, I played a long note and listened to the pitch drop, ending with a ping when the reed snapped.

 

I phoned Colin Dipper, posted the broken reed to him and received a replacement by return of post. Colin said to ring him when I had installed it to discuss final tuning, but it was perfect so I didn't need to do anything.

 

This reed sounded a bit different for a while, but I can't even remember which one it was now.

 

Steve

[How heavy is your concertina?]

I had always thought my Jeffries Duet was a bit weighty - I've just checked....it's 2.25kgs!

It does get a bit heavy after a while whilst standing up when playing for morris.

 

I play a single-acting Wheatstone 56 key Bass/Baritone EC. It weighs in at 6 lbs 12.5 ounces: that's 3.085Kg.

 

I don't often play standing up!

 

I take my hat off to you...and step aside to allow you top step on the podium (that is, if you can climb up there with all that weight!)

 

It's only a 'Small Bass', according to the Wheatstone ledgers at http://www.horniman.info/WNCMARC/C1054/PAGES/CAP2240S.HTM

 

Does anybody own a 'Large Bass' (and some scales)?

 

Lofty

[How heavy is your concertina?]

I had always thought my Jeffries Duet was a bit weighty - I've just checked....it's 2.25kgs!

 

It does get a bit heavy after a while whilst standing up when playing for morris.

 

I think my Æola Baritone Trumps your Duet wolsop. It weighs in at 2041g!

 

...................... Any Bass players out there?

 

I play a single-acting Wheatstone 56 key Bass/Baritone EC. It weighs in at 6 lbs 12.5 ounces: that's 3.085Kg.

 

I don't often play standing up!