Chris Timson
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Posts posted by Chris Timson
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I would not characterise Henrik as using hobby-level tools. I've been following his work with great interest through Facebook as with characteristic generosity he will share his images and experience with anyone interested. Here's a quote from his website about his current build that illustrates the point: 'This time, though – since the last couple of years has been dedicated to making the tools – I will not go into all details of that process but only show the finished tool “doing its thing”'.
One thing about concertinas (as I'm sure you know but is not always obvious to others) is: nobody sells tools for making concertinas. This means that any aspiring concertina makers spend much of their time making tools. Colin Dipper's training is as a tool maker. Another friend who is starting to build concertinas (he is on this forum) has a background in model building that gives him similar skills. It's what you need if you want to make concertinas.
I'm afraid phrases like "hobby-level tools" suggest popping down to B&Q and buying some clever power tools and off you go. It's not like that at all.
Chris
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It may well seem an unnecessary complication, but I think of the Maccann and Jeffries duets as being as different from one another as, say, a tenor banjo and a guitar. I don't lump the duet systems together under one broad heading - yes, they share characteristics but playing each one of them is a very different experience. The configuration of the instruments leads you to do different things with them.
Agree with this completely. I tried to make the same point in the Concertina FAQ. We do tend to blur the different types of duet together in normal conversation, regrettably.
Chris
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I'm really having trouble understanding your point here, Brian and Geoff. A custom-made concertina takes years, agreed, but surely a custom-made set of reedpans with reeds could only be sensibly be made by the same people. As such it would have to wait its turn in the queue along with the concertinas. Where is the advantage?
Chris
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However I would have thought that anyone capable of making new reed-pans, could easily construct a double ended box that could house the original reed-pans clamped flat.
Indeed so, but it all adds to the expense. I have to ask again: why bother? Why not just have a new concertina made? Then all you have to do to change system is put one concertina down and pick the other up ...
Chris
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However, I do think that making a new reed pan that could be swapped back and forth with the existing reed pan would be ethically OK.
Yep, completely acceptable to the Concertina Ethics Police. However I would worry that swapping the reedpans frequently would over time cause them to become loose and less airtight in the frame. Also, Colin Dipper once said to me that the reeds are half the value of a concertina. This would mean that with the work to make the reedpans as well you would be investing more than half the value of the concertina in these reedpans. So why not go the whole hog and have another concertina made? The world can't have enough concertinas in it, IMHO.
Chris
Edit: another thought, the reedpans which were not in the instrument would have to be clamped in some way to prevent them from warping. For this reason it's not a good idea to leave a concertina end dismantled for long periods of time. The screws clamp the whole thing together and stop it warping.
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Lovely sound! I suspect people who like that sound will also like the sound of our Accordeaphone. Thanks for that.
Chris
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For more information on octave playing on the anglo, you'll find lots on House Dance by our own Dan Worrall.
Chris
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People play in octaves because it sounds good, that's all. It doesn't sound like a button with two reeds on it an octave apart, it sounds more like two concertinas being played together an octave apart. Of course, that fact that you are playing the melody and octave apart on each hand doesn't stop you putting decorations in on one hand or the other. Played by someone expert in the approach, like say Harry Scurfield or the recordings of Scan Tester, it sounds great!
And that's why people do it.
Chris
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...ohhhh, Chris; now there is something I could covet...... Would you make a little sound record for us all to hear?
What's the point of having a recording studio if you can't respond to a request like this?
I'll get Anne to play something in front of the mics in the next week or so.
Chris
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Lachenal made a two voice English concertina to compete with the up and coming piano-accordion before WW II. These were called "Accordeophones" They were square (like a bandoneon) with perloid ends. I have seen and heard one which the late Tom Jukes had and played. The sound was similar to a cheap Chinese melodeon ! One or two still exist and they were discussed on concertina.net about 10 years ago.
Actually, Brian, the Accordeaphone sounds a good deal nicer than that. It actually has three reeds on each note, two on the note and one an octave down. The result is a bit accordion-ish but quite rich and nice. We know of four in the world. There's an unplayable one in the Horniman, one belonging to another Brian, one sitting under Colin Dipper's workbench, and ours.
Here's a picture of ours:-
Chris
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Always good to see new makers coming along. Nice one!
Chris
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I've fitted baffles to a number of concertinas over the years, not to control volume but to sweeten the sound, especially for instruments intended for song accompaniment. Baffles can have a great effect on the tone and I would be reluctant to put baffles on just one end because your two ends would then sound quite different. Do you not find this?
The basic procedure of making a template, then cutting the leather to match and sticking it in place with double sided tape that you describe is what I do, and a technique I learned from Colin Dipper. However I am nowhere near so meticulous in trying to cover the whole of the end with leather, ever since I effectively sealed the ends of the first concertina I made baffles for, thus rendering it unplayable until I took the baffles out again.
Chris
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I've got a G/D much like that, 38 buttons with Dipper bellows. A magic combination in my opinion, you can't go wrong with it.
Chris
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Not for sale? Excellent. I hope, though, that having inherited it they get you to sort its problems and someone from the family learns to play it. That would be a fairytale ending to the story.
Chris
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Nothing wrong with second hand tinas. What have you been offered?
Chris
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Personally I was never very keen on the Lachenal yellow-ended boxes. It me they always felt cheap and a bit nasty. Now the rosewood-ended anglos which were next up in their range, those I've always loved for their sweetness and clarity of tone.
Chris
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Buy a Wera for about £4 and your screwdriver problems will be solved.
Well, at least until you lose it ...
Chris
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A Lidl store, although a separate company and Aldi's biggest competitor, is so similar that the only way to tell which you're in is to look at the sign outside. Thanks for the song - it nails the two companies nicely.
Chris
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The one Walmart I've ever been in you could have parked a couple of Jumbos in it was so big, I was surprised clouds didn't form near the ceiling. Aldi is not on anything like that scale. However I did expand my toolkit recently with a set of modellers tools and screwdrivers from Amazon. Good value at 17 quid but I paid 10 in a quick sale and feel very pleased. They're here.
Chris
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I'd look at the 26 button G/D Jones being offered here: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=17335
A lot more versatile than a 20 button but not much more costly.
Chris
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I had one of these at one time - ex-Sally Army G/D (probably originally Ab/Eb) 26 button Jones, and I endorse the suggestion that it is a very good first G/D being offered here at a decent price.
Chris
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After thinking very hard the only thing I really don't like about Marcus concertinas is that their Jeffries style bellows papers have a sort of golden glow that you can recognise right down the street. I consider that if all I can find to moan about is the bellows papers then they're doing alright!
Chris
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Thanks for that, Jody, it's a lovely carol and the sentiment is spot on.
If anyone wants to investigate further there is a good bibliography at the end of Anne's dissertation. I'd particularly recommend Glyn Court's Carols of the Westcountry.
For myself, I'm going to follow up the original recommendation of Christmas Carols - From Village Green to Church Choir by Andrew Gant that started the whole thread off. Completist that Anne is she'll be very interested in this. Thank you, Rod.
Chris
20 Buttons?
in General Concertina Discussion
Posted
The most common home keys for anglo concertina is C/G, as you've noticed. The next most common by a fair distance is G/D and you will probably find that combination easier to buy than the others. I mostly play G/D and can vouch that it is a nice sounding combination. You've obviously thought about your use of the concertina, so I'll just say that if ever you do find yourself playing with others then G/D will prove quite useful and 30 buttons will always come in handy.
Best of luck,
Chris