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saguaro_squeezer

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Posts posted by saguaro_squeezer

  1. I'm just learning about Maccanns but I know that the 57b (while only having two more buttons than my 55) allegedly has much more overlap and starts at C3 on the right, as opposed to G3 on my Lachenal 55b.  These are referencing the layouts in Robert Gaskins excellent book, "How to play chords on any Maccann".

     

    Here is that link, in case you've not seen it ...

     

    http://www.concertina.com/gaskins/chords/Gaskins-How-to-Play-Chords-on-Any-MacCann-Duet-Concertina-3.pdf

     

    Perhaps your 62b was a special commission?  Dirge, any ideas?

  2. 18 hours ago, Ken_Coles said:

    Maybe our friend should be charging for his services! I'm tempted to rename this the "Dowright Does Right" thread. ? Certainly any of you folks should stand him a round if/when you meet in person.

     

    Dowright, I would gladly stand you a round or two!  Even a virtual one until we meet.

     

  3. Freddy, it depends on value.  Watch out for declaring rosewood, ebony etc.  If you're shipping from UK to USA, use a courier such as transglobal express, since royal mail may not insure for a high enough value.  I've use UPS because you can trace it and call them when it hits our customs and pay the fees over the phone.   

  4. And, even though it's Bisonoric, didn't the Chemnitzer and Bandoneon evolve so that the same notes were available on either push or pull?  It's a stretch to the topic but there are lots of instances of keyboard works being played on Bandoneon.  Some might consider it from the concertina family.  Just something to consider as you explore.  There are unisonoric Bandoneons, too.  So many free-reeds, so little time!

  5. 52 minutes ago, Little John said:

    There isn't really any such concept as a "proper" place for accidentals. Even on the smallest Crane you have D#4 but Eb5 on the right hand side; yet each is likely serve the other purpose at times (i.e. Eb4 and D#5 respectively).

     

     

    I forgot to add this to the previous post and I'm sorry.   Josh's diagram for the 80 key had the C# in the 4th column, which, to me, is inside that 3-finger ascending pattern.  Since there are no accidentals in that pattern, it makes more sense to me to put the c# in one of the "accidental" (outside) columns (1 or 5).

  6. 15 hours ago, Little John said:

    Why not just cary the natural sequence downward, ending with C2 alone in the middle column (beneath F2)?

     

    LJ

    Little John,

     

    The only issue that I had until a few minutes ago was that  you don't have a place to put either the F#2 or Bb2.  I found this thread from back in 2011 where someone asked a similar question and we also got the benefit of Geoff Crabb's input on how the 'plus-size' keyboards were more individual (I think that the 69 key layout that Josh refers to in his post is my previous one) ....

     

     

    So, the 80 key layout in Josh's thread might be good, if you pull the C#2 out to below the F#2 in the rightmost column, just to keep the accidentals in their proper columns!

  7. I ran into an interesting issue this morning.  I'd sent a proposed layout to Alex for the upcoming MacCrane and used the Crabb 80-key layout that Geoff had provided as a starting point.  I left the F and Bb outliers on the LH because I've gotten used to them on my current Crabb 57.  Alex said that he thought it a bit odd and so I tried to come up with the sequence to eliminate them and stay within the 5 column format.

     

    It seems that it can be done if you start the LH on C2 and move upwards in the usual Crane fashion.  But for the 80b, it appears that Crabb added rows to the standard 6 row layout of the 55b, trying to keep them intact.   And therin is the rub, there's no nice way to add those rows without pulling one or more notes out of the Chevron.

     

    Any thoughts?

    ProposedLayoutChange.xlsx

  8. I saw the post on Alex’s site about this instrument and am really excited about possibly signing up to get one!  My Connor is one of the last modern Cranes and this  could be an opportunity to come up with something more like we have discussed ... less overlap and more range

     overall.  

    Of course, I’m really pleased that Alex has agreed to help with my Lachenal “MacCrane” conversion.  But, that’s a different thread ...

  9. A question came up, would I want metal or wood ends?  Setting aside weight, what does a metal-ended Lachenal sound like, compared to a wooden-ended one?  I don't know that comparing my wooden-ended Lachenal 48 with my metal-ended Connor or Crabbs is a fair comparison.  I could infer 'brighter' but that seems too obvious.

    Any thoughts?

  10. Alex, I guess I thought ... and perhaps with quite a bit of naivete ... that since both were duets and had roughly the same placement and progression ascending the sale, that the reed chambers could stay as they were.  Otherwise, you would be truly changing the instrument.  Your point is well taken and I'll have a look at the reed placement.

     

    I hadn't seen your Müller conversion ... that's very nicely done!

  11. Ever since my early Crane days, I've been searching for an 80 button Crane.  Of course, no luck.  But while at Kilve, Colin Dipper floated the idea of converting a Maccann to Crane.  I don't really want to convert my lovely big Crabb Maccann, but what about building a new set of ends with action that you could swap out with the Maccann ends?  You already have the reeds, reed pans, bellows, etc.  All you'd need is the action and ends.

     

    Would any of the builders out there care to hazard a guess as to the cost?  I won't consider it in any way a quote ... just an idea to see if it's even feasable.

  12. I would suggest playing this way,  using the last phrase as the transition this way (sorry, this would make more sense with the dots, I think) ...

     Note: chords in [ ]

    in G

    [G]          [C]       [D7]                                     [A7]

    B-C-D-B-C--B-C-D-D( possibly down 8va)-E--

    then into D with

    [D]               [G]

    F#-G-A-F#-G-G- etc>

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