Stefan

Thank you very much Wolf and good luck with your Crane, maybe hear you sometimes?

Somebody contacted me through my Website. He is interested in selling a Wheatsone Serial Nr. 31319 built 1926. The Wheatstone Ledgers say it´s a 48 key so probably an English. I don´t know what the abbreviations mean: N.P., K.V., W.S., can you help? Could someone estimate it´s value or maybe someone is interested?

I play several instruments and I have some experience on giving up. I have learned that there are reasons why you give up playing. Most of the time it is is FRUSTRATION (apart from health issues). Playing an Instrument in general is a fun and fascinating thing - why should you stop doing that? There where times, in my Concertina playing too, when I noticed that I play less and less, don´t practice anymore and so on. What I do then is try to ask myself why I don´t want to pick up the instrument right now. The answer always is that I´m frustrated with something. Maybe I set my ambitions too high, maybe progress is too slow,...there can be many reasons. It helps me when I analyze why and then try to find a way around it so I get back the fun in playing.

Beautiful, Adrian!

I guess in most cases a small mixer would be fine. It would need 2 XLR input channels with phantom power. Most have an IQ, some have a knob to silence all output, or you could turn down the main-volume. Some have effects too, if you like to add some reverb. A mixer like that IS a DI Box with preamps and EQ. Here is an example: https://www.thomann.de/de/the_t.mix_micromix_1_usb.htm

I have recorded a lot (including a CD), these microphones are all ok. But I seriously recommend using a smartphone (I used a Samsung but IPhones are at least as good). I still try to match the sound of some old recordings that were made in my former bathroom. A lot depends on the room acoustics and where you put the phone. You also should have a recording app that can record at least in 44,1 kHz and 16 bit and level the volume so that there is no overload. Afterwards you could optimize the sound and cut the ends on a PC.

I finally got the CD, it took a while to get to Germany. I like it very much, congratulations Steve.

Thank you very much Wes, all the best.

Wow, thank you so much for the stunning comments. After all I´m just exploring what is possible for me and the instrument, like so many concertina players. And everyone is unique. Like Adrian and Susanna with Dappers Delight are one of a kind and you too Steve. I finally got your CD and I like it very much, it has a nice touch from Down Under. And Adrian - I´m glad you like it. Thank you so much for your help. And it would be very cool to see you again but I guess you won´t come to the German Concertina Meeting?

If you are interested in Rock´n Roll Concertina, there´s a music-player embedded on my website now where you can preview my new EP (Tax Evasion) http://www.musikboehmer.de You´ll have to scroll down a bit All the best

My new EP "Tax Evasion" is available now. It can be downloaded or streamed at various sites (Amazon/ITunes etc.) Or you can buy the real thing by dropping me a message, it costs 7.-€ plus postage. Here is a link where you can preview the songs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Musik-B%C3%B6hmer-His-Concertina-Hell/dp/B078YWFB2N/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516026056&sr=8-1&keywords=musik+boehmer

Now I sent the money with Paypal, it was easier than I thought. Looking forward to the CD.

Thank you Steve.

Great CD Steve, congratulations, I definitly want one. Can I get it and avoid Paypal?

I never saw it that way, but that sounds plausible. If he would still be alive he´d probably have invented the nuclear driven Concertina or maybe powered by brainwaves?

Thanks Adrian, nice suggestion for the Title of the EP, ha. But it probably will just be "Tax Evasion" - too boring?

Thank you Ron

Here is my new video for those who are interested in Rock-Concertina https://youtu.be/yAHCo6gMiWQ My first CD (it´s actually an EP with 4 and a half Songs) will hopefully be released next month, it contains original songs, all about the fancy topic of tax-avoidance.

It was the surprise of the year to see you and your family there, so nice. I still feel very honoured. All the best Adrian.

Very inspiring Jody. I really would like to have heard that.

Musik Boehmer and his Concertina from Hell 18. February on a very nice stage in Gaggenau http://www.rantastic-kleinkunst.de/de/event924573.html 23. February in Essen - Kulturzentrum Grend http://www.konzerte.grend.de/konzert_seiten/konzert.php?k_id=570 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musikboehmer/ Website: http://www.musikboehmer.de Would be nice to see you.

Thank you Steve and Jim. Well - I guess you are both excused.

I´m celebrating the 100st Birthday of my Concertina (Wheatstone Aeola Maccann Serial Number 27340) with a concert in Cologne. 29. December, starting 8 pm. Location: Ubier Schaenke/Cologne/Germany http://ubierschaenke-koeln.de/events/#event|undefined|63

Ehmm .. the photo

After playing regulary about 4 years with microphones, I still find it difficult. My setup is different, I only sometimes try to achieve a natural sound, instead I use a lot of guitar-effects, especially distortion. Here you can see my setup: https://youtu.be/k3Asf1a7VEE For some time now, I use harmonica mics - Finhol Edge Mic Blues Harp (to me the concertina is a kind of blown up harmonica): https://www.thomann.de/de/finhol_edge_mic_blues_harp.htm I took off the clamp and velcroed them under my hands (see the photo) These mics don´t have a bass range so I have much less problems with bass-feedback, also with low "rumble" noise. Concertinas don´t have much bass anyway. A problem here is that some of the reeds are further away from the mic, so some notes are louder than others. I baffle all my concertinas because I want to dampen the harsh high sounds. I pierced holes in the baffles in the higher ranges (where the higher reeds are) to soften that problem a little. Here is a recording of the mics (without baffles though) - please notice that the sound is very "dry", that means because they are so close to the reeds, there is no natural room sound audible: https://soundcloud.com/squeezer-stefan/microphone-finhol-test I guess, microphones on a concertina are always a compromise. 2 good mics on stands are probably the best for recording. The distance decides wether it pics up more of the action noises or the room. Also you can get the "doppler effect" (I miss that beautiful sound) that is the sound when you move the concertina in the air. Alistair Anderson does it a lot. No doppler effect with mounted mics. On a loud stage you can not use microphones that are so far away because they pic up everything around you. If you turn them louder you get feedback. Microphones on goosenecks are in between. I don´t have experience with them, but I guess, for a natural sound/less feedback they are a good compromise. The looks though ...... If you use mics that need phantom power you can plug into the house system. I always would recommend a small mixer with 2 mic channels (no belt pack and things alike) an example: https://www.thomann.de/de/mackie_402_vlz4.htm