jaimot

Well, I have nothing new to report on the mystery, yet. I spoke with the Button Box people and they welcomed my stopping by while I was traveling in Massachusetts, but they were closed for the 12 days I was there. I will be stopping by there this spring and look forward to their opinion. Also, the man on the phone said that it was remotely possible that the tina is not a Lachenal afterall, but perhaps a Wheatstone! I will be sure to report back on all this by May. thanks for all your comments and interest. happy new year to you all! Jaimot

Well, I guess the consensus is yes, a whole step (and some gaps between what's stamped on the button and the actual pitch are even wider an interval than that) implies a Bb instrument, which apparently is a bona fide instrument, as was said, to play along with brass and clarinets, for example. What about bassoon and oboe? They are in C, after all. It is just so consistantly in general, a whole step lower than the stamp on the button that plays the note. This reminds me all too clearly of when I played clarinet and was so excited to be able to play duets with my mom at the piano and when we started to play --me being about 10 years of age and totally clueless about all this--it was so disheartening to realize that it was going to be a bit more complicated than just looking over her shoulder and playing the tune. Wish I had known that transposing concertinas existed before buying my Bb. Probably I'd have known this had I frequented this website a year earlier!

I am calling the Button Box people up in Massachusetts this afternoon....see what they say. Thank you all for your ideas and patience. I know about transposing instruments, but never would have suspected that they did this to concertinas!! I want a "normal" one someday, and not soon enough. I will let you all know they say, for curiosity's sake. cheers, Jaimot

Not sure where the last answer from Theo is here, but the suggestion to sell it seems like a great idea! Perhaps there is really someone out there who wants to play a Bb instrument. Thanks for the suggestion. Don't be surprised if you see my ad on this site before too long!

It is a 46 button Lachenal look-alike, since there is no name on it, anywhere--MacCann Duet. I can see how trying to tune a reed up a whole step would be a disaster but can't someone (who knows what they're doing) just remove them and move them over to the respective note --- with a new one for the top?

Well the buttons labelled C would play Bb if it's as we said. For that sort of player Bb is the new C. I think Frank's suspicions are spot on. The noted dealer Chris Algar had a Bb edeophone duet that he had more or less killed by trying to tune it up to 'normal'; he told me he'd taken so much off the higher reeds that they were lost. An expensive experiment. I'd get it tuned to modern pitch (still in Bb)and learn to love it if I were you. What is it anyway? Tell us more.

Could well be in Bb; especially a duet. They made them particularly for people who played with brass and woodwind players; 'transposing instruments' whose music is written with middle C actually sounding like another note. Bb for instance! It would mean the original owner could play a trumpet or clarinet part straight as written and it would harmonise with the rest of the band. If you're playing solo it doesn't matter; if you're playing with an ensemble you have to go up one on the scale to keep in tune; if you're playing along by ear and they say it's in F you play in G, for example, and if you're trying to play sheet music with a group it gets complicated. Unless you get them to do some trumpet stuff, then you're laughing. *****Well, I never suspected this when I bought it. Thank you for writing. Do you think that with a reed overhaul that it could be put in C? It needs tuning work anyway, although, right now, I can use it This would be a whole step up in pitch. This might not be a good idea, especially with some of the higher reeds. But then, I don't have much experience with duets. ****** right, but the buttons are labeled as C but play Bb, for example--which is why this is a surprise to me. Perhaps they can all be moved over to the right place and have some added on at the end? Looks like the Button Box in Massachusetts will have some fun with this one. In the mean while, I will just try and live with this. Thanks for writing!

Could well be in Bb; especially a duet. They made them particularly for people who played with brass and woodwind players; 'transposing instruments' whose music is written with middle C actually sounding like another note. Bb for instance! It would mean the original owner could play a trumpet or clarinet part straight as written and it would harmonise with the rest of the band. If you're playing solo it doesn't matter; if you're playing with an ensemble you have to go up one on the scale to keep in tune; if you're playing along by ear and they say it's in F you play in G, for example, and if you're trying to play sheet music with a group it gets complicated. Unless you get them to do some trumpet stuff, then you're laughing. *****Well, I never suspected this when I bought it. Thank you for writing. Do you think that with a reed overhaul that it could be put in C? It needs tuning work anyway, although, right now, I can use it

Hi, My concertina is more or less in tune with itself, but C sounds like Bb and so forth. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about this? thanks for any suggestions, jaimot