Reed Bellows

My own personal issues are financial. I bought my Jackie back in late 2011, and I have not had the money to upgrade even to a learner model Wheatstone or Lachenal with 48 buttons. Ideally, I'd love an Edeophone, and even a Crane duet, but my resources simply aren't there. Still, it's on my list for "some day one day".

Great to hear Don. I look forward to this, as it'll be the next in line for me after my Jackie, most likely.

Perhaps this will bode well for a hybrid English between the Jack/Jackie and the Rose?

It's more when I'm done playing and I want to close the bellows than anything else.

I have a Jackie, and when I use the air button the instrument wheezes. Is this normal, or is there something that can be done to "clear the air", as it were? Thanks in advance!

Beautiful instrument!

Now for my next question (and thank you for those who are responding): Does anyone know of any concertina-related events near Pensacola, Florida, or any places nearabouts where I can put hands on boxes other than my Jackie?

Thank you for the additional insight. I'm still hoping for a solution to the bellows, but maybe I'll just have to tough it up with my fingers.

Desire to trade up: ***** Ability to trade up: N/A I got my Jackie from the Button Box, and while I ogle at both their offerings and at Wim's offerings, I simply do not have the budget and will not for a long time. Part of my issue with playing ITM on an English is that my finger dexterity is atrocious. I figure with an Anglo I can cheat some speed via bellows action.

Hello again everyone. I've been out of the loop for almost five years, so I guess that means I'm new here again, and those of you who've forgotten me can meet me for the first time a second time! I was able to go to the Old Pal event once back in 2012 with my Jackie, and since then I've been busy with a multitude of things. But enough about that. In regards to my Jackie, I find that the bellows are very stiff in comparison with other (vintage / higher price tiered) concertinas, and I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion or two about how I can get the bellows to limber up without causing undue wear on them. Also, occasionally the "low C" on the instrument has a buzz, like there's something stuck and vibrating between the valve and the air aperture, but I keep the instrument in the gig bag 99.5% of the time when I'm not actively practicing. Would I gain anything by opening up that side just to see if there's a speck of anything caught in the works? Lastly, I am finding myself in a situation where I will be needing to learn Anglo for occasional Celtic / ITM work. When going from English to Anglo, are there any keysets that lend themselves more to someone relearning the wheel? I figured that bisonorous bellows action would be the first stumbling block, as opposed to the unisonorous bellows action that I'm used to with the English. Thanks in advance for any insight that can be offered, and thank all you fine folks for still being around!

EDIT: Having a bit of financial hardship, so I won't be able to attend this year. I hope everyone has a great time, and we'll see if I can swing it next time around.

I'd like StephenTX's Edeophone, Craig Wagner's Triumph duet, and a Wakker Parnassus, although I'd forego them for a winning lottery ticket.

I had the pleasure of playing this instrument at the 2012 Old Pal Festival in March. It is a very very nice instrument, and the only thing keeping me from it is my personal indigence. Whoever purchases this Edeophone will have a wonderful instrument in their hands.

I'm just watching it for edutainment purposes. That, and I really want a Crane duet, although I'm too poor to own one at present.

Thank you so much for the wonderful elucidation! It's also nice to know that all Wakker models have the flat/domed option...I was merely going off what was shown on the pages of each model mentioned above.

Only the Hayden/Wicki models come with flat-top keys exclusively. With the Parnassus, you can have either flat-top or domed keys. I would be interested in his explanation, and perhaps he may yet see this thread and have time to shed some light on the matter. That reminds me... *drops a few coins in his Parnassus piggybank*

I'd say go for a Jackie. They're 30-button EC's and if you get one brand new it's nice and stiff, which (I believe, your mileage may vary) is good for developing the "concertina muscles". Once they've learned on the Jackie and broken it in a good bit, then see if there's interest in upgrading to a standard 48-key box.

I would think that it would have something to do with ease of transition when playing rapid passages, but it could also just be a style preference.

No mention of pricing or availability yet, but I'd definitely want to 'test-sit' one prior to purchase, and considering the carbon-fiber construction, I wouldn't expect it to come cheap.

Bravo, Maestro Wakker. Where might I purchase recordings of this piece and similar/other? My ears beg for more! EDIT: I found this... http://amzn.com/B000LP4OI8 For those who eschew physical copies of music, there's this: https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=catalogdetail&valbum_code=HD760623142067

I lucked out and didn't need to root my phone because T-Mobile US finally released the official update to ICS yesterday! My only request would be to have a secondary note layout that copies the layout of the Jack/Jackie, minus the last two buttons on each side of the top end (and obviously the air button ), or perhaps have a second edition "JackitinaXL" (or sommat). I'd pay a fiver for that.

I'm inclined to agree. In addition, the 'aluminum' ends have too much 'applied distress' to them...some of the marks look like they were made when the aluminum ends were cast, some look like they were applied later, and some of it looks like dust, but if it were dust, it wouldn't be in the patterns shown in the picture. Also, the pattern of the gold leaf on the wood on the left side of image 3 does not match the other images.

I guess I have a reason to root my phone now, as it's only running Gingerbread. (HTC Sensation)

What a lovely Crane!

Now if I only had $3150 plus insurance and shipping...