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new english

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Everything posted by new english

  1. Hi Guys Just logged on Oh dear over a hundred views no replys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Should I start building the fire ,I can feel a joan of arc moment comming LOL tony
  2. Hi Guys I posted a sound clip of my first fumblings LOL and received my webcam this morning so thought I would embarrass myself further and post a rather hurried video clip We were jamming some gypsy jazz last night and Viper mad came up as a suggestion, I reviled my concertina !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a relatively simple progression in the key of G nice departure from my C for everything LOL it work great with the guys but was a lot slower LOL but as the video can only be 1.9mb the sound is not great or the picture and its not only badly played but badly played fast as I said I would update with my progress here it is I think I have improved and a little gentle critique would be welcomed but suggestion like burn the concertina or better the player keep to yourself LOL Tony viper mad.wmv
  3. Hi Geoff hope this makes sense The little (closures/blocked off inserts) on the pull create a chamber with a specific volume I’m assuming to enhance to tone? But on the push is the central hole a combination of all the pull volumes added together? My heath Robinson tuning rig was also freebie I’m helping my friend build an Ebony flat-bed view camera So I’m purloining leather card glue Etc as the camera will need bellows and its good practice and if my tuning rig last 37 years I won’t be using it for tuning concertinas probably as a shopping basket attached to my Zimmer frame LOL Tony
  4. Hi Dirge “wood cures, the whole instrument shakes down” that I can understand wood is a natural substance with grain differences moisture content I have built virtually identical guitars from the same batch of spruce /rosewood /former with very different sound characteristics but spring steel is more uniformed and according to George loses its elasticity and obviously degrades I was reading this very informative webpage http://www.concertinaconnection.com/concertina%20reeds.htm (Reed shapes and frequencies The reed actually ‘chops up’ the air flow in small air waves. Unlike other reed instruments (e.g. clarinet, sax, etc.) the vibration of a concertina and accordion reed itself hardly produces any sound. In fact, laboratory tests have shown that the sound produced by the reed itself is negligible) If the sound is created by the airflow as the reeds don’t actually produce sound the reed sound chamber and the reeds flexibility would seem to be more important than its composition? Your reference to Jeffries is really funny as I measured the reed yesterday and it looked rather familiar and georges first comment on inspection was “it’s an old blue clock spring” LOL If you’re interested in building a duet perhaps we could collaborate sharing info plans measurements etc Tony
  5. Hi Dirge so it’s more about the setup and final finishing that the actual materials used So best the reeds would ever sound is as it left the factory every subsequent tuning would probably diminish the quality of the sound produced George was a little dismissive about my romantic notion that concertina reeds were special “spring steel”LOL he has been working with all manner of sheet metal for 40 odd years and he started rattling on about carbon Silicon,content ,yields but when he mentioned "music wire" I paid attention LOL piano strings etc He looked at the back of the reed (Blue Tempered Spring Steel) He said at that thickness cutting strips without distortion would be important ,he said he could use a small brake press to get a close tolerance I’m retiring in a couple of years and I was looking for a project /hobby that incorporates music and engineering in some form as gardening is not an option LOL and the concertina seems absolutely perfect I want to build myself a little McCann duet concertina I can have non working hours time on his CNC to cut reed frames, he’s a little older than me so I want to use the CNC before he sells up and retires LOL and I have a modest stock of Ebony maple rosewood left over from various restorations so I’m trying to find out everything I can about the components that I’m not familiar with and how the volume of the reed cavity Acts upon the reed Etc I will shut up when I’ve gathered all the information LOL Thanks Tony
  6. Hi guys sorry for all the questions I have been researching “spring steel “there are references to “Great set of reeds ETC” I contacted a friend that has a sheet metal fabricators (hoping to get a bit of off time on the wonderful CNC machine LOL ) we were chatting about (Blue spring steel)he stocks its properties etc is this the spring steel actually use in concertina reeds? I understand guitars opening up with age and playing and improving in tone and response but surely the older the reeds the less responsive ? As they will lose elasticity? I noticed the two E reeds had both been tuned one was much thinner and it appeared thinner in tone? So is a brand new full thickness reed preferable? the concertina is such a wonderful instrument and a little engineering marvel I want to learn everything I can about them Thanks Tony PS I was going to mark the notes on the concertina but on closer inspection the thoughtful Mr. Wheatstone has stamped them all for me on the reed frames LOL
  7. Hi Guys many thanks for the info I had a little drama as on closer inspection (powerful magnifying glass) the pull G reed on my ebony ended Wheatstone was not correctly aligned at the clamped end and was buzzing and obviously no amount of movement at the tip would cure it so AHHHHHHHHHH I removed the screws repositioned and “no buzzing “equidistant fit all round compared the tuning it was just a little off so I used the push G and my tuner as a guide and carefully retuned I have some fine fret dress files and they worked a treat and an old feller gauge as a support and it sounds great I made a sort of test tuning bellows last week a friend does book binding so he gave me the card and leather etc and it works surprisingly well I had already started making a flexible brass clamp but the temporary rubber bands seemed to work fine The one thing I don’t understand is why the reed is a different pitch outside the concertina is it the volume of air in the sealed chamber? Is my concertina full of helium? LOL Thanks Tony
  8. Hi Guys Thanks for the info Geoff the valves worked great many thanks Questions: 1 I’m going to buy a few reeds to play with tune /starting speed etc but reading through the forum I’m a little confused Are the reeds tuned on the tuning bellows then fitted as done? Or fine tuned on the instrument? Question: 2 What are the reeds made from (spring steel?) and would Stainless Spring Steel be a good non rusting option? Question:3 Are the reeds in my Wheatstone McCann duets the same reeds used in the Anglo/English Wheatstone Concertinas? Were the reeds made in quantity then allocated to an instrument or handmade for each instrument I’m assuming they were all pressed out but were they final fitted for individual instruments? Thanks Tony
  9. Hi Guys I’m a little confused? Are the Wicki and hayden different systems? Tony duet addict LOL
  10. Hi Geoff many thanks he’s a really nice and helpful chap I just ordered several valves !!! And a nice new strap Tony
  11. Hi Guys & Gals thanks for the contributions I absolutely love the concertina Pictures (Tinaporn) LOL Tony
  12. Hi Geoff many thanks for the info I think I will replace the offending little devils LOL Is it a specific kind of leather? Tony
  13. Hi Guys Gals it must be different on Anglos ? I just measured the wheatstone duets and the palm-rest height is higher on the raised ends to compensate for the raised ends height “wouldn’t like to have to say it fast” LOL Tony
  14. Hi Guys i,m getting a ” flabby short flutter? Just before the low G on the push ? then it sounds clear Question:should the valves be flat to the pan at rest as I’m thinking the noise is the valve slapping back as it’s not perfectly flat at rest ? Question: If it takes three concertina players 1 hour to fill a bath using 2litre buckets of water and six accordionists 2 hours to fill a bath using 500ml jugs of water Why doesn’t someone just turn on the tap! LOL Tony
  15. Hi Guys To be honest reading the available Wheatstone literature “short touch and rapid articulation “ I thought raised ends was just a sales gimmick ,but just one day playing the raised ended version in comparison to the flat ended it’s so much easier to play it quite unbelievable I do mean “a massive difference” not just a slight improvement Your fingers seem to flow naturally and depressing two buttons together with one finger for say an um –pah F to Fmaj7 chord is suddenly so easy also its almost effortless, it’s like powered steering the end result is pretty much the same but the effort required to achieve it far less The hand position is actually more as your hands would naturally rest and returning to the flat ended version I can see my hand requires a less natural approach to play and returning to the raised ends is just so much more comfortable I’m sure this would certainly reduce the possibilities or RSI and as I have a pre-existing wrist injury the reduction of effort is a great plus Very few things in life do exactly what they say on the tin LOL Fortunately this is one of the exceptions Tony
  16. Hi Guys Gals love the pictures these thing are really works of art Hi Geoff I thought it was probably a stained hardwood as I use a lot of Gaboon /Macassar ebony in restorations and at around 3mm thickness its liable to shake But I’ve been having a closer inspection of the ends with a super bright LED light I have in the workshop (eyes aren’t what they used to be LOL) and there are just visible slight dark brown seams? I often use a stain if it’s not completely black on ebony fingerboards to cover the grey/brown seams and the ends also have that characteristic polish grain look and feel I think it may possibly be ebony cross laminated? as in one corner it has a slight visible line on the sloping /undulation if this makes sense, it’s also very heavy in comparison to my rosewood one LOL but the light touch buttons are absolutely brilliant and although the reeds respond pretty much at the same speed it’s so much easier to play I bought the raised ends one as I really want to learn more about the mechanics/acoustics ETC and I did bid on a couple of ebay fixer uppers and then I tried a Lachenal bone button version but I figured I’ll learn more from a well made quality instrument and I am intending to make one ,so it’s the perfect pattern to have the only problem at the moment is a slight “don’t know how to describe it” flabby short flutter? Just before the low G sounds on the push ? And Geoff many thanks for your help and advice 1910 and 1928 LOL Tony
  17. Hi Guys sorry if that post appears almost “boastful” but it was not intended as “look at what I’ve bought “I’m just delighted to have found an instrument that can effectively replace the violin and guitar that I’m now unable to play because of my wrist injury and I seem to have developed almost an obsession for everything concertina based and would love to see some pictures of the members concertinas (that sounds a little sleazy LOL) I remember the first outing of the MV Augusta F4 at the motorcycle show And I thought then I must be getting old as a pretty half naked girl was draped over the bike and I remember being irritated as she was blocking my view of the wonderful exhaust system LOL Tony Ps I’ve been playing the concertinas side by side and I am very surprised at how different they sound ,the rosewood that I thought was warm seems sort of “harsh” but in a really nice throaty way and the action is very positive but requires a little pressure, the ebony raised ends sounds completely different its a mellow and warm sound a bit like its slightly compressed ,very smooth and the action is incredibly light it’s not quite as loud as the rosewood it also has 6 fold bellows opposed to the 5 fold on the rosewood but I can’t see how that wound actually make a difference to the sound or does it? tony
  18. Hi Guys and Girls the “What we all look like “topic was very interesting So I thought we could have a similar “what do our concertinas look like” Its a complete coincidence I happen to have bought a beautiful wheatstone raised ebony ends this morning TTC Tony two concertinas LOL
  19. Hi David my decision to play the smaller 46 is primarily because the chap that started me off played some outrages jazz tunes and appeared to alternate between sides for passing chords and he played a rather nice ragtime piece that will probably take me a year just to assemble the chords LOL what I haven’t mentioned is a rather nasty wrist injury “colles fracture “that effectively ended my career playing the guitar, I started out originally as a drummer but played the guitar as a child and with the advent of the “evil drum machine and sequencers” I switched back to guitar and for 30 odd years “No day job” LOL I also played the violin, probable the musical love of my life Ahhhhhhhh I played bass for several years in a country rock band and switched between keyboard and guitar in the nineties playing that awful soft rock that was incredibly popular . My passion has always been gypsy jazz Dixieland Ragtime but I sold my piano as the repetitive downwards motion created havoc with the nerves damage on the wrist and last year I had a re-evaluation of the injury and it’s not going to improve so I have reluctantly accepted that the wrist rotation required for the violin is not viable and have been slowly divesting myself of my wonderful instrument collection(but my drum kit along with my beautiful violin are staying in the loft just incase the aliens arrive and can transplant arms,I want one Buddy rich one Jascha Heifetz LOL) So over the last few years I’ve been looking for an instrument that not only inspires me but is easy on the wrist and the chance meeting of a McCann duet concertina player at a bluegrass session was great karma as the concertina fits both perfectly The daily wrist exercises I do are almost identical to the concertina fingering and the wrist has so far not reacted and my OT has given it the thumbs up “I’m delighted” and its size weight and “how does one put it” manipulative limitations make playing the little 46 button very comfortable And as to playing with my feet it already sounds like I am LOL Question gentlemen:could I get seven fold bellows for my duet? tony
  20. Hi guys many thanks for all the info and offers for duet concertinas my friend Martin has finally gone home with his concertina!!!!! He’s absolutely delighted and the look of absolute concentration on his face while attempting to play La Valse d'Amélie was a picture to behold “he was playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order"LOL and the difference in sound between the concertinas was most illuminating As I’m now hooked I have reluctantly sold one of my beloved guitars(A lyon & healy 1900 parlour guitar ahhh) to fund my next duet concertina I flirted briefly last week with an Anglo (a lovely concertina )but unless I can keep a spare brain in a jar for each system or play it with my feet it’s just not going to happen LOL I,m looking for a metal ended Wheatstone McCann duet 46 button concert tuned ready to play if anyone has one for sale please contact Many thanks Tony
  21. Hi Irene thanks for the info I have read quite a lot of literature on Professor Maccann and the history of the Maccann duet I was thinking more along the line of jazz standards style/ragtime tunes ,all the clips I have seen posted are in my limited understanding of the genre folk like tunes ? I keep thinking the concertina is not really suited to the style of music I love but then I vamp a little shine or after your gone and it seems absolutely perfect I have been accused in the past of playing obsolete music (gypsy jazz) now popular again!!!!! But now it feels like I’m trying to play obsolete music on an inappropriate under buttoned instrument on a system that’s considered by some to be illogical and difficult LOL Tony
  22. Hi guys all this informative duet chat has wetted my appetite for some McCann duet playing does anyone have any soundfiles of McCanns being played? The only stuff I can find seems to be Sort of emulating anglos or “I’m selling it this is what it sounds like “clips LOL One lovely rendition I have found is Londonderry air on the forum that really shows the fullness and capability of the duet (and the player Dirge) Don’t be shy I posted my first duet concertina abomination ,some of you are probably still recovering from the experience LOL Tony PS If nothing is forth coming I may post more of my recordings LOL
  23. Hi Guys every time I play the McCann, the system gently reveals itself and although the basic practical key centres are C/D/E/F/G the way it lends itself to more complex tin pan alley, trad jazz tunes with minimum movement is not only incredibly clever but quite beautiful, the better I get the more obvious it sort of becomes and I’m sure Mr McCann was heavily influenced by the music halls and the emerging "ragged," rhythms and popular tunes of the 1890s and would suggest the McCann duet system was probably designed to play this style of music,I don’t think he was drunk when he invented the system I think he was inspired As to the modern way of information saturation YES YES YES life was so much simpler You couldn’t compare meerkats the only phone calls you received were from humans or people you actually knew ,junk mail ETC don’t get me started LOL Everything comes at a price but it’s still wonderful to have all this information at your fingertips and we wouldn’t have internet forums LOL quote”so I was unaware that there are different systems or that Tony played EC and I'd bought an anglo.” I would without the information overload probably have bought a Hayden !!!!!!!!!!! It sort of answers itself LOL Tony
  24. Ian S many thanks for the offer and I’m sorry for the delay in replying Buying a McCann duet has been most illuminating ,I’m actually a little disappointed LOL as I thought my McCann was a pretty rare beast , perhaps the build quality and expense has helped to keep so many instruments still up and running. I posted a question on the forum concerning relative actions and playability between wheastone46 and Lachenal46 duet concertinas and after a a lot of advice and I mean a lot !!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL Martin has decided to buy the Wheatstone 46 McCann thanks Tony
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