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Showing results for tags 'Hayden'.
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Hey ALL! I just got my first Concertina! A Hayden Elise, duet. I chose it due to reviews saying its easy, & from listening to clips on You Tube, ( I liked the 'duet' sound,) and the fact that I could not afford more. I play a mountain dulcimer, a Viola da Gamba, midevile tenor 5 string fidle, cello, Irish Low-D and penny whistles ( wood version flute.) I am not gifted, but can get by on all. I play at Mountain ( trad) type Jams in the Appalachian Mountains of SW VA and NW NC.usa.. I find the instrument very hard to hold, & wonder how one can play IF ONE MUST HOLD THE ' air bellows button all the time?) using the right index finger. The instrument..is definately not, 'Good looking " like all the ( $$$ ) beautiful old models. Sigh, ones budget must be satisfied. So...can get past the looks. ( I guess.) It sounds OK.. ( I know nothing!) I just liked the idea of a folky ...sea shanty sound.. that I can sing too, .but at first squeeze...wonder how to hold the thing! I plan to add a neck cord, so I can stand to play. Still, while my hands are NOT small, I find the starps very loose. ANY ADVISE on that or adjusting to make thumb starps? Anyway Im THRILLED to find YOU!,, and hope to post a tune one of these days. ANY ADVISE for books or help that will pertain to a HAYDEN is MOST APPRECIATED! Best regards to all! BRG
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In a recent thread, some members mentioned that conversions of Maccann to Haydet duet system had been done by Dana Williams and the late Neville Crabb. I found this intriguing, given the cost and wait-times of concertina-reeded Haydens, and would like to hear more about this! Inventor noted that wooden-end models are easier to convert than metal: does that imply that the conversions involve actually relocating buttons? To maintain the revertability of the conversion, is it possible to just leave the buttons in place and work the Hayden layout into the existing configuration as best as possible? Another member had noted that 6-across doesn't give one the full isomorphism of the Hayden, but then again even the extensive 52b Beaumont only has one row of seven on the right, and I've rarely found that limiting since I don't play in the deeper flat/sharp keys as much as Bb/F/C/G/D/A Is this an extensive and complex process that involves modifying the reedpans, or is it a pretty straightforward matter of playing mix-and-match with reeds of approximately similar size that can drop into each other's chambers? Any notion of what current luthiers might be able and willing to do such a conversion?
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Hi All, For Sale is a Concertina Connection Peacock Duet Special in excellent condition. Ive switched to a Crane Duet and it just suits my playing and composition better. But I love and have loved this instrument for years. Below are the Specs from Wim Wakker's site. FYI Wim will accept this instrument in the trade-up program- it goes with the instrument, not the owner. Comes with a hard case. $3100 . Will split shipping. The Peacock is a 42 key hybrid Wicky (Hayden without the keyboard slant) duet concertina designed and developed by the Concertina Connection® Inc.. The instruments measures 7 inch across the flats. The Standard and Special models are available with ebonized (black) or natural finished ends.The custom is available in a variety of harwoods. Peacock special: standard natural finish with "Wakker" bellows Specifications for all Peacock Wicky/Hayden duet models: Italian hand made accordion reeds traditional riveted brass action traditional hand made brass end bolts and inserts domed metal capped buttons bushed key holes and action leather 6 fold bellows hardwood ends, frames, action boards and reed pans
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I first bought a duet concertina in 2010; purchased the recently-introduced Concertina Connection Elise and had it shipped over to me in Afghanistan (here's my old thread that led me to choose it). I played it casually for a few years, finding it satisfactory for my purposes despite its limited scale, since I largely play trad music in the "people's keys" anyway. It wasn't until 2013 when I started playing duets with a guitarist for house-parties that I started to notice the limitations of the Elise. Hayden duets are great for transposing, but on a semi-chromatic instrument I can only transpose to a few select keys. Further, the more I played the more I noted how the limits of the action were slowing me down; it was time to upgrade. I sold a motorcycle and a few extra musical instruments to gather the $3800 sticker price, and placed my order with Buttonbox in late October. I received the 52-key Wicki-Hayden duet on the last day of the year. I've played the box for nearly a week now, and thought I'd share some initial impressions since I haven't seen anyone else on the forum mention having bought one. I was initially apprehensive about the investment, given that it costs nearly ten times what my starter cost, and practically speaking I can't expect it to be ten times better, so there's some expected diminishing returns as price climbs. I fretted I'd feel I overbought, or maybe that I'd feel I'm just not good enough at concertina to justify buying a pricey one. I suppose my current state is "cautiously pleased". The box is largish compared to an Anglo, but no larger than the 34-key Elise, so no problem there. Also as noted by owners of other Morse models, it feels very light in the hands (3.1 pounds); not flimsy, just it is quicker in the hands than the size suggests. I don't feel ready to compare tone yet, since I've only heard it through a "player's ears" so don't know how it sounds compared to an Elise on a recording or to an audience. Further, my Elise has been "played-in" for a few years, which I imagine has helped developed the tone, so hard to get apples-to-apples. I might need to do a double-blind test with friends to ask which they think sounds "better", though some forum members have mentioned their bandmates prefer the sound of their Stagi over their Wheatstone, so subjectivity. The upgrades that led to the purchase, however, are immediately apparent. The action is way crisper on the Beaumont, keys bounce back much faster, and the reed response is much faster and smoother. And it is convenient to be able to be able to play in Bb and A as easily as I played in C before. That said, even an expanded keyboard has its limits, as I found when I tried to work out a tune off a recording (May Blooming Fields, done by Cordelia's Dad), only to find it's in F# and so requires bouncing a finger all the way across the keyboard to get the one note (Bb/A#) I don't have on the far right. But F# is not among my favored keys, so I'll survive. The width of the keyboard does take some adjusting to: with the straps snug I can't reach everything, so I have the straps a little loose and "cup" my hands to take up slack when I'm not reaching for far notes. The straight (rather than canted) keyboard is taking a little getting used to, but it does indeed make it easier to reach the sharp side of the keyboard. The bellows are of course way nicer than the Elise, though mine are going to take some breaking in. My Elise feels loosey-goosey when played back to back with the Beaumont, both in the good and bad way, but presumably the Beaumont will take on more of the good-loose and little of the bad-loose as the bellows break in. I'm finding the air button on the handrail to be a fun change, but the airhole is very small: while holding it down it still takes a few seconds of pressure to fully open or close the bellows, it's not a big gulp of air like on an Anglo. I presume this is deliberate, and it is to some degree helpful since I can take a quick breath to set up my bellows for a long push or pull but use so little air that it's easy to keep it from affecting the notes underway. This is what's popped to my attention over the few days of playing; I'll probably have more realizations as I mess with it. I do feel that this decision is helping me to double-down on learning duet, to the point that I'm selling off some excess gear since I'd rather invest the time in learning concertina than in improving my limited clawhammer banjo skills, etc. I like the sound of concertina, it gives me a lot of the traits I would've bought an organ to get, and I think it's a great instrument for song accompaniment. I'm coming to the conclusion that I want to get better (or if not better, at least more confident) at singing, so I can make good use of the concertina as accompaniment. This was a big step forward in terms of both price and quality, now I just need to make it worthwhile.
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Hi, Looking to buy a used or new Peacock Duet. Can pay cash and/or trade Morse Albion Baritone English. joshuafromnj@hotmail.com Thanks!
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The Button Box is very happy to announce that our new Hayden duet model concertina - the "Beaumont" - is now available. Here are the specs: - 7" hexagonal format, with natural finish cherry ends and a 6-fold leather bellows - 52 keys: 23 left (B-flat to b1) 29 right (b-flat to d3). See note chart. - 1/4" Delrin™ buttons in rows parallel to the handrests - responsive, high-quality Italian accordion reeds - fast, light, riveted action with stainless-steel springs Selling price is $3,850.00, including a a fitted, hardshell case. Photos and more info at: http://www.buttonbox.com/morse-beaumont.html