Interesting one on eBay

[Daniel Hersh]

It's here. Six sides, metal ends and buttons, very intricate fretwork. I'd guess it's actually a Lachenal but don't know for sure.

[JimLucas]

It's here. Six sides, metal ends and buttons, very intricate fretwork. I'd guess it's actually a Lachenal but don't know for sure.

Certainly a Lachenal. The Wheatstone name is described as appearing on the thumb strap mountings, which are certainly later replacements (or even additions? see below), since they're of a much later design.

 

The interesting things to me, aside from the novelty buttons, are 1) that the ends aren't regular hexagons, but "stretched", and 2) that it appears that it previously had palm bars, a la anglos and duets. I recall one other English that had such bars, listed as "rails" in the Wheatstone ledger entry, and on that one they had also been subsequently removed. I'd be interested to look under the fretwork, to see whether the thumb straps and finger plates were included along with the rails in the original, or whether they were a later addition/substitution.

[david robertson]

My guess is that the thumbstraps and slides are later additions, based on two observations. First, the fretwork pattern appears to continue under the slides. If they were original fittings, you would expect there to be solid metal under them. And secondly, if you look at the close-up of the Wheatstone thumbstrap, there appears to be a good deal of solder in evidence, which may well indicate that a piece of plate was soldered in as a foundation for the strap.

Mind you, given the size of the beast, I bet it wasn't easy to control with wrist-straps alone, so it's not that surprising that someone chose to customise it.

[spindizzy]

It's here. Six sides, metal ends and buttons, very intricate fretwork. I'd guess it's actually a Lachenal but don't know for sure.

Certainly a Lachenal. The Wheatstone name is described as appearing on the thumb strap mountings, which are certainly later replacements (or even additions? see below), since they're of a much later design.

 

 

I have a 1900's treble lachenal with exactly the same thumb strap replacements - presumably a later repair with wheatstone parts. However, on mine the old thumb strap adjustment "buttons" on the sides are still in place, whereas on this ebay concertina I can't see any mount points on the sides at all. I wonder what the size of this is, the tenor/trebles that I've seen before haven't had stretched sides.

 

Chris

 

Chris

[Ron Wilson]

From my experience, novelty buttons are very rare, and I suppose were most common on professional instruments for use in vaudeville performances or such. Is there any evidence for how they were used in an act? Also, everybody here is very well acquainted with how the concertina's reeds produce a musical note. How do the novelty buttons produce the baby cries and bird calls? Has anybody heard of any other novelty buttons besides the baby and bird, which seem to be the most common? I'd personally like a button that produced an authoritative lion roar, but I guess that's asking a lot, eh?

[Geoffrey Crabb]

A drawback with Anglo/Duet type handrests and straps on English concertinas is that they can restrict movement of the hand and the reach of the fingers over the keyboard. This is especially so on these 56 key and above 'long hexagon' models. The retro-fitting of usual thumbstraps removed this restriction allowing easier access to the upper rows (high notes).

 

Novety sounds are produced by the inclusion of simple wind driven devices often found in toys, whistles, squeakers, sirens, growlers etc.

Some imagination was required to recognise some of the claimed sounds.

 

Geoff

[JimLucas]

A drawback with Anglo/Duet type handrests and straps on English concertinas is that they can restrict movement of the hand and the reach of the fingers over the keyboard. ... The retro-fitting of usual thumbstraps removed this restriction allowing easier access to the upper rows (high notes).

Depending on how you use the thumbstrap, it can also improve access to the low notes.

 

If you jam your thumb into the loop to the thumb's base, there's not much advantage. But if you insert only the tip of the thumb into the loop, you have the length and flexibility of its two additional joints to aid in positioning your hands and fingers. You can use that length to raise your hand above the keyboard, letting the fingers comfortably reach "underneath" to the lower buttons.

[Geoffrey Crabb]

A drawback with Anglo/Duet type handrests and straps on English concertinas is that they can restrict movement of the hand and the reach of the fingers over the keyboard. ... The retro-fitting of usual thumbstraps removed this restriction allowing easier access to the upper rows (high notes).

Depending on how you use the thumbstrap, it can also improve access to the low notes. If you jam your thumb into the loop to the thumb's base, there's not much advantage. But if you insert only the tip of the thumb into the loop, you have the length and flexibility of its two additional joints to aid in positioning your hands and fingers. You can use that length to raise your hand above the keyboard, letting the fingers comfortably reach "underneath" to the lower buttons.

 

Yes Jim, for many English players, the thumb straps and their position allow a 'follow through' to the lower buttons. I did not mention this for two reasons.

First, with these long hexagon models, which although rare are not unique, there is some benefit in that the distance between the handrest and the lowest row of buttons is usually greater than that found on, say, some larger Duets of regular octagonal or hexagonal shape where the fingers can be cramped due to the lack of end space unless a high handrest is employed .

 

Secondly, I did not want the thread to drift into discussion on ergonomics.

 

The conversion here, I suggest, was the most cost effective way. To replace the tops, to include the same elaborate fretwork pattern with suitable alterations, would have been a relatively expensive excercise.

 

Geoff

Edited August 23, 2011 by Geoffrey Crabb

[david robertson]

I'd be interested to look under the fretwork, to see whether the thumb straps and finger plates were included along with the rails in the original, or whether they were a later addition/substitution.

 

Your wish is my command, Jim. As you see, I bought the beast, and have just got round to having a look at it. The surprise (to me, at least) is that while the thumb straps are later additions, it seems that the little finger slides are original. That is, it seems to have been made with both hand-straps and slides. I plan to return it to its original condition, but I wonder if anyone has any experience of an instrument with this configuration?

All the best,

David

Edited September 12, 2011 by david robertson