Jump to content

What our concertinas look like?


Recommended Posts

35 minutes ago, scoopet said:

Lovely looking concertina Wolf......☺

 

yes - and sweetly sounding too ?

 

at the moment however my brain is fried by going through all that theoretical stuff re 1/4 comma meantone temperament - however I seem to get it bit by bit...

 

all the best - ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I might add the following: Temperament and brass reeds combined make in fact for a very sweet sound - I should say a true treble concertina, not forcing to keep the music at the lower margin of the existing keys (with the player mostly longing for a TT then) soundwise...

 

And as to the temperament in general: 1/4 comma meantone seems such an obvious choice for the EC (as a solo instrument), expanding the keys and options for modulating greatly through providing the two enharmonics mostly needed. I always wondered why G# and Eb are doubled, and not other accidentals - now I seem to know...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My brass reeded George Case treble (http://www.pghardy.net/concertina/case_2760/case_2760.html) is currently my favourite instrument to play at home. It’s in modern pitch and equal temperament, but my other GC treble (http://www.pghardy.net/concertina/case_3087/case_3087.html) which is steel reeded, is still in old pitch and sounds very sweet. I need to check its temperament, as I’ve not done so. I was intending to retune it to concert pitch from old philharmonic, but I’m holding off as it sounds so nice as it is (as long as I don’t play it with others who are in A=440)!

 

i know that GC soon gave up doing the double reedpan with chambers on both sides, presumably because of manufacturing costs, but I wonder to what extent they are responsible for the sweetness of tone of these instruments.

Edited by Paul_Hardy
Correct links.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Paul,

 

isnt't it amazing how two so very similar GC concertinas have been going trough Simon's hands (not sure as to whether this is a valid manner of speaking in the English tongue)?

 

I seem to notice that this double reedpan feature contributes to an overall rather heavy instrument. Maybe this had been part of the reasons to give it up...

 

Do you feel prompted (or tempted) to play in a higher register too by one of these instruments (like I do myself)?

 

All the best - ?

 

Edited by Wolf Molkentin
typo corrected, following Paul‘s (!) hint :)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul, another interesting point: the brass reeds of your Amboyna GC appear to have similar tuning marks of the Accordian type (scratching along the reed) to mine, which seems to be advised by some for a cautious dealing with the "delicate" brass reeds...

 

Edited by Wolf Molkentin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Wolf Molkentin said:

... going trough Simons's hands (not sure as to whether this is a valid manner of speaking in the English tongue)?

Simon's rather than Simons's,  but the construct of "passing through xxx's hands" is a good English idiom.

 

5 hours ago, Wolf Molkentin said:

I seem to notice that this double reedpan feature contributes to an overall rather heavy instrument. Maybe this had been part of the reasons to give it up...

Yes, it is noticeably heavier than a standard treble, but still lighter than the 56 key EC that I sold as being too heavy.

 

5 hours ago, Wolf Molkentin said:

Do you feel prompted (or tempted) to play in a higher register too by one of these instruments (like I do myself)?

Not previously, but I'll give it a try!

 

Regards,

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad you're both enjoying them!!!...... they're both virtually identical except for the reeds, and they both play really really well and sound( from memory) very similar.

  I still have their daddy , an identical baritone, here in Devon!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, scoopet said:

... I'm sure Paul will be able to help.

 

I will check the temperament and report back, but it won’t be for a while as I’m travelling at present. I’ve got the brass reeded GC with me, but I previously retuned that to concert pitch and equal temperament from the mess it was in before - someone had retuned just the notes needed to play in the keys of G and D) to concert pitch, and left the rest in old pitch!

 

The steel reeded GC at home is still in old pitch, but I’m not sure of the temperament. I’ll check and report later.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Just re-photographed my instruments as my insurance is up for renewal.

 

Lachenal 20 button piccolo in C/G, 6 fold bellows.  "L & Co" incorporated in the fretwork on the right hand end.  (See close up.)  This one is a hoot to play for a few minutes at a time, but it needs a light touch on the left hand.  The right hand is very squeaky indeed at the top end of the G row!

 

Lachenal 20 button in C/G, 5 fold bellows.  This is one of the nicest standard 20 button boxes I've played.  Not the very nicest, but it's a good 'un.

 

Dipper 30 button G/D with amboyna ends and 7 fold bellows.  My pride and joy.  (See close up.)

 

Lachenal 30 button baritone in C/G with 6 fold bellows.  Lovely rich and responsive left hand, although the right hand is less warm sounding.  This one is responsive enough to play Morris tunes harmonically at normal dance speed.

4 concertinas.jpg

Piccolo.jpg

Dipper.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Lachenal (solid?) rosewood, 30b G/D plus cock crow and bird whistle (? loves the latter), number 89348 (didn’t check myself as yet), 6-fold bellows (I think by Peter O‘Connor).

 

Totally love it, reeds speak quickly and have a full, fat and fairly loud tone - in fact all I could aspire!

 

I have altered the A reed under button LH 6 on the pull to G, in order to have the fifth for the C maj chord...

 

Now happily playing, after having taken up the Anglo again only recently (i.e. during the SSI in Skåne).

 

Best wishes - ?

 

AEACD617-0F80-4AA5-AD40-EF8DC6656283.jpeg

Edited by Wolf Molkentin
typo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/9/2013 at 9:19 PM, Wolf Molkentin said:

I have taken the latest posts as kind of an inducement to take a picture of my Lachenal Excelsior (from the 1920ies) and provide it here:

dscf7926nejsc.jpg

P.S.: It's waiting for its new bellow papers from Dave Elliot... :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Wolf, Was the excelcior the only type with the scrolling? Yeh, it,s me again hoping I ,ve got the long lost Inimateable with scrolling on the fretwork. Out of curiosity, what numbers on this one ? anywhere near 10104 ?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...