Square Concertina

[Sean M]

http://r.ebay.com/cAXHbF

 

Typing this on a tablet and not sure if the above link will work...

 

The big square concertina that I notice are popular in Chicago. Do these have traditional concertina reeds? Are there standard keyboard layouts? Would they be closer to an Anglo, English or Duet?

 

Just curious

[malcolmbebb]

Well, in my opinion, it is a German design concertina (or bandoneon). This design pre-dates the English style "traditional" style reeds and would have accordion style reeds.

This one looks fairly recent, although I'm no expert on these.

 

Of the choices you give, normally Anglo would be nearest. I don't know about standards, although there is a fair chance that the "standard" C/G layout is in there somewhere.

 

I'm sure others will be along with better info.

[gcoover]

It's a style called a Chemnitzer Concertina, usually octave tuned, and is most similar to an Anglo - but is still quite different. Most commonly found in polka bands in midwest US places like Wisconsin.

 

Gary

[Wolf Molkentin]

Of the choices you give, normally Anglo would be nearest. I don't know about standards, although there is a fair chance that the "standard" C/G layout is in there somewhere.

 

Yes (just the two rows of the smaller German bulit 20b - concertina that had been quite popular in Ireland back then until the extended "Anglo-German" solution became common) -

 

and first of all it's bi-sonoric like the Anglo, of course...

Edited March 29, 2013 by blue eyed sailor

[Theodore Kloba]

Working my way through all the Chemnitzer topics posted since I last visited C.net...

 

Do these have traditional concertina reeds? Are there standard keyboard layouts? Would they be closer to an Anglo, English or Duet?

 

The one pictured probably had very accordion-like reeds on accordion-like reedblocks. There are a a couple other options: Accordion-like reeds held on with L-screws rather than wax, reeds grouped onto large plates (like harmonica reeds, but with a much heavier plate) held onto blocks with screws. There's also substantial variation in the reedblock construction, and attachment to the valveboard, but it never resembles "traditional" reedpan, dovetail, etc.

 

Yes there are standard layouts. I have some here.

 

I suppose they're closest in layout to Anglo, though not usually played the same way. They're usually too heavy to change bellows direction so rapidly as you would on an Anglo, so melody playing is "across-the-rows".

 

I don't know about standards, although there is a fair chance that the "standard" C/G layout is in there somewhere.

 

The core of the main rows are Anglo-like, but in the keys of A and G. Having them a second apart makes across-the-rows playing a little more straightforward.