Geoff Wooff Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 (edited) It is with regret that I am offering my 1922 Wheatstone Aeola Maccann duet for sale. It has Metal ends and is in superb playing condition.... more than can be said for me. The serial number is 29219. Tuned A=440hz (Equal Temperament) I got this instrument in a swap with David Gardiner (Dirge) who recorded such pièces as the Stanley arrangement of Cavallieri Rusticana by Mascagni with it ....I think that is still available somewhere on the forums here. Unfortunately just after I aquired it I had a Stroke and have since had some dificulty controling my left little finger.However I did record my 'Tune of the Month' offering for June 2013 on this instrument. Having since started playing the Hayden Duet as well, I find that playing the two keyboards is confusing... and ,so far, I am getting away with a three fingered left hand attack on the Hayden. To sum it up this Maccann is not getting the attention it deserves... When I got this instrument it was playing well but not well enough and I spent a lot of time improving things mostly by changing the valves and balancing/tuning the reeds It comes with its original leather carrying case, which is also in fine condition. It cost me 3000 euros and I offer it here for that price . I'll not post pictures here but will send them to any who contact me. email: geoffrey.wooff@wanadoo.fr Geoff. Edited August 27, 2014 by Geoff Wooff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 Bump! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventor Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Why not rebuild this concertina to "Hayden System". This has been done sucessfully on similar sized Maccanns in the past by both Dana Williams and the late Neville Crabb. This is from the very best period of Wheatstones, and probably the most usefull compass of notes without going to a monster sized instrument. Inventor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted September 4, 2014 Author Share Posted September 4, 2014 (edited) Why not rebuild this concertina to "Hayden System". This has been done sucessfully on similar sized Maccanns in the past by both Dana Williams and the late Neville Crabb. This is from the very best period of Wheatstones, and probably the most usefull compass of notes without going to a monster sized instrument. Inventor. Oh, this thought has crossed my mind Brian..... though I have not really looked into the details of doing it.... because I was hoping to find a larger range Hayden than my current 46 Wakker but with a somewhat smaller size than this Aeola MacCann.... However , earlier on this year I visited someone who has the new version of the Wakker 65key Duet only to find that the size has grown ( un-reported on Wim's website) from the original 7 3/4" to almost 8 1/2" across ( almost the size of this MacCann). This size increase must be due to reorganising the reeds that were in the central area of the reedpans ( like a 38key Jeffries) and placing them on the periphery with the rest. Wim told me this was to improve the sound balance of these reeds. So, yes I could, perhaps,modify the layout.... I'd be looking to have G#'s and Ab's... D#'s and Eb's to maintain the intuitiveness of fingering paterns... I'm sure I could find a few reeds from crashed instruments.... Some might think it a crime to modify an otherwise wonderfull instrument! Edited September 4, 2014 by Geoff Wooff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 And surely it is a wonderful instrument. The 57key Maccann Aeola I bought from Geoff is just marvelous. I don´t need to look further for another one, I guess this is how good they can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted September 4, 2014 Author Share Posted September 4, 2014 (edited) Glad you still like the 57key Stefan... I agree , it is a great instrument and I am happy that I sold it to you... and yo made a great video with it too!! Thought I should add some pictures but not having any luck with that today. Anyone wishing to see pictures can go to www.leboncoin.fr then clic on any area of the French map that gives you access to this fine buy and sell type website.... . then request "Concertina"( in the lefthand box.... in the "Instruments de Musique" category and clic "Toute de France" in the region box.... My advert will come up with some pictures. Geoff. PS; 3007 Accordeons for sale today on the above website !!!!!!!!! Edited September 4, 2014 by Geoff Wooff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceemonster Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Aren't you on record as stating that this is a magical and marvelous Aeola? I vote for the Hayden conversion. Perhaps I should purchase it and have this done by Wim or Greg or someone. But, I really think YOU should do it. Then you will have a magical and marvelous metal-ended Aeola Hayden. That many-buttoned, metal-ended Hayden that went up on BB some years back sold for over $10K, didn't it? This way, you could have one using your original Maccann investment.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventor Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 On the 65 button Hayden concertina I designed for Samantha (which was made for her in Russia) the G#/Abs & D#/Ebs were made so that only one pair (push and pull) of reeds was needed for each of these. If she reads this perhaps she could publish a photo of the action to show how this can be done. Inventor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 (edited) Inventor, could you give us your ideal layout for a 65 key please?. I'm sure someone will tell us it is the wrong forum to discuss this... but who gives a monkey's *#. The idea of having couplers for those reiterated notes does make good sense if it is possible... I recall the Button Box people discussing this at the launch of their Beaumont model. Ceemonster, thanks for suggesting that I should make this MacCann-to- Hayden conversion !! So I have plenty spare time... ha ha. I think the magical Aeolas I refered to were , the one I sold to Stefan and the one I swapped to Dirge... and my Baritone/Treble EC (bien sûr). The one for sale here is very close to wonderfull... perhaps it just needs more regular playing. I let the others go because I wanted a wee bit extra range over the 57key but could not cope with the 9 1/2" of the 72k. As Inventor says, the 67k is a fine compromise....... now where are the screwdriver and chisels ? Edited September 6, 2014 by Geoff Wooff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventor Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 My ideal layout for 65 keys is the one used by Wim Wakker on his 65 button instruments. This is what I suggested to him some years ago. It was the one I originally designed for the Russian concertina; which I managed to shoehorn into a 7" hexagon on that instrument, by using every trick I had seen on Accordions Bandoneons and Concertinas over the years. It doesn't have a Bb & C the top end of the LHS; but as you have 30 tone chambers on that side of the 67 Aeola, the extra 2 could be used for the repeated G#/Abs & D#/Ebs. On the right hand side you really don't need to go as high as the very high C. Full sized Piano Accordions only go up to an A, 3 semitones below this: and you can take a Classical Music Degree on that instrument ! If possible I would include g, a, bb, & b below the middle C at the bottom of the RHS. I haven't looked inside a 67 button Maccann for some time, but I seem to remember that a large space at the bottom left hand corner of the RHS is wasted by the Air Hole; possibly large enough to take as many as 2 extra tone chambers. The empty space in the middle of the RHS is very inviting, and there are other means to adjust the sound balance. Inventor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatthewVanitas Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 (edited) I'd thought of getting a Maccann converted to Hayden before, but hadn't seen much discussion of such before. Any reason I shouldn't start a thread in the tech subforum about this? I already bug Greg enough as it is, but if this is doable I'd love to get a little 39b or 46b Maccann converted. Maccann have six buttons across, which is just what Hayden needs, but the downside is that the rows are often not straight, and also instead of being staggered the 5ths would be right above one another, which isn't insurmountable but not as convenient as "fourths are up and left, fifths are up and right" of standard Hayden. Edited September 6, 2014 by MatthewVanitas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psmooze Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Also a Haydn with only six buttons accross will not be a very regular beast chordwise try an f minor chord in the left hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventor Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 To Matthew: I think it is a very good idea to start a new subforum. Keeping the action in the Maccann form is exactly what was done on the Cheeseman System, which has turned up quite recently. This is certainly not ideal for a Hayden, as it somewhat destroys the symetry. Converting the action on a Wooden ended concertina should be no problem, but a metal ended one not quite so easy, though it has been done. The 39 and 46 button Maccanns have several important notes missing but my suggestions for overcoming all these problems would be better discussed on a new subforum. To Geoff: The spare time you put into converting your 67 button will I am sure be amply paid off; when on demonstrating that you can do this sucessfully; you will have people beating a path to your door to do the same for them; and I reserve my place as the first in the queue ! Inventor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatthewVanitas Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Cool, I started up a new thread about Maccann to Hayden conversions: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16940 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Ok , over to the new thread for conversion discussions.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 To Geoff: ... I reserve my place as the first in the queue ! Would that queue come before or after Geoff's queue for pipes? I wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 This 67 Maccann has now been sold through another medium of advertising and will not be transformed in the keyboard department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene S. Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Huzzah. Glad to hear that the beast is staying intact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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