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Double Reeded English Concertina


Robin Harrison

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A wondrous instrument here......images below but a few videos first.

 

https://soundcloud.com/the-harry-robinson/liberty-bell-march-on-crabb

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S95GjBQkS7w

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVM-DfmfIYM

 

 

A 41 key double reeded English concertina.

 

I don't as rule name my instruments but I've called this one "Big Red"....I've used it in sessions and it catches every-ones eye .

 

I've found it a great session concertina, not because it is particularly loud but because it's tone is different from any other instrument and so is discernible. You don't need to play it loudly, just listen carefully.

Nothing competes with 4 diatonic accordions etc, but in a balanced session you can hear this one.

I've never had a problem with 41 keys for the English based repertoire I play.

 

Lowest note G....highest note F

 

Made in the 60's I believe; a set of three were made. One red, one white, one blue.

In top condition.....bellows, frames reeds, pads great. I've just changed out all the valves.

 

The valve frames are Dural ( I believe) so it is not a heavy instrument, I've played it standing up fine.

Solid case.

 

I paid £3000 but pre-negotiating here, I'll take £2750 plus shipping, insurance etc or US $ equivalent.

If interested, I need payment when sale is agreed but I will probably be over in the UK in November and could deliver to a central point.

Also to the Button Box area in May.

 

Thanks for looking.....if seriously interested, more images available.

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Edited by Robin Harrison
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Robin

 

Yes I see the wavy effect so it is not your monitor, maybe your camera.

 

Ian Robb occasionally plays a double reeded EC which he told me that he borrowed from another player, maybe it is this one?

 

A few pictures of the action and the reed pans would be very interesting.

 

Don.

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Robin

 

Yes I see the wavy effect so it is not your monitor, maybe your camera.

 

Ian Robb occasionally plays a double reeded EC which he told me that he borrowed from another player, maybe it is this one?

 

A few pictures of the action and the reed pans would be very interesting.

 

Don.

It's a different one Don. I've seen Robin's beastie and worked on Ian's Wheatstone. Ian's has some really big reeds and basically has a treble size reed pan surrounded by the bass size chambers.

Edited by Paul Read
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Interesting subject for another thread ?

Tx

Indeed it is... but I think it has been covered here a few years ago, with input from Ian Robb... just have to go searching a wee bit.

 

Personally I like octave tuning, sort of Bandoneon sound, and often play passages in octaves on the EC. On accordions I don't mind a modicum of vibrato voicing but prefer it when there is also an octave voice in the mix.

 

I wonder how one goes about tuning an instrument like this ? My normal method for tuning concertinas is to measure the pitch of each reed by playing the concertina, and note the cents deviation from where the notes are supposed to be. Then open the instrument and remove each reed that needs changing, in turn, and mount it on the tuning bellows for adjustment. So when there are two reeds playing for each button that proves difficult using this method and then there is the fact that normal 'musette' tuning is about keeping a constant beat between the two reeds throughout the range of the instrument. So it is usually either done by setting a Hertz difference between the two reeds, say one or two Hertz ( cycles per second) somewhere in the middle of the range and noting the speed of the wow wow . Then one proceeds to keep that wow wow speed for the lower and upper notes by tuning the 'off set' reed to the other by ear.

 

I'm just trying to imagine a tuning table like those used by accordion repairers.... any suggestions ?

Edited by Geoff Wooff
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