Steve Turner’s concertina

[scoopet]

Does anyone know what type of aeola Steve Turner normally plays...(very well!)

 

Edited January 4, 2019 by scoopet

[Greg Jowaisas]

My guess would be a baritone or perhaps a baritone/treble.  Why don't you ask Steve?  http://steve-turner.co.uk/

[Myrtle's cook]

I recall him saying (at a concert) that it was indeed a baritone treble, although several of the keys/reeds have been altered to more easily facilitate a drone effect.

 

He does play it incredibly well - these are relatively heavy, bulky instruments to wrangle if one is more used to a treble/tt.

[scoopet]

Thanks Simon.

[Geoff Wooff]

Looks like  a model 15 or 16 to me...  62 or 64  keys  from top of  the normal  Treble 48 range  to one octave  below  it.

 

How to recognise  a Baritone-Treble  from a distance :     the  thumb straps  are siituated  on the centre line of the  Octagon .

Edited January 4, 2019 by Geoff Wooff

[Little John]

I don't know exactly what it is, but I discussed it with him last time he came to our folk club. An unusual feature is that the bottom row is anglo-style with reeds tuned an octave apart. So it has some really low notes but a short gap before you reach the lowest eight notes.

 

LJ

[scoopet]

I've seen him play twice .......once in Cornwall and once in Devon.I really enjoyed his playing.i think I shall make the effort to see him again this year.i might even pluck up the courage to ask him for a go!!

[Wolf Molkentin]

...and get some encouragement for your bisonoric ideas...

[scoopet]

I given up on those wolf!!......

The new model I was going to "butcher" is one of Geoff's favourite concertinas... I'm allowed the low f but that's it!

[cohen]

I've spoken to Steve on a few occasions about his beautiful and unusual concertina. Steve refers to his concertina as a Bass-Baritone-Tenor, although Steve Dickinson says that Wheatstone referred to such instruments as 'Cello Concertinas'. I believe it is a 64 key Aeola but the bottom 4 keys have anglo action (i.e. they play a different note in each direction). The lowest note is a Bb which is nearly 2 octaves lower than the usual G bottom note of a treble English concertina. The concertina is still tuned in old pitch so its about 12 cents sharp of standard concert pitch. He said it came from a former salvation army musician from Doncaster. 

[scoopet]

Does that mean it's actually a bass- baritone , not a baritone treble?

[Chris Drinkwater]

The last time I saw Steve Turner playing a year or so ago, I also asked him about his unusual instrument and while I can't remember everything he told me about it, what Cohen has posted seems to fit in with some of what I remember he told me and especially it being still in old pitch and that it had previously belonged to  a former salvation army musician from Doncaster. Of course, as he uses it solely to accompany himself singing, it doesn't matter that it is tuned to old pitch.

Chris 

[scoopet]

Well I emailed Steve, (thanks Greg!!), And he has said a 64 key bass baritone tenor.....8 3/4 inches across......he probably has the strongest thumbs in the country.......

[John Adey]

He's appearing in Exeter in February Simon.

 

http://www.exeterfolkclub.org/?page_id=23

 

See you there?

[scoopet]

Maybe John...Are you going to go?

[John Adey]

I certainly intend going Simon; I've never seen/heard him live.

I'll PM you when I find out how to buy an advance ticket.