Dan 04617 Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 What do you all think? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...=ADME:B:BN:US:1 Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipcmo Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 Well, about 25 years ago I had one! One day John Townley came by the schooner and motioned me over to his car, where the trunk lid was up. Pointing to the BIG RED, he said if I could lift it and play, I could have it. So I tried. Eventually it ended up at Ramblin Conrads where it languished for years. It was still there when Bob Zentz went out of business. Could this be IT? Cheers, George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RELCOLLECT Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 What do you all think? I think that I seriously considered bidding on that one myself! To my way of thinking, if 750cc is a cool motor, 1200cc must be cooler, right? Therefore, 1500cc is cooler yet, etc. Ergo, this is so massive it must be cool by it's very nature! If nothing else, it might prove to be an excellent upper body workout! Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Coles Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Actually, I've played a couple of these and they're no more laughable than any other Italian concertina, and have a lot of duplicate notes (like any 36-key anglo). Double reeds, if I recall. And remember, many more concertinists than will readily admit it started out on Italian concertinas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan 04617 Posted March 30, 2005 Author Share Posted March 30, 2005 I've been playing my Hohner D-40 for three months now. I figure that this must be a step up, right? My wife says that if I want another one I'll have to sell this one or the Hohner. Fair enough. Except I'm not sure selling a used Hohner is worth the trouble. I notice in the pictures that one button is missing and several more are crooked in their holes. I may learn a bit about maintenance and repair with this one. It should have shipped on Monday. Now I just have to wait for it. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lildogturpy Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 I notice in the pictures that one button is missing and several more are crooked in their holes. I may learn a bit about maintenance and repair with this one. The lower end concertinas don't have the bushing that gives a close fit between the hole in the concertina and the button which is why then tend to lean at angles. It never seemed to affect the playing too much except when the button went in too far at an angle. Then it got trapped and needed some encouragement to pop back out. It might be that one of the buttons is stuck in, rather than missing. I hope that's the case. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caj Posted April 3, 2005 Share Posted April 3, 2005 Heh, there's that word "vintage" again. Thanks to eBay, every time I hear the word "vintage" I get a picture in my mind similar to the picture in that auction: a big, bright red pearloid concertina. When people use the word "vintage" to talk about wine, I can't help imagining a bottle of wine being opened and a dozen loose parts falling out. And then I get an asthma attack from breathing the air comes out. Caj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan 04617 Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 (edited) Well, it arrived today. The first thing I noticed is that there are indeed, as advertized, many small holes in the bellows. I'll have to get some bellows tape and glue and fix them all. The second thing I noticed was frass, looking much like dry yeast, that comes out when you shake it. Further inspection reveals that the end boards, which the valves and reed blocks (accordion reeds) are attached to, have a few holes and hollows in them. I think it will be sound if repaired. I think wood putty and varnish, or maybe in some cases some sort of injectable filler. In the short term, my wife has ordered it into the chest freezer in order to kill any Texan nasties that might have hitchhiked along. Third, the buttons are all loose. They are plastic, molded onto a bit of metal. The metal has a hole punched in that slides onto the the lever arm. There's a bit of some sort of tubing over each metal part that's all dried out. Comparing it to my Hohner, I understand that if these weren't all dried out they'd be elastic and keep the buttons both relatively tight on the lever arms and positioned in their button holes. Plus one button is completely missing. One button had been fitted with a small brass collar, which I think I recognize as part of a plumbing compression fitting. Problem #4 is that the strips of leather that cover the reeds are all curled. Even if the bellows and end board were air tight, I suspect the push reeds would sound on the pull and the pull reeds would sound on the push. So I'll have to fix them too. So, any suggestions on where to start? (edit:) Oh yeah. And it smells like an ashtray. Edited April 7, 2005 by Dan 04617 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 Well, Dan, Happy new concertina. At least you will get a chance to try out a lot of repair techniques. Sounds like quite a job. Good luck. What an accomplishment when you finish. Cheers, Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsqueezergeezer Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 The second thing I noticed was frass, looking much like dry yeast, that comes out when you shake it. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Dan I hope thats not woodworm?! Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RELCOLLECT Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 I hope thats not woodworm?! When "holes and hollows" in the wood were mentioned, that was my first thought as well....Here's hoping we're wrong!! Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindizzy Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 n the short term, my wife has ordered it into the chest freezer in order to kill any Texan nasties that might have hitchhiked along. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Freezing is good for wool moths and such (I speak as a spinner and weaver with a huge stash of fleeces and yarn). Accepted practice is to freeze for a while which kills all the live beasties, eg. moths and larvae, but home freezers don't kill eggs and sometimes not pupae. So then you thaw for a few days, which triggers hatching of eggs etc. Then you slam the ******s back in the freezer. A couple of cycles a suposed to kill everyhting. (Dry ice is also recommended - in a leaky container to suffocate them - leaky so that you don't explode the container - I've never found anywhere to get that though). Don't know if this works for woodworm, but it seems likely to help. Off course with a wooden item, you can also resort to chemicals. In fact nicotine is pretty poisonous - if it smells like an ashtray, maybe the bugs are already gone. Chris J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 I have repaired some concertinas that have had woodworm but the majority of problems are associated with moth lavie.The first thing to check is the pads and particularly the woollen bit in between the cardboard and the leather of the pad. These little devils munch a scallop out of the wool,munch a hole in the leather of the pad and then munch their way out through the bellows. For them it is like living in a McDonalds. If it is being played at the same time it would be fast food with background music. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsqueezergeezer Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 ..and Air Conditioning!! Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 Re where to start, I'd suggest replacing the dried-out tubing--a medical supply store or hobby shop may be a good source for it. You may be able to get replacement "leathers" from an accordion repair shop. Good luck! Daniel Well, it arrived today. The first thing I noticed is that there are indeed, as advertized, many small holes in the bellows. I'll have to get some bellows tape and glue and fix them all. The second thing I noticed was frass, looking much like dry yeast, that comes out when you shake it. Further inspection reveals that the end boards, which the valves and reed blocks (accordion reeds) are attached to, have a few holes and hollows in them. I think it will be sound if repaired. I think wood putty and varnish, or maybe in some cases some sort of injectable filler. In the short term, my wife has ordered it into the chest freezer in order to kill any Texan nasties that might have hitchhiked along. Third, the buttons are all loose. They are plastic, molded onto a bit of metal. The metal has a hole punched in that slides onto the the lever arm. There's a bit of some sort of tubing over each metal part that's all dried out. Comparing it to my Hohner, I understand that if these weren't all dried out they'd be elastic and keep the buttons both relatively tight on the lever arms and positioned in their button holes. Plus one button is completely missing. One button had been fitted with a small brass collar, which I think I recognize as part of a plumbing compression fitting. Problem #4 is that the strips of leather that cover the reeds are all curled. Even if the bellows and end board were air tight, I suspect the push reeds would sound on the pull and the pull reeds would sound on the push. So I'll have to fix them too. So, any suggestions on where to start? (edit:) Oh yeah. And it smells like an ashtray. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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