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Baritone / TENOR EC ?


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Older now, and I'm getting in touch with my dark, low side.  I have a custom 44 key Dipper which I use for song accompaniment, that goes down to a D below middle C.  Listening to Ian Robb and David Coffin I have learned they use large old Aeolas that have 56 keys, classified as Baritone/Treble.  Too big.  Is there such a thing as a 48 (or less) Baritone ?   Riggy

www.riggy.com

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There are  48 key  Baritones  which  have the same  range  as  the  treble  EC's  but are  an octave  lower  in pitch.  Usually  slightly  larger  than the Treble  instruments  which  helps  to  increase the    available  air  in the bellows, the  larger reeds  use  more air.  Which  brings  me to  the  Button  Box  Baritones;  I  tried one  a few years ago  and  although the small size is  very nice  , for me  there was  insufficient  air capacity.  Sure, it  was ok for  playing single note  melody  lines  but  throwing in a few chords  left  me  gasping.

 

I  use  a  Baritone / Treble, the  smaller  56 key  Aeola  version  .... yes it  appears  large  after a  standard   Treble  but  soon becomes   a  new normal.  I  find  there is  something comforting  about  the    steady  hold  and  capacity  and  find  my  Treble  feels  like a toy  after.

 

Weights:    my  6.25" Treble  is  just under  3lb (1327g)  and the  8"  Baritone/Treble is  4lb 5oz.(1968g).

Edited by Geoff Wooff
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1 hour ago, Riggy said:

Is there such a thing as a 48 (or less) Baritone ?

 

Yes. The standard vintage baritone is 48 buttons. The range is really useful: from G2 (octave and a half below middle C) up to C6 (two octaves above middle C). And often the Ab2 is re-tuned to an F2 which is much more useful for most people and great again for song.

 

LJ

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A few years ago I restored a rather nice rosewood ended 35 key Lachenal baritone.

I sold it soon after completing the restoration.

So yes, in answering the OP, baritones with fewer than 48 buttons do exist.

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7 hours ago, Geoff Wooff said:

There are  48 key  Baritones  which  have the same  range  as  the  treble  EC's  but are  an octave  lower  in pitch.  Usually  slightly  larger  than the Treble  instruments  which  helps  to  increase the    available  air  in the bellows, the  larger reeds  use  more air.  Which  brings  me to  the  Button  Box  Baritones;  I  tried one  a few years ago  and  although the small size is  very nice  , for me  there was  insufficient  air capacity.  Sure, it  was ok for  playing single note  melody  lines  but  throwing in a few chords  left  me  gasping.

 

Geoff, was it an Albion (6.25 inch) or a Geordie? The latter is  bigger (7 inches across flats) and I would think do better in this regard.

 

Ken

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5 hours ago, Ken_Coles said:

 

Geoff, was it an Albion (6.25 inch) or a Geordie? The latter is  bigger (7 inches across flats) and I would think do better in this regard.

 

Ken

Ken,  it must  have  been the  Albion.  I  tried it  at    one of  the  Hobgoblin  shops  in the UK  about  five  years ago.

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I play chordal accompaniments on my Morse Geordie, and although you have to put some thought into bellows direction I rarely run out of puff.

 

The Geordie also has an air button in place of the top b, which can be useful in ‘leaking’ a bit more air into the bellows - but can also catch you out if you transfer a tune from treble that goes up that far, and instead of a top note you get a breath of air!

Edited by Steve Mansfield
Factual inaccuracy corrected
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In the midst of all my Baritone investigations a dear friend here in Berkeley, who by-the-way took over my lodgings in Newcastle when I left to return to the states in ’72, came over and gave me this, on extended loan.  Exactly what I wanted !!!   36 button Wheatstone which is one octave below the usual 48.  He has owned it for 40 years and hasn’t played it much. Works fairly well & I will do some valve and tuning work.  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ?

sm Peter Baritone.jpg

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Congratulations what is the range of the 48 buttons.   I also was wondering what has your experience been 

Or others reading this post to have a hand strap on an English does it in Hibbett play does it take the pressure off the thumbs I would be interested in thoughts of people who have actually put hand straps on the English

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