Something about Concertinas in China

[Yuxin Ding]

13 hours ago, Daniel Hersh said:

I was told by a reliable source in 2009 that there were four factories in China making concertinas at that time. 

And nowadays, depends on my research, the number of manufacturers are no more than that. What I've found are: Blazefine(also Trinity College/Scarlatti) in East China, Yuewei(seems they use to made concertinas for Hohner) in North China, and Firston in South China. All of these factories are located in traditional chromatic accordion producing area.

 

The Music China Expo, an international musical instrument fair will hold in Shanghai in Oct as usual. I'll go and see if I can find something else about concertinas this year.

 

By the way, it's maybe not well-know in the west, there is a accordion maker in Beijing invented his own-styled concertina called "WF System," which is depends on the 20 keys CG instrument with a original C-row generally and rearranged the G-row to the sharp and flat notes to the C-row notes. I'd like to call it a "Sino Concertina." In the attached image, chart on the top represents the right hand side, and below is the left hand side.

 

[gtotani]

On 9/7/2021 at 6:48 AM, Daniel Hersh said:

 

I don't think the McNeela models come from the same factory as the Concertina Connection Jack/ Rochelle/ Elise models.  I also think that the McNeela Chinese-made ones may be adjusted in Ireland after they arrive from China.  

I really want to believe that China-made McNeela instruments are adjusted in Ireland before being shipped worldwide.
But let me tell you what's happened last year.

 

A batch of instrument which a shop in Japan imported last year from McNeela had some reeds beeswaxed otherway round. The shop claimed, and the reaction of McNeela was to send back an email with instruction how to fix them, without any apology (according to the shop). 

 

Could it happen if they were adjusted in Ireland? What can an individual user do if he/she is just a beginner and not accustomed to concertinas?

This is one reason I cannot trust and recommend McNeela brand concertina. 

Well, I would say it is not a bad experience to remove the beeswax, turn over the reed and rewax it again airtight. There is no doubt that it is good to know how to maitain and take care of your own instrument. 

Totani

Edited September 8, 2021 by gtotani

[gtotani]

48 minutes ago, LazyNetter said:

And nowadays, depends on my research, the number of manufacturers are no more than that. What I've found are: Blazefine(also Trinity College/Scarlatti) in East China, Yuewei(seems they use to made concertinas for Hohner) in North China, and Firston in South China. All of these factories are located in traditional chromatic accordion producing area.

 

The Music China Expo, an international musical instrument fair will hold in Shanghai in Oct as usual. I'll go and see if I can find something else about concertinas this year.

 

By the way, it's maybe not well-know in the west, there is a accordion maker in Beijing invented his own-styled concertina called "WF System," which is depends on the 20 keys CG instrument with a original C-row generally and rearranged the G-row to the sharp and flat notes to the C-row notes. I'd like to call it a "Sino Concertina." In the attached image, chart on the top represents the right hand side, and below is the left hand side.

 

Very, very interesting! (As a Japanese, I do recognize chinese characters)

[gtotani]

1 hour ago, LazyNetter said:

Thank you! It's quite a shock to have any appreciations here for a bilibili posting.

Gary the nice guy send me partial of his book with the Moon and the note chart to me by email very soon after this posting.

Ha ha ha, Kato san found you play Ryo's work on bilibili, and shared it on Twitter. 

Ryo-san is now aware that you have uploaded your interpretation of his work, and he is quite happy.

Keep playing!

[Daniel Hersh]

9 hours ago, gtotani said:

I really want to believe that China-made McNeela instruments are adjusted in Ireland before being shipped worldwide.
But let me tell you what's happened last year.

 

A batch of instrument which a shop imported last year from McNeela had some reeds beewaxed otherway round. The shop claimed, and all McNeela sent back an email with instruction how to fix it, without any apology. 

 

Could it happen if they were adjusted in Ireland?

This is one reason I cannot trust and recommend McNeela brand concertina. 

Well, I would say it is not a bad experience to remove the beeswas, turn over the reedblock and rewax it again airtight. There is no doubt that it is good to know how to maitain and take care of your own instrument. 

Totani

 

Thanks - it's good to know about that, though I'm sorry that it happened.

[Daniel Hersh]

10 hours ago, LazyNetter said:

And nowadays, depends on my research, the number of manufacturers are no more than that. What I've found are: Blazefine(also Trinity College/Scarlatti) in East China, Yuewei(seems they use to made concertinas for Hohner) in North China, and Firston in South China. All of these factories are located in traditional chromatic accordion producing area.

 

The Music China Expo, an international musical instrument fair will hold in Shanghai in Oct as usual. I'll go and see if I can find something else about concertinas this year.

 

I think it's possible that the Concertina Connection Jack/Jackie/Rochelle/Elise concertinas are made in a fourth factory in China, but I don't know for sure.  Please post a report here if you learn anything more at the Music China Expo.

[Daniel Hersh]

10 hours ago, LazyNetter said:

And nowadays, depends on my research, the number of manufacturers are no more than that. What I've found are: Blazefine(also Trinity College/Scarlatti) in East China, Yuewei(seems they use to made concertinas for Hohner) in North China, and Firston in South China. All of these factories are located in traditional chromatic accordion producing area.

 

The Music China Expo, an international musical instrument fair will hold in Shanghai in Oct as usual. I'll go and see if I can find something else about concertinas this year.

 

By the way, it's maybe not well-know in the west, there is a accordion maker in Beijing invented his own-styled concertina called "WF System," which is depends on the 20 keys CG instrument with a original C-row generally and rearranged the G-row to the sharp and flat notes to the C-row notes. I'd like to call it a "Sino Concertina." In the attached image, chart on the top represents the right hand side, and below is the left hand side.

 

 

Is that a similar set-up to a B/C button accordion, as played in Ireland?  Irish-style button accordions have two rows tuned a half-tone apart (I think the two rows are most often in B and C, or C# and D)  There has occasionally been discussion here about setting up a concertina that way but I don't know if any manufacturer has previously done it.

[Yuxin Ding]

On 9/8/2021 at 8:00 AM, Daniel Hersh said:

Is that a similar set-up to a B/C button accordion, as played in Ireland?  Irish-style button accordions have two rows tuned a half-tone apart (I think the two rows are most often in B and C, or C# and D)  There has occasionally been discussion here about setting up a concertina that way but I don't know if any manufacturer has previously done it.

 

It's seems just like the BC accordion you've said. Considering that Irish musical instruments are hardly known in China, maybe the accordion maker in Beijing made the instrument you discussed by coincidence. I recently contacted the accordion maker, and seems he's no longer make concertinas anymore, how sad.

[Yuxin Ding]

On 9/8/2021 at 7:50 AM, Daniel Hersh said:

 

I think it's possible that the Concertina Connection Jack/Jackie/Rochelle/Elise concertinas are made in a fourth factory in China, but I don't know for sure.  Please post a report here if you learn anything more at the Music China Expo.

 

I asked an expert about this, and he said the fourth factory you've mentioned may be the "Parrot(Yingwu)". They used to made some D40 for Hohner but they ran out of the business about a decade ago, and only the piano and Bayan accordion chain of them were took over by other merchants. I believe the CC budget concertinas are from Rowell(Yuewei) which is in the northern city called Tientsin(Tianjin).

Edited June 25, 2022 by LazyNetter