SIMON GABRIELOW Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 A potty topic question.maybe; but I have seen a lot about tiny concertinas, so small they fit in one almost clasped hand.... But at the other extreme, what is the biggest concertina ever made? In physical size? Maybe, perhaps exhibition piece for show? There we are, I have put out the question! Or if not maybe someone here will now construct a giant English, or Anglo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takayuki YAGI Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 from PICA vol.9 (2012) ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted May 11, 2022 Author Share Posted May 11, 2022 Oh lovely! My goodness; that is one woopa of a concertina! It could only possibly be played with the whole arm ( or possibly head!).. Thanks for the image.. it's certainly made me have good laugh at that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Crossland Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Wheatstone made a rather large MacCann Duet, here: http://www.concertinamuseum.com/CM00108.htm No dimensions given but I will check them next time I see Neil...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takayuki YAGI Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 The link above says (in the End Frets section) End Diameter: 401.5mm. It is about 15.8 inches. I'm not sure it is flat to flat or corner to corner though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted May 12, 2022 Author Share Posted May 12, 2022 That Wheatstone ( large duet).. looks like a tea tray a butler might deliver the aperatives or vintage port upon, .. and furthermore must take a lot of polishing, after which you will be much too tired to play it! And the other. 15 inches diameter, leaves me hard to know what to say! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 This looks to be about the same size. It’s a (Dickinson) Wheatstone Hayden with 82 keys that I encountered at NESI (NorthEast Squeeze-In) in 2006. The 48 keys on the right side contain the entire range of a standard treble English. The left keys are an octave lower (but there are only 34 of them) and include a low F and F# below the G. The instrument is fully chromatic from the bottom to the top of its range. Notes that are repeated as enharmonic equivalents on the same side (D#/Eb, for instance) are represented as two pairs of reeds and two complete lever/pad assemblies, rather than linked keys. Jim Bayless, of Texas, bought it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Another contender would have to be the Concordeon, made by Herbert Green: https://sites.google.com/site/peterbgreen/theconcordeon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted May 12, 2022 Author Share Posted May 12, 2022 Dickinson Wheatstone Haydn, is very nice, an very shiny ( you wouldn't want anyone smudging all that metal work! Concordian looks quite complicated ( one at back of image extremely square; a sort of large box size ( like you use on back of a bike for storage)! But all very interesting; I wonder if they actually sound ok? Despite their size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 14 hours ago, Bill Crossland said: Wheatstone made a rather large MacCann Duet, here: http://www.concertinamuseum.com/CM00108.htm No dimensions given but I will check them next time I see Neil...... Bill & All ... Lots of folks don't seem to realise that there are extra sections, with lots of different images in each section. And if you hover your mouse over the images, they will scroll to show you them all. Clicking on an image will show it full size. For some reasons this never got put in anywhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Crossland Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 On 5/12/2022 at 7:13 AM, Bill Crossland said: Wheatstone made a rather large MacCann Duet, here: http://www.concertinamuseum.com/CM00108.htm No dimensions given but I will check them next time I see Neil...... Just over 16" across the flats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted May 18, 2022 Author Share Posted May 18, 2022 There must, I imagine, be a physical limit to the size versus usability.. when instrument becomes too big to fit normal hands, or, on other hand, too much like a melodeon in scale to be figured to even be a concertina? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 1 hour ago, SIMON GABRIELOW said: There must, I imagine, be a physical limit to the size versus usability.. The limit will be variable, depending on what the user tolerates. The larger the instrument, the more moving parts and longer levers, ie., the more potential things that can go wrong. How often is one willing to have it fail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Ways Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 A beauty of the concertina is its portability. When the size becomes "excessive," perhaps one should consider a free reed organ?!? https://www.youtube.com/user/ReedOrganSociety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted May 18, 2022 Author Share Posted May 18, 2022 1 hour ago, Noel Ways said: A beauty of the concertina is its portability. When the size becomes "excessive," perhaps one should consider a free reed organ?!? https://www.youtube.com/user/ReedOrganSociety Yes, I have often see people playing really big accordions; with long casing and loads of buttons or keys.. and their head and chin is nearly tucked beneath! almost literally peeping out awkwardly; and I likewise think they would be better placed on a table top or bench and played more as reed organ [when excessively big]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuxin Ding Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 My first thoughts on this topic were several German instruments, but it seems those bass instruments are even bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON GABRIELOW Posted May 21, 2022 Author Share Posted May 21, 2022 I believe I have seen [as the topic of size goes] when the free reed mania was underway in last century, table top reed organ instruments, between accordion in design and reed organ in illustrations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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