gcoover Posted February 27 Posted February 27 I just now discovered some videos posted 2 months ago about concertina construction by Willie Crook, who is making concertinas in Denver, Colorado. Anybody familiar with his instruments? I've not heard of him before, but his work looks very detailed and precise. Gary 8
malcolm clapp Posted February 28 Posted February 28 Great video and series. I wish I had just a small percentage of his workshop equipment....and his patience. If I had any criticism, it would be the proximity of his cup of tea to the workspace....but then again, he obviously has a very steady hand. 😃 2 1
David Barnert Posted February 28 Posted February 28 Does it really take that long to make a single concertina reed?
Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted February 28 Posted February 28 Gary thank you for sharing this video, I was not aware of what Mr Crook was up to. I met him some years ago and he seemed a good chap. Very interesting to see the ways of dealing with reed making people come up with, that belt sanding setup used to profile the reed is something I never imagined. Its a bit like the Italian way of doing it, but the belt sander they use is at a different angle with the reed flat to the workbench. There are a few videos of Italians making reeds this way on youtube as well. 1
Oberon Posted February 28 Posted February 28 I love his aesthetic and how he imbues every bit of his work with it. His lever work and wood finishing really does something for me. I watch his Instagram for new updates whenever they pop up and he does seem to update it a fair amount: https://www.instagram.com/crook_concertinas?igsh=MWE3Zng3bjE0eGpvMw== 1
Chris Ghent Posted March 1 Posted March 1 On 2/28/2024 at 8:54 PM, David Barnert said: Does it really take that long to make a single concertina reed? Yes 2
chantersandbellows Posted March 2 Posted March 2 Willie is a good friend of mine and I've known him since before the start of his concertina journey. His concertinas play beautifully and he's really thoughtful with their craft and construction (he's at about a month per concertina now). I'm glad some other people found his videos here--it's fascinating to watch and see that step by step of the instrument coming into being. He also has made a 31 button baritone anglo that plays really beautifully, fwiw.
chantersandbellows Posted March 2 Posted March 2 On 2/27/2024 at 4:41 PM, gcoover said: Anybody familiar with his instruments? I've not heard of him before, but his work looks very detailed and precise. To expand a little bit on my other post, he's very detailed and precise, and each instrument has impressed me. The first few were a bit more Lachenal-esque, but there's much more of a Jeffries feel in the past many (including the baritone that felt and played a bit more like a Jeffries than a Lachenal). I've been amazed by each part of every one of his instruments, and he's got a formula down with some nice room for customizations. I don't think he's made anything but Anglos, but he's done a few different keys to explore both what's possible and what's important and can be done within reason and what's required to make it happen properly. Hopefully he or one of the holder's of his instruments will chime in sometime and say more. They're really gorgeous instruments, and he's drawn his own endplate designs for his most recent few that look really beautiful too. I'm pretty sure he's taking orders through his instagram at the moment too.
Mike Franch Posted March 2 Posted March 2 I Googled "Cook concertinas" and all I got were videos on how to make accordion potatoes. Not what I wanted, but they looked quite tasty. 1
Clive Thorne Posted March 2 Posted March 2 Good job he's not trying to set up business in Australia! 1 1
Mike Franch Posted March 3 Posted March 3 (edited) 20 hours ago, Nigel Champion said: Hi Mike. His name is Willie Crook with an R. Nigel Ah ha! Thanks. I really must do something about these eyes! The R results in a very different and much more satisfactory result! Edited March 3 by Mike Franch Add a sentence
Richard Mellish Posted March 4 Posted March 4 On 3/2/2024 at 3:26 PM, Clive Thorne said: Good job he's not trying to set up business in Australia! When I first saw the title of this thread I surmised that it had been started by someone in Australia, to discuss concertinas in a sorry state.
WCrook Posted March 5 Posted March 5 Ahh geez guys, thanks for all the kind words, I'm a little overwhelmed here! Anyway, I hope you guys get some enjoyment out of the little videos I've been posting, I have a bunch more in the works that'll be up... eventually! Cheers :) 6
Sionainn Posted March 6 Posted March 6 On 3/1/2024 at 3:24 PM, chantersandbellows said: To expand a little bit on my other post, he's very detailed and precise, and each instrument has impressed me. The first few were a bit more Lachenal-esque, but there's much more of a Jeffries feel in the past many (including the baritone that felt and played a bit more like a Jeffries than a Lachenal). I've been amazed by each part of every one of his instruments, and he's got a formula down with some nice room for customizations. I don't think he's made anything but Anglos, but he's done a few different keys to explore both what's possible and what's important and can be done within reason and what's required to make it happen properly. Hopefully he or one of the holder's of his instruments will chime in sometime and say more. They're really gorgeous instruments, and he's drawn his own endplate designs for his most recent few that look really beautiful too. I'm pretty sure he's taking orders through his instagram at the moment too. @chantersandbellows have you played any of Willie's instruments yourself? Wondering how responsive they are.
_al_ Posted March 6 Posted March 6 On 3/1/2024 at 9:42 PM, Mike Franch said: I Googled "Cook concertinas" and all I got were videos on how to make accordion potatoes. Not what I wanted, but they looked quite tasty. Try crook concertinas on google instead of cook concertinas
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