Wanted Piano Layout Keyboard Concertina

[ike]

I want to find a concertina that has buttons arranged like piano keyboard for rite hand. I hear that Jedcertina or Rust might work.

[Daniel Hersh]

How about this thing, currently on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Melodens1884-Accordion...itemZ7392768419 ?

 

I want to find a concertina that has buttons arranged like piano keyboard for rite hand. I hear that Jedcertina or Rust might work.

[Richard Morse]

How about this thing, currently on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Melodens1884-Accordion...itemZ7392768419 ?

That's a "rocking melodeon" which seems to have been fairly common around my part of New England. Even though they turn up a flea markets now and then I know of only one person that actually plays one. The bellows is usually a large single-folded one that makes up the entire bottom half on the instrument, and has a large leaf spring that serves to hold the unstrument UP (about 4") and tilted to one side (bellows open). Some of the better (and larger) ones have a double bellows hinged on either end so that it rocks side/side when playing rather than just tilting up/down in one direction.

 

I assume that the player plays with his (her) right hand and depresses the box with the left so that the entire thing is forever tilting up/right. My friend's is a double bellows version which when at rest the bellows extends the keyboard directly vertically. To play it you can press on either side. He's developed a way of playing it with his wrists/forearms such that it is continually rocking left/right.

 

While it sounds lovely (like a very round/smooth/mellow harmonium), it's a very "slow" (action and reed response) player. I would imagine that their main fare was church music.