Wheatstone Ag Duet

[Stephen Chambers]

In an earlier thread about the Wheatstone Ledgers, Jim Lucas mentioned that:

... the many entries marked both "A.G." and "Duet" leave me wondering.

Wonder no more Jim, 'cos one's just turned up on eBay: Item number: 270118323573

 

So it looks like "A.G. Duet" was probably Wheatstone's name for the Jeffries duet, which would make sense considering that the system is a duet based on the Anglo. It would also fit in with their refusal to use Maccann's name in association with "his" system (an enlargement of Wheatstone's own Duett of the mid-19th century), or Crabb's description of duets as "Double Action Models".

 

Should've guessed!

[Michael Reid]

Just out of curiosity, what's the basis for the "Aeola" label on this eBay listing?

 

I vaguely recall hearing that not all Aeolas were octagonal. But if the ledger doesn't identify it as an Aeola, what does?

[Stephen Chambers]

Just out of curiosity, what's the basis for the "Aeola" label on this eBay listing?

 

I vaguely recall hearing that not all Aeolas were octagonal. But if the ledger doesn't identify it as an Aeola, what does?

Michael,

 

I haven't a clue where the seller got that from, it isn't an Aeola. Mind you, the ledger correctly states that it's a 46-key, but the seller has miscounted and says it's got 48. That's eBay sellers for you ...

[gavdav]

Hello - resurrecting this age old thread to see if anyone can find out any more about these. I own one and it doesn't appear to match up to any logic of even the Jeffries duet - the key layout doesn't seem to be Jeffries duet layout, nor does the stamping of reed shoes suggest that all that much fiddling went on. Many people have now looked at mine and said "not a converted duet" though it hardly matter to me if it is or isn't.

 

I'd really like to know if anyone else out there owns one that I can compare with. The history of these is intriguing me. My concertina may even be the one in the thread above!

Edited January 13, 2010 by gavdav

[Steve Gardham]

Hi,

Having looked at Gav's note arrangement and puzzled over it, and a few others similar, I think it would be more accurate to call these beasts anglos with some duet features, mainly the inner row of same note on push and pull. I am intrigued. What sort of music would it be mainly used for, or was built for? Which style would benefit most from the arrangement? Irish? In 40-odd years involvement with the anglo why have I not come across it before? Indeed, who invented it?

 

Here's a statistic question for Gav. How many were made according to the ledgers and did anyone else other than Wheatstone produce them?

[gavdav]

Hi,

Having looked at Gav's note arrangement and puzzled over it, and a few others similar, I think it would be more accurate to call these beasts anglos with some duet features, mainly the inner row of same note on push and pull. I am intrigued. What sort of music would it be mainly used for, or was built for? Which style would benefit most from the arrangement? Irish? In 40-odd years involvement with the anglo why have I not come across it before? Indeed, who invented it?

 

Here's a statistic question for Gav. How many were made according to the ledgers and did anyone else other than Wheatstone produce them?

 

I now own two of these - a G/D and a C/G both from the same month in 1926. There is very little in common with the extra row layout between the two boxes, but certainly there is nothing that indicates a normal duet system either unless Jeffries duet systems layouts are far more random than I imagined. As far as playing style goes, the main thing I have noticed is the G/D facilitates harmonic playing in D and Bm and the key of A, but I am sure that there is more for me to get out of it. As far as numbers of these things go - hard to say - there's no way of searching the ledgers, so I'd be going through page by page. Mine are numbers 30995 and 30998. I'd be interested to know if there are more out there.