Sweetening A Metal Ended Wheatstone

[mpcorbett]

Hi folks

 

I will likely be purchasing a metal ended Wheatstone this week, and a professional player gave me an interesting idea. He suggested putting "a mute of thin leather" inside to sweeten the tone. Have any of you tried this? If so, how were the results, and how did you do it?

 

Hopefully, this instrument (a 1922 restored English concertina from the Button Box) won’t need any sweetening, but it would be neat to have this option if the sound is a bit punchy.

 

Thanks and happy playing.

[Christian Husmann]

Hi you,

 

you are looking for baffles, or better information about them. If you enter baffles in the search field you´ll get plenty of information about it because it´s been discussed a lot here.

 

Greetings

Christian

 

Hi folks

 

I will likely be purchasing a metal ended Wheatstone this week, and a professional player gave me an interesting idea. He suggested putting "a mute of thin leather" inside to sweeten the tone. Have any of you tried this? If so, how were the results, and how did you do it?

 

Hopefully, this instrument (a 1922 restored English concertina from the Button Box) won’t need any sweetening, but it would be neat to have this option if the sound is a bit punchy.

 

Thanks and happy playing.

[Stephen Chambers]

Hopefully, this instrument (a 1922 restored English concertina from the Button Box) won’t need any sweetening, but it would be neat to have this option if the sound is a bit punchy.

Presumably you mean #29186 (June 13, 1922) on their website? In which case it is a model that people buy for playing in sessions when they want a loud and punchy (almost "trumpety") sound that is more like an Anglo.

 

I'd suggest looking out for an instrument that you do like the sound of, rather than attempting to modify one that you don't.

[Larry Stout]

I have the slightly older sibling of that box (mine's from 1913) as my main session/dance concertina. It is capable of quite a bit of volume and punch (we play without amplification for 50-60 dancers). With some skill that I still need to work on it can also be played softly and lyrically.

 

My 1849 baritone got new spruce baffles in its renovation earlier this year. I saw that as returning it to something approximating its original tone, which is very mellow. You wouldn't put those baffles on an instrument from the 20th century.

 

My advice on the model 21 (metal ended Wheatstone) would be to play it for a while unmodified before you change it. In the original configuration they are very nice instruments with a lot of possible nuance.

Edited June 13, 2007 by Larry Stout

[mpcorbett]

Hopefully, this instrument (a 1922 restored English concertina from the Button Box) won’t need any sweetening, but it would be neat to have this option if the sound is a bit punchy.

Presumably you mean #29186 (June 13, 1922) on their website? In which case it is a model that people buy for playing in sessions when they want a loud and punchy (almost "trumpety") sound that is more like an Anglo.

 

I'd suggest looking out for an instrument that you do like the sound of, rather than attempting to modify one that you don't.

 

Good info. Thanks. If I don't like the sound, then I just won't buy it, of course, but after some of what I have heard, it sounds like it will be just what I need. I do need something that can be loud for our session, but I'm hoping that a gentle touch would also produce some softer tones as well. We'll see. Thanks for your help.

[mpcorbett]

Aha! So that's it. Thanks a bunch for the tip.

 

Hi you,

 

you are looking for baffles, or better information about them. If you enter baffles in the search field you´ll get plenty of information about it because it´s been discussed a lot here.

 

Greetings

Christian

 

Hi folks

 

I will likely be purchasing a metal ended Wheatstone this week, and a professional player gave me an interesting idea. He suggested putting "a mute of thin leather" inside to sweeten the tone. Have any of you tried this? If so, how were the results, and how did you do it?

 

Hopefully, this instrument (a 1922 restored English concertina from the Button Box) won’t need any sweetening, but it would be neat to have this option if the sound is a bit punchy.

 

Thanks and happy playing.

[mpcorbett]

Good stuff. Thanks. I just heard from someone who has actually played the instrument in question, and based on some of his comments, I anticipate being quite pleased with it as is. Iw ould consider using baffles to be a very serious modification, especially on an instrument that has recently been overhauled and set up, so I certainly wouldn't do it lightly. I think I was more interested in know what it's all about as opposed to expecting to consider it.

 

All of the info has been quite educational. Thanks a bunch.

I have the slightly older sibling of that box (mine's from 1913) as my main session/dance concertina. It is capable of quite a bit of volume and punch (we play without amplification for 50-60 dancers). With some skill that I still need to work on it can also be played softly and lyrically.

 

My 1849 baritone got new spruce baffles in its renovation earlier this year. I saw that as returning it to something approximating its original tone, which is very mellow. You wouldn't put those baffles on an instrument from the 20th century.

 

My advice on the model 21 (metal ended Wheatstone) would be to play it for a while unmodified before you change it. In the original configuration they are very nice instruments with a lot of possible nuance.

[JimLucas]

I would consider using baffles to be a very serious modification, especially on an instrument that has recently been overhauled and set up, so I certainly wouldn't do it lightly.

An interesting alternative is the removable, external baffles that Danny (C.net member "ratface") has made for his own concertina.

 

Unfortunately, I can no longer find the photos of his baffles on his web site. But you could probably send him a PM or email asking for details.

[Chris Timson]

I would consider using baffles to be a very serious modification, especially on an instrument that has recently been overhauled and set up, so I certainly wouldn't do it lightly.

Conversely I regard fitting baffles to be an easy and easily reversible job that I have performed several times on my concertinas. Essentially you cut the leather out and then stick it inside the end plates with double sided tape. This is a technique that I learned from Colin Dipper many years ago, and it does indeed sweeten the tone of metal ended instruments quite significantly. Bob Gaskins took the idea from my original suggestion and produced an exhaustive article on fitting your own baffles here.

 

Chris

[Hooves]

Has anybody actaully determined what sort of pitch or timbre difference is achieved using different types of metal on the ends?

 

For example, aluminum vs. Brass, or steal? Would these materials effect tone, or would an aluminum end sound pretty much like a steal one? (I don't know just what types of Metal have been used).

 

or even coated metal ends, such as leather directly on the metal but cut to follow the fretwork pattern and not act as a baffle. I'm even wondering about liquid vinyl, painted onto the inside of the metal end.