saguaro_squeezer Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 (edited) Wow! I got my Wheatstone Crane from Chris Alger today ... SN 35347 ... just a few days past its 68th birthday. Now I'm beginning to understand the opinions about Wheatstone, Lachenal, concertina reeds, accoridian reeds, etc. What a beautiful instrument. It's responsive, bright and just feels right. Don't get me wrong .. I love my Morse baritone and Lachenal EC but there is a difference between them and a real Wheatstone. Maybe it's the 'real' concertina reeds. Anyway, now I have representatives of Brass EC, Accordian EC and Steel Crane. And it even came in a Salvation Army box. I'll post pictures and a sound file later this week. Edited August 18, 2009 by rod_in_tucson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooves Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Wow! I got my Wheatstone Crane from Chris Alger today ... SN 35347 ... just a few days past its 68th birthday. Now I'm beginning to understand the opinions about Wheatstone, Lachenal, concertina reeds, accoridian reeds, etc. What a beautiful instrument. It's responsive, bright and just feels right. Don't get me wrong .. I love my Morse baritone and Lachenal EC but there is a difference between them and a real Wheatstone. Maybe it's the 'real' concertina reeds. Anyway, now I have representatives of Brass EC, Accordian EC and Steel Crane. And it even came in a Salvation Army box. I'll post pictures and a sound file later this week. Ah yes the Crane, welcome to the club, you have taken a bold step in your own evolution and carved out a piece of destiny others fear to gaze upon. And a Wheatsone to boot, my have you grown. You have my respect and envy, young duet player. You didn't tell us the sundry details - buttons, size, wood/fretting, bellows... come come now, don't leave us guessing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 (edited) You didn't tell us the sundry details - buttons, size, wood/fretting, bellows... come come now, don't leave us guessing. My apologies. 55 buttons, about 6.75" flat to flat, width 5"with bellows closed. Ebony ends, Frets by 'T'. Finished 8/11/41. Came in a case w/Salvation Army sticker on it. 6-fold bellows. Lovely, plain and sonorous. I need a lot of practice but can begin to sound out hymns today. Chris was most kind in putting up with my newbie questions ... and I can't thank him enough. I can only imagine what a 70 - 80 key Crabb would do to you ...... Edited August 18, 2009 by rod_in_tucson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 55 buttons, about 6.75" flat to flat, width 5"with bellows closed. Ebony ends, Frets by 'T'. Finished 8/11/41. Came in a case w/Salvation Army sticker on it. 6-fold bellows. Lovely, plain and sonorous. Rod, Let me join Hooves in extending a welcome to the Club, and in expressing my "respect and envy." Envy inasmuch as I have "only" a Lachenal 48-button with ebonised ends. To make up for that, my Crane (also from Chris Algar) came with original Salvation Army Triumph handstraps. I occasionally miss the high C# and D# on the RH side, which you get with 55 buttons, so there's a bit of envy there, too. And you've got a whole additional row on the LH side, which gives you more options for chords in the upper octave. I share your enthusiasm for the "genuine article", because I got my Lachenal after years of playing an accordion-reeded Anglo. The concertina-reeded instrument just has more "presence." Coming to the Crane from the Anglo, I enjoy the freedom of monosonoric chromaticism. It would be interesting to know whether an EC player like you has a similar experience. At any rate, enjoy! Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 (edited) Let me join Hooves in extending a welcome to the Club, and in expressing my "respect and envy." Thank you, Hooves and John, for your welcome to the Club. I hope to prove worthy of your respect and envy ... hopfully just a wee bit of each since I'm pretty new to this and want to set realistic expectations I'd been sitting on the fence the last couple of months and my indecision caused me to not bid on that 48key Lachenal that Chris had on eBay. That it went for £750 was my wake-up call. As to the Wheatstone, after reading the Duet write-up here on C.net and looking at the fingering charts, I decided that a 55 key was what I really wanted. Chris had mine and a really nicely restored 48 key that were only £50 apart so getting the 55 key was an easy decision. John, I never had much luck with harmonica and so passed over Anglo on my quest for concertina. Hand to hand fingering seemed easier than push-pull. So, I agree with you on monosonic. I was, and am, particularly interested in plaing 4 part hymns and some of the finger changes on EC are pretty interesting. That is what led me to the Crane. What I really appreciate is not having to employ both hands in the melody ... though I'll admit that I think about it if I'm in that octave that crosses over between the two hands. Thanks, again, for the good wishes! Edited September 17, 2009 by saguaro_squeezer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 [I've added a couple of pictures that are cut out of the originals that Chris sent me. I'll try to take better ones this week. Rod, Lovely! Nice, puritanical black, just the thing for hymn tunes! I notice it has an air button, which not all Cranes have. Mine has, and being an old Angloist, I sometimes find it useful for phrasing. Not as essential as on the Anglo, but good for setting you up for a long phrase with thick, bass chords. I also notice that it has new, stiff-looking handstaps. This is an invaluable feature, I've found. I actually sacrificed the original, embossed "S.A. Triumph" straps on mine, because they were rather thin and pliable from much usage, and replaced them with extra-thick ones from David Leese. Since then, I've had much better control of the instrument. (Interesting to note that Wheatstone has the same rather Heath Robinson strap-adjustment buckles that my Stagi Anglo has ) Using the LH/RH overlap for two-handed melody playing is definitely an EC concept - but why not! I use the rather more modest overlap of my 48-b to get the LH accompaniment chords in the same octave as my RH melody line. The extra row would be useful sometimes, especially for a higher F-major chord. I wish you much joy of you new concertina, and - considering your intended repertoire - every blessing! Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooves Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 looks great, my 48K Lachenal doesn't ahve an air button either, so far I do not miss it, though often I wish it had one for putting it away (I just try to rember to end on a squeeze and not apull). Mr. Barelycorn's shop does a great job of restoring. I'm hoping one of these days to get a Wheatstone as well, But concertina is the instrument I reach for after my Mandolin, after my Guitar, but just before the Bodhran! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 There's something spooky about playing Eleanor Plunkett with both hands at the same time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marien Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 How about moonlight mile of the stones, isn't that spooky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 How about moonlight mile of the stones, isn't that spooky? Hi Marien, I'll have to look that one up. I don't know the tune but I'll admit that there's a lot that I don't know yet! All the best, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 How about moonlight mile of the stones, isn't that spooky? Hi Marien, I'll have to look that one up. I don't know the tune but I'll admit that there's a lot that I don't know yet! All the best, By the way, this should show up from Chris in about two weeks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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