I have a new concertina!

Subject: I have a new concertina!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Jul 24 - 01:12 PM

Well, new to me. Probably more than 100 years old, it is a Lachnal Anglo 30 button in G/D. Traded my C/G in as it needed a bit of tweaking and I decided a G/D was more in line with what I play. It is unusual in that it has wooden ends but metal buttons. Plays very nicely.

All I need to do now is practice :-D

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Jul 24 - 02:14 PM

Have Fun
the advantage of GD with wheatstone layout[ assuming lachenal layout is the same] is that the player has gbd fsharp and a in both directions, that is if the player wants to go beyond playing straight up and down the rows, it seems a good decision IMO

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: DaveRo
Date: 08 Jul 24 - 05:03 PM

There's a seemingly interminable thread on c.net: Dating A Lachenal From The Serial Number

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: gillymor
Date: 08 Jul 24 - 06:59 PM

Congratulations, Dave. What a joy to have a fine instrument come into your life. It makes you want to practice all the more. I gave myself a small body Lowden S-34 for Xmas and it's hard to put down.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Jul 24 - 08:33 PM

G/D eh, Dave? Just the thing for playing them jigs, reels and polkas. I'll dig out the ould D and G harps and we'll have a virtual playalong!

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 09 Jul 24 - 01:54 AM

I prefer the lower pitched instruments, and I don't think it is anything to do with age and hearing, though that may apply to the audience! Theoretically it is easier to tune a lower pitch more accurately.
Have fun.

Robin.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Jul 24 - 02:25 AM

Robin, who told you that?
A piano tuner has no problem tuning the higher notes of a piano.
there is no reason why GD cannot be tuned as accurately as a CG.
The most out of tune note in equal temperament is the third note of the chord,
which is why piano tuners, tune using circles of fifths example all the c notes are tuned then all the g notes then all the d notes etc.
in equal temperament the most in tune notes are fifths

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Jul 24 - 03:14 AM

The G/D is lower pitched.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Jul 24 - 03:30 AM

have fun with your new box

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 09 Jul 24 - 04:33 AM

My source of difficultys with tuning higher concertina reeds is Steve Dickenson. He really hated having to re-tune Gladys Thorpes piccolo english.

Robin

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Jul 24 - 06:33 AM

When the reeds are smaller the filing has to be more gentle, that is why they are more difficult to tune. most tuners these days use electronic tuners, including Steve Dickinson please note name spelling,I have had conversations with Steve on this suject and played in a band with him
anyway Daves instrument is not a piccolo and it is lower not higher
the smaller a reed the less margin for error

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: leeneia
Date: 09 Jul 24 - 11:17 PM

Congratulations, Dave. Don't think of it as practice, think of it as making friends with it.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Jul 24 - 01:38 PM

Getting to grips now and loving it :-)

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Jul 24 - 04:47 PM

best wishes.

I wonder who coined the phrase,,,,rum, bum and concertina?
pbviously a parody of Chuchill's bon mot about naval traditions,,,,rum, sodomy and the lash.
Perhaps it was George Melly.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Jul 24 - 05:25 PM

I think it was George Melly.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 18 Jul 24 - 03:03 AM

It is the title of a George Melly book which I read some years ago. He did explain the origin but I have completely forgotten where it came from!

Robin

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 18 Jul 24 - 04:49 AM

if i remember correctly, surprisingly mahogany was used for the cheaper models the next quality up was rosewood and then black ebony, metal buttons were used on more expensive models, the cheaper ones were bone buttons.
i think lahenals generally had hook lever actions

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 18 Jul 24 - 06:45 AM

Agreed Dick.

There are quite a few bone buttoned, metal ended 32 button Lachenals out there somewhere and I think that they are about the best value for money that you can get from the vintage instrument market. They are quite quick to respond although not the top quality of the best Wheatstones.
I have examples in C/G anf Bb/F.

Robin

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Jul 24 - 07:40 AM

Anyway well done on getting a new instrument. I remember talking to Brian Peters about his concertinas and he told me how much they had cost.

Wow! And I thought guitars cocst a lot. I think my entire guitar collection would just about buy one concertina.

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 18 Jul 24 - 07:54 AM

Al, good quality guitars are now made in the third world which is why they can be good value,
Duet concertinas which are generally in less demand are often better value.Particularly MCCANN DUETS

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 06:54 AM

Yes indeed. Guitars are terrific value nowadays. In my retirement I own much better guitars than I did in my playing career. Made with materials like Rosewood, Adirondack pine, etc.

You have to be have a perfect conscience to resist buying from repressive regimes.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 08:06 AM

I would not buy from USA

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: gillymor
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 09:10 AM

I own two Eastman electric guitars that were made in the People's Republic of China and sleep pretty well at night. I'm not going to boycott the ability of my fellow human beings to make a living.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 10:36 AM

one of the differences between vintage concertinas and some cheaper modern concertinas, is in the construction.s
some modern concertinas are in effect single reed accordions, and that is what they sound like because they have accordion reeds.
Yamaha made cheaper guitars that had sound fronts made of high grade plywood , they sounded reasonable but the sound would never improve, unlike guitars that had sound fronts made of living wood such as pine

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 11:17 AM

well I agree.
China's government are a right gang of stink pots, but it would be hypocritical to wring my hands, whilst enjoying my beautiful guitars.

Sorry you won't have USA product. My Gibson G45 is my best guitar. A lot of guitar afficiandos on youtube say its crap.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 11:31 AM

China's government are a right gang of stink pots, quote
what information do you base this on?western media? have you been to china?

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: GUEST,Groovy
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 12:34 PM

Sandman, were you born a complete moron or did you have to take lessons?

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 19 Jul 24 - 03:09 PM

Yes I rely on western media - Amnesty International etc.
I agree most people who go to China seem to be charmed by the place.

I think the problems seem to be with people who actually live there, and for whom its home.

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Jul 24 - 01:49 AM

Dave, your anglo sounds as if it might possibly be what lachenal called a[ new model]

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: DaveRo
Date: 20 Jul 24 - 02:53 AM

'New model' anglos are apparantly rare:
Lachenal's "new Model"?

This piece, by Stephen Chambers, gives a history of Lachenal's production:
Some Notes on Lachenal Concertina Production and Serial Numbers

Subject: RE: I have a new concertina!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 Jul 24 - 08:34 AM

still, the smoke goes up the chimney just the same? n'est pas?