Corelli 20 button concertian

Subject: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: mtk
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 08:44 PM

Greetings - I am new to the concertina and found Mudcat Cafe while surfing for information.

Primary question:
Is this the appropriate place to ask the following questions?

Second question:
I recently purchased a 20 key concertina that looked like I could bring back to playing condition. As a hobby, I have repaired and tuned a couple small piano key accordions. When I opened the concertina, it was signed "Albert Marcus" and dated "5-21-49. Knowing nothing about the instrument, I thought I'd post the name and see if it means anything to anyone. Don't want to risk ruining it if it has value to someone.

Third question:
The bottom row of left-hand buttons (6 through 10?) are as follows:
b/d d/f# g/a b/c d/e
All the charts I have been able to locate indicate it should be:
g/d d/f# g/a b/c d/e
Anyone have any comments on this?

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 08:47 PM

Message CarolC.

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 12:05 AM

G'day Mtk,

The common arrangement ... in English made / English market instruments is as your second line. This gives a low tonic note at the bottom of the left side (where you ... mostly ... play vamp chords). However, it stills works well enough with the next note up of the chord (GBD) ... and lets you use that B, if needed for left-hand melody.

It also lets the maker use a rather smaller reed at that point ... I re-reeded an old Lachenal (originally in G/C) to a lower set in D/G -using all sorts of swap reeds from Richard Evans's workshop set ... and opening out the complex English-style slots in most cases. I couldn't fit the new lowest G (a fourth lower than the previous C, at that point) ... so I elected to use a B - as in your instrument. I happily play it - chord cheerfully down at that end (I admit I use a fairly sparse chording, mostly) and the different (in)version of the G chord doesn't both me a whit!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 12:09 AM

Errr ... G'day again mtk,

... and, I presume, your Corelli will cleave to the German style of manufacture ... and may have a single (~ "mouthorgan style") reed-plate for that row of that side - so you may not be in any position to do much about the pitch of the note.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 02:42 AM

I can answer the primary question.

Yes.

Oh, and welcome to Mudcat.

cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: mtk
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 11:24 PM

Thanks all for the responses.

The instrument does have individual reed plates which are mounted to a frame (reed block?) that is glued to the sound board. I have a pdf file with pictures HERE Warning, the file is 1.22 Mb, in case you have a dial up connection.

The "reed block" had separated from the sound board and was leaking profusly, causing little sound to come out of the instrument. I have reglued the block, waxed the reed plates back in and it sound pretty good.

You can see my next problem on the 3rd page of the pdf file. One of the reeds is broken. I'm not sure where I will find a replacement.

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 11:58 PM

G'day mtk,

That is one very interesting 'concertina'! The square body, with chamfered corners, is more the style of the Bandoneon / Chemnitzer. Might this have been a "starter" instrument from which a learner might progress to the more complex extra rows of those bigger instruments? (BTW: See the recent thread on bandoneons: Bandoneon Thread .) However, it's worth noting that the original (Carl Uhlig... ?) Konzertinas of 1834 where in that same square shape and used similar wooden keywork and that 20-key structure... but they didn't come in "mother of toilet seat" cladding!

How old is this instrument ... this might help identify the type of glue used to affix the reed block. If it is old organic glues, you need to completely clean both surfaces back to bare wood before using unmatched types of glue.

As far as the reed goes ... it's essentially a standard accordion reed. A repairer of diatonic button accordion might even be able to match it with a set of reeds having both 'suck' and 'blow' reeds correct, without retuning. If necessary, retuning a piano accordion reed that has only one direction correct shouldn't take the other reed beyond its 're-tunable' range ... but that's the repairer's call.

I don't know where you are, so I can't start to suggest who to chase up.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: GUEST,SqueezeMe
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 11:01 AM

From my expereince, the left hand G row configuration you have is the most common.
Probably the second most common has the first button playing B push : A pull, though B push : E pull is not unknown.
Why would any one need a D on the pull here when you have it conveniently on the C row?.
The low G push is most unusual as original tuning, though more logical, and I have modified many anglos to this fingering.

Your broken reed appears to be C push : A pull. Any accordion repairer should be able to supply you with one.

Good luck!

MC (too lazy to sign in!)

Subject: RE: Corelli 20 button concertian
From: SqueezeMe
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 06:37 AM

There you go! Signed in tonight.
Happy?

MC :-)