Hello!
Actualy, I don't think I shall have too much trouble learning this instrument....okey, I probably will. But right now I need help figuring out how to tune it and stuff like that. It is an old twenty button one that is Italian made. That is pretty much all I know about it. It is my grandfathers, but he never learned to play it. He probably got right before or after WWII ended. It is horrably out of tune.
I tried taking it apart, to figure out how to tune it, but that did not help at all. The buttons are stiking and they all fell off when I took apart that section. (dont worry I got it alll back to gether again!)
Thanks Ceolachan, I am begining to think that I will need luck very badly.
I checked out your links; they will help alot; especialy the concertina.net ones. I have been there a couple of times and found it full of information, though a little hard to navigate. One of the links had some pictures of a reed pan, but it looks very diferent than mine. Mine is up and down in a, well, hill. For lack of a better word. The one in the picture had the reeds spread out to the edges.
Another question; what is the diference between a concertina and a melodian?
I would suggest that what you are trying to repair - I'm sorry - isn't worth it. The Italian concertinas are generally made with accordion reeds on a different system of mechanics from the good British brands; Wheatstone, Lachenal,etc. Enjoy your tinkering but don't expect to get a working and worthwhile instrument at the end of it.
As you have already seen the diagrams of a reputable make show a very different system from what you have.
If you really want to learn the concertina you will need, quite soon, a reasonable quality instrument; you have already been given some good links to learn from; remember that if you are trying to purchase an instrument at a distance, anything that does not have a recent service history will probably need £300 + of work done on it, or the US equivalent, to get it into good playing order and modern pitch. And nobody gives away good instruments !
GP has it. I was just returning here and saw the questions. Being familiar with the Irialian squeezes I just took it for granted that was what you were talking about. However, other things didn't click. I can't understand why you would need to tune it? Those plastic buttoned squeezes are late arrivals, meaning they were tuned to A=440, modern pitch, and not like some of the older English / Anglo tinas, which could be found quite sharp across the board.
We have a friend who has a bright yellow one, and she gets tons of pleasure out of her squeeze, and there's no way in hell she'll ever dish out the money for a Wheatstone, or a Lachenel. She can play O'Carolan tunes on it, waltzes, a few jigs, a march ~ and she takes it in here leisure, and loves her little instrument.
While they don't have the punch or substance for a heavy duty session, I quite like the gentle sound of them, and they aren't half bad for accompanying singing.
My guess is that it doesn't necessarily need 'tuning', but I couldn't say without seeing it. If there are tina people in your area, and I suspect there will be someone within say 50 miles or so of you, they are likely of the generous sort and may have enough saavy to help you with your squeeze.
The big white plastic keys ~ yeah, they can get sticky. Sometimes all that is needed is a little clean up. You could also use something like a very, very fine grit emery sandpaper to polish the insides of the holes where the keys fit, and to gently round the edges. Another cheap option is to use pencil lead, graphite, as a lubricant ~ but be careful there, you can actually end up reducing the circumference of the button holes and have more sticking rather than less. A good clean is likely all you need.
ALSO ~ I have know a number of people who have started their concertina playing with one of these, and then when it couldn't handle the demands and their improvement and need for a bit more speed and cut ~ they progressed to something more pricey... Note GP's wisedom on the prices... If you want to do some looking, here's a start:
No, I know it is not a very good quality, but it is good enough for learning!
There ten buttons on each side, in two rows. The ends are hexagonal, and I have no idea who made it. The instruction book that came with it was by Paul de Ville.
I don't think there is any one within 100 miles of me that can play a concertina, (People in my aria prefer Bluegrass to TIM.) but I will defiatly do some searching
learnign an old concertina
learnign an old concertina
Hello!
Actualy, I don't think I shall have too much trouble learning this instrument....okey, I probably will. But right now I need help figuring out how to tune it and stuff like that. It is an old twenty button one that is Italian made. That is pretty much all I know about it. It is my grandfathers, but he never learned to play it. He probably got right before or after WWII ended. It is horrably out of tune.
I tried taking it apart, to figure out how to tune it, but that did not help at all. The buttons are stiking and they all fell off when I took apart that section. (dont worry I got it alll back to gether again!)
Anyway, how the bleep do you tune it!!!
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by Eleiel
Re: learnign an old concertina
"The Concertina Maintenance Manual"
Dave Elliott, new edition 2004
ISBN: 1899512675
UPC: 796279097444
ISBN13: 9781899512676
& Mel Bay
http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=AO110
http://www.concertina.info/tina.faq/reviews/manual.htm
http://www.concertina.info/tina.faq/conc-rep.htm
http://www.concertina.net/
http://www.concertina.net/repair.html
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by ceolachan
Re: tuning an old concertina
Find someone nearby who has a clue, one to one and face to face is a thousand times better than the digitally virtual... Good luck...
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by ceolachan
Re: learnign an old concertina
Thanks Ceolachan, I am begining to think that I will need luck very badly.
I checked out your links; they will help alot; especialy the concertina.net ones. I have been there a couple of times and found it full of information, though a little hard to navigate. One of the links had some pictures of a reed pan, but it looks very diferent than mine. Mine is up and down in a, well, hill. For lack of a better word. The one in the picture had the reeds spread out to the edges.
Another question; what is the diference between a concertina and a melodian?
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by Eleiel
Re: learnign an old concertina
can you describe it
How many buttons each side ?
in how many rows ?
Do you have a makers name ?
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by bazouki dave
Re: learnign an old concertina
The ends of a concertina are hexagonal - or maybe octagonal.
The ends of a melodeon are oblong, and it is a rather bigger instrument.
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by nicholas
Re: learnign an old concertina
I would suggest that what you are trying to repair - I'm sorry - isn't worth it. The Italian concertinas are generally made with accordion reeds on a different system of mechanics from the good British brands; Wheatstone, Lachenal,etc. Enjoy your tinkering but don't expect to get a working and worthwhile instrument at the end of it.
As you have already seen the diagrams of a reputable make show a very different system from what you have.
If you really want to learn the concertina you will need, quite soon, a reasonable quality instrument; you have already been given some good links to learn from; remember that if you are trying to purchase an instrument at a distance, anything that does not have a recent service history will probably need £300 + of work done on it, or the US equivalent, to get it into good playing order and modern pitch. And nobody gives away good instruments !
# Posted on April 3rd 2007 by Guernsey Pete
Re: learnign an old concertina
If you can get something out if it, don't worry! A lot of Irish immigrants in America and Canadian Maritimers started out the same way.
However, repairing it sounds like it will cause more problems than it is worth.
# Posted on April 3rd 2007 by TheBloodyIrish
Re: learnign an old concertina
GP has it. I was just returning here and saw the questions. Being familiar with the Irialian squeezes I just took it for granted that was what you were talking about. However, other things didn't click. I can't understand why you would need to tune it? Those plastic buttoned squeezes are late arrivals, meaning they were tuned to A=440, modern pitch, and not like some of the older English / Anglo tinas, which could be found quite sharp across the board.
We have a friend who has a bright yellow one, and she gets tons of pleasure out of her squeeze, and there's no way in hell she'll ever dish out the money for a Wheatstone, or a Lachenel. She can play O'Carolan tunes on it, waltzes, a few jigs, a march ~ and she takes it in here leisure, and loves her little instrument.
While they don't have the punch or substance for a heavy duty session, I quite like the gentle sound of them, and they aren't half bad for accompanying singing.
My guess is that it doesn't necessarily need 'tuning', but I couldn't say without seeing it. If there are tina people in your area, and I suspect there will be someone within say 50 miles or so of you, they are likely of the generous sort and may have enough saavy to help you with your squeeze.
The big white plastic keys ~ yeah, they can get sticky. Sometimes all that is needed is a little clean up. You could also use something like a very, very fine grit emery sandpaper to polish the insides of the holes where the keys fit, and to gently round the edges. Another cheap option is to use pencil lead, graphite, as a lubricant ~ but be careful there, you can actually end up reducing the circumference of the button holes and have more sticking rather than less. A good clean is likely all you need.
ALSO ~ I have know a number of people who have started their concertina playing with one of these, and then when it couldn't handle the demands and their improvement and need for a bit more speed and cut ~ they progressed to something more pricey... Note GP's wisedom on the prices... If you want to do some looking, here's a start:
http://www.buttonbox.com/
# Posted on April 3rd 2007 by ceolachan
"Irialia" ~ ? ~ how'd did I get that spelling? Of course, I meant Italian...
# Posted on April 3rd 2007 by ceolachan
Re: learnign an old concertina
No, I know it is not a very good quality, but it is good enough for learning!
There ten buttons on each side, in two rows. The ends are hexagonal, and I have no idea who made it. The instruction book that came with it was by Paul de Ville.
I don't think there is any one within 100 miles of me that can play a concertina, (People in my aria prefer Bluegrass to TIM.) but I will defiatly do some searching
# Posted on April 3rd 2007 by Eleiel