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#24085 |
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#24085 |
| Notes
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The 8-sided Ĉola was Wheatstone's deluxe model
concertina, with raised ends, best steel reeds, riveted action, and top-quality materials
and craftsmanship throughout. This is a fine example, an ebony-ended,
48-button treble English, a very responsive player with a tone that's bright
but not harsh. Though the serial number of 24085 is from the period where
the Wheatstone company ledgers are missing, it's close enough to the
existing ledgers (which start at 25000 in 1910) that I can confidently say
it was built somewhere within the years 1905-07.
This instrument was given full maintenance by Steve Dickinson (Wheatstone & Co.) in 1994-5, though in fact it needed very little work then. It does, however, have new pads and valves. The original finish was left as is, with minor scuffing that you need to look closely to notice. The instrument is very tight, and I find that with its 5-fold, original bellows I can play longer without reversing direction than on many concertinas with 6--fold bellows. There is a lever-type air valve. It comes with a sturdy, "square" hard case. According to my kitchen scale, the concertina weighs 1211 g (2 lbs. 10.7 oz.). Below are some photos, followed by a number of sound files to demonstrate the sound and response of the instrument under different playing conditions. Note: I have now added the internal photos (save one, which I forgot to take; but it's nothing special, and I'll do it soon). Sound files with song accompaniment and more examples of harmony later tonight or tomorrow morning. |
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To send me an email, click here. |
| Photos
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Below are the digital photos, both inside and out. Note: By clicking on the "full" and "half" links under the photos, they can be viewed at two levels of greater resolution (detail), in addition to the array of small images on this page. The "full" images range in size from 245 Kb to 483 Kb, and the half-sized "half" images range from 76 to 191 Kb. The latter are recommended for those with slow internet connections. |
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half xxx full View from right end |
 half xxx full Right end |
 half xxx full Under side of right end |
 half xxx full Right action |
 half xxx full Under side of right pad board |
 half xxx full Top of right reed pan |
 half xxx full Under side of right reed pan |
 half xxx full Thru bellows from right end |
 half xxx full Thru stretched bellows from leftt end |
 half xxx full Under side of left reed pan |
 half xxx full Top of left reed pan |
 half xxx full missed this one; coming soon |
 half xxx full Left action |
 half xxx full Under side of left end |
 half xxx full Left end |
half xxx full View from left end |
 half xxx full Detail of right action showing air lever |
 half xxx full Oblique view of left action |
 half xxx full Closeup of serial number |
 half xxx full Closeup of Wheatstone label |
| Sound files
| These sound files were all recorded in
my living room, a moderately "dead" space, soundwise. They were
all recorded with the above instrument, using a single microphone, and
all at the same distance from the microphone. They are in MP3 160
Kbit format, not the highest fidelity possible, but reasonably good
while retaining reasonable file size. They have not been enhanced
in any way (except for the removal of a few
displays of gross incompetence in my playing). Though I'm not a
virtuoso player,
I hope they give some idea of both the sound and playing capabilities
of the
instrument. |
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