Minstrel, standard

Construction:

• Non-acoustic: birch wood, synthetic glues and finish. The construction/materials do not affect the sound.

• Synthetic glues and finish.

• High airflow/ high volume output (amount of air entering/exiting the chambers when a button is pushed)

• leather standard bellows, with ca.60-70% TFT (tension free travel) See About Bellows  for more info

 Action:

• bushed brass rod action, with some flexing*. Delrin buttons with solid core guides.

Minstrel options:

• Wakker bellows: TFT (Tension Free Travel) > 90%. Much more responsive, small hand movements affect the sound. Allows for more nuanced playing. See About Bellows  for more info.

• Metal capped buttons: Same buttons as used on higher end instruments: delrin core with pin guide and metal cap, domed or flat top.

 

Clover, standard

Construction:

• Acoustic: Engelmann spruce soundboard, maple reedpans, black cherry ends and frames. Primary sound reflection/manipulation: Active filtering of the higher harmonics.

• Synthetic glues and finish.

• Calibrated high airflow/high volume output (amount of air entering/exiting the chambers when a button is pushed): The airflow into the chambers is calibrated to the p1/p2 value of the reed.

• Standard Wakker bellows with >90% TFT. See About Bellows  for more info

Action:

• bushed MS58 sheet brass action without flexing.* Delrin core/metal capped buttons with pin guide.

 

Clover, custom

Construction:

• The custom clover model is built using the same techniques and materials we use for our standard Wakker concertina models.

•  Primary and secondary sound reflection/manipulation construction: Engelmann spruce soundboard, maple reedpans, choice of tonal woods for ends and frames.
  Active filtering of the higher harmonics.

• Acoustically invisible glues** (hide/bone glues) and finish** (French polish).

• Combination of tonal woods and acoustically invisible glues/finish allow for selective filtering/manipulation of harmonics.

• Calibrated high airflow/high volume output (amount of air entering/exiting the chambers when a button is pushed): The airflow into the chambers is calibrated to the p1/p2 value of the reed.

• Standard Wakker bellows with >90% TFT. See About Bellows  for more info

Action:

• bushed MS58 sheet brass action without flexing.* Delrin core/metal capped buttons with pin guide.

 

 *Action Flexing

• Action movement lost by flexing of the lever. Rod actions have some flex, which affect the airflow going into the chamber; not all of the button travel is translated into pad lift. This prevents accurate calibration.
  Sheet brass levers do not flex, and allow precise calculation/adjustment of the amount of airflow.  Airflow values affect reed amplitude/performance.

** Acoustically invisible glues (hide/bone glues) and finish (French Polish)

• Unlike synthetic glues which form barriers that block sound waves , protein glues  allow sound waves to travel through the glue line without interference. 
  Each wooden side of a hexagonal concertina consists of 9 separate pieces of wood that are glued together. Glued with synthetic glue, the side consists of 9 individual pieces of wood, insulated from each other.
  Glued with hide/bone glue, these individual pieces form one body, able to filter/modify sound waves.

• An unfinished wooden end of a concertina, constructed with acoustically invisible glues, will act as a membrane when activated by sound waves. A resin based finish (e.g. French polish) will not interfere with these micro movements.
  A synthetic finish will act as a 'wrap' around the wood and will affect the membrane function of the wood.

 

Copyright © 2001-2025, Concertina Connection Inc8, All rights reserved.

---