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[pipives]

Hi everyone,

I got an email from a friend in Hatsings today. Her husband who has been playing box for over 30 years has just badly injured his shoulder. This is the email I got today-

"We are desperately trying to access a streb eMelodeon, yes an electronic
job!! Stop shuddering!
 Will has got a nasty shoulder injury and needs something PDQ which doesn't
need an almighty push to it. Chap on line says he's got an 18month waiting
list.............have you seen anything like that, has anyone got one to be
begged, borrowed or stolen up your end of the worl? Any ideas very
gratefully received, all the best, Jane, & Will too."

Can anyone help/suggest anything to help with this. I've sent them as many suggestions as I can think of, including talking to us lot on here, Peter Hyde's boxes, Castagnari lillys, Hohner Lilliputs etc

 

[Alison Scott]

I have a Streb; they come with regular Pokerwork bellows and it's the bellows action that determines the volume of the note. I'm not sure that it's actually a solution to the problem of someone who's injured his shoulder as my Streb is not by any means the easiest box I have to play. (My just-overhauled-by-Theo Liliput is very easy to play, as is my now-neglected Serenellini). The advantage of the Streb is that they can be set so that a very small push generates a sound, but even so I'm not convinced, because if you set the control so that notes come in instantly, you get unintended bellows reversal noises. 

And as for the substantial query; I'm sorry, but I can't let mine go.

[pipives]

I know. I've played a Streb so I know they're not the easiest way round this problem. I have already mentioned this to Will, who is suffering with te problem. But I'll put any interesting developments on this on here here as the situation progresses.

[Alison Scott]

I've been thinking more about this. Is the problem a volume one, or can he not play his existing boxes at all? Because if the former, then amplification might be the way to go.

And what does he want to do that's so urgent? If it's just that he's going bonkers not being able to play, then I truly think that getting a Theo-overhauled Liliput (or Preciosa) is the way to go; mine is really light and incredibly smooth to play. It's a far cheaper option than a Streb, too! But if he's essential to the functioning of a morris side or similar, then I'm not sure the Liliput will deliver the volume (or rather, not without the almighty push referred to below), and I am just not sure there's going to be an easy answer apart from time.

[Matthew B]

My Liliput is pretty loud: I don't know if it would meet the needs of Morris playing, but it carries pretty well outdoors.  It's very light, and has a very fast response.  Played very quietly a couple of the lower reeds "misfire" a little, so that might be a problem, but with a little volume this difficulty vanishes.  And the original strap system might need some modification, depending on the location of the injury.  I would say it's certainly worth a try, though.

[Waltham]

A Lilliput in good nick is plenty loud enough for morris, and a Preciosa even more so, I can't think of many louder two row boxes bar the 4+ voice ones sometimes used for Irish music.

[pipives]

I've been thinking more about this. Is the problem a volume one, or can he not play his existing boxes at all? Because if the former, then amplification might be the way to go.

And what does he want to do that's so urgent? If it's just that he's going bonkers not being able to play, then I truly think that getting a Theo-overhauled Liliput (or Preciosa) is the way to go; mine is really light and incredibly smooth to play. It's a far cheaper option than a Streb, too! But if he's essential to the functioning of a morris side or similar, then I'm not sure the Liliput will deliver the volume (or rather, not without the almighty push referred to below), and I am just not sure there's going to be an easy answer apart from time.

The latter. Can't play at all at the moment. And he plays (and runs) an Irish session on wednesday nights and has at least one ceilidh (with amplification) every weekend, sometimes two. So he is in a bit of a rush for a box, and I have already suggested a Lilliput.

The reason the doctor has given for his problems is that he's played at the Irish session and at least 1 ceilidh pretty much every week for 30 years. He has always held his box on 1 strap, and the doc thinks this is whats caused the problems. I believe there's a thread around about this at the moment to...

[Theo]

Well perhaps his next step should be to try using two straps.  It certainly means you have to use your arms/hands/shoulders in different ways. There is no waiting list for straps!

[Jeff]

Katie Howson related at Witney how she saw someone who put their right leg through the shoulder strap, pulled it up under their bum, so that the box sits in the usual place on the left leg.  This way there is no pull on the back at all.

Sounds odd.  Feels odd.  But it might work.

Cheers
Jeff