Jeffries Number 48

[David Hornett]

For those interested in my latest folly you may have been watching a rather ancient Jeffries on ebay, well I purchased it to repair over what remains of winter. Anyway, the instrument had been soaked in water, things are a little sad, but restorable, on the bass side. BUT, on both ends on the obverse side to the handles is number '48', this number is also on the reed boards both ends, there appear to be two hand styles, one neat the other wanting in finess. SO, if there is anyone out there who collects Jeffries numbers, I have number 48 (after which there is an A or B to indicate the ends.) The numbers are: scratched into the metal, scratched on the wood, and in a neat hand written in pencil. The instrument is brown and the bellows papers appear to be gold on green, of the standard Jeffries' pattern.

Edited August 11, 2014 by David Hornett

[Chris Ghent]

Probably not a serial number, sadly Jeffries are not known to have them. It will be a batch number, used to associate all of the parts of a concertina together. These was needed because various parts were hand fitted to each other and would not fit other instruments.

[Alex West]

David

 

Congratulations (or comiserations - it looks and sounds as though it's going to be a challenge!)

 

I don't think anyone has tried to systematically list all of the numbers they've seen on Jeffries to figure out whether they are unique, but I've always understood these pencilled or scratched numbers to be batch numbers rather than any kind of sequential number.

 

Good luck with the restoration. If it's the same instrument I saw, there seemed to be some very small holes in the bellows ends which could be woodworm? Fixable but concerning

 

Alex West

[David Hornett]

Thankyou. Batch numbers ..., Oh well, and there I was thinking I had fallen on to something. It is a shame Concertina Net has not a site where we can list such things as they pop up (With photographic evidence) May generate an interesting pattern over time.

 

Alex, there is, fortunately, absolutely no worm wood, a bit od a cut and polish and we are away. The reed pans hven not warped, or the action board, everything was screwed down tight ... lucky me. All the reeds are there, rusty, but intact. Strangely it t is missing 10 springs, and of course all the pads are off, but everything else is there, no splits or cracks so all it will take is time, love and enthusiasm.

 

But one question, any idea how to clean rust off reeds, or should I do what I have always done do you think: dust off the surface, soak in mineral turps for a week or two, wipe over with micro-fiber cloth and tune, in this case bring the old tuning up to A440, the reeds will be so far out there is no point, I am currently assuming, trying to be a purist.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

David Hornett

[Alex West]

David

 

I generally don't use any liquids, just a glass fibre pencil to take off the surface rust. This doesn't seem to take off any metal to a significant degree and just cleans the reed up. If the rust is bad enough to pit the metal underneath, then it's a different issue.

 

Alex West

[Concertina22]

Does this concertina have a c.jeffries maker stamp?

If not i would presume it is a crabb concertina?

[David Hornett]

'C Jeffries' above the middle button, and rather unusually thin, long reeds compared to my 1920's Jeffries.

 

 

David

[David Hornett]

Also, a close up of the hand strap deign that came with it, including leather texture. Straps are brown as is the bellows.

 

David