All Activity

I just reread the introductory note I wrote all those years ago (we published it in January, 2004) and I think it’s worth reproducing the first paragraph here. It makes the point I was trying to make just above.

As we learned many years ago, Alan doesn’t think in terms of sheet music. And if he hasn’t written it down, I doubt anybody else has. I transcribed all the tunes for his Anglo tutor 18 years ago. It was a lot of work and involved a lot of back-and-forth between me and Alan because he doesn’t feel a need to play a tune exactly the same way each time (and rightly so!). I think you’re going to have to learn it by ear or learn to take musical dictation (both worthwhile and rewarding goals).

A few years back - 2012 actually - Alan Day introduced us to one of his compositions, "Stream to River Flows" in this thread, ... https://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?/topic/13740-stream-to-river-flows/&tab=comments#comment-132262 I wonder if anyone has the sheet music for this & is willing to share it?? Jake

Definitely a Jeffries Duet, home key of C. Probably first (and only) time in the movies! Gary

I ended up going back to the tried and true Paul Groff shipping method - USPS registered, with all the box seams sealed with reinforced paper tape, insured for full value. Hoping for the best!

Thanks, Dave. I thought about doing that, but given the age of the instrument and my own lack of skill, I decided to let a pro do it.

Correct.

And increase by removing material from tip...right?

And the silly blighter went and died on us.

"Tell me how pitch can be lowered by simply removing material from a reed?" You can lower the pitch by removing a bit of material from the base (clamped end) of the reed.

Really does sound like a "Duet". Always amazing to think it is one instrument.

I think it's a Jeffries duet. See Fig. 26 in this article: https://www.concertinajournal.org/articles/charles-jeffries-and-his-sons/

There may be a misunderstanding about the tuning method. The way I understand it, the reeds are "old pitch", about 55 cents above 440. Solder is applied to bring the tone down to the right ballpark, then removed with diamond files to bring the tone up to 440. Mr Snope has done this successfully on a number of instruments. Tell me how pitch can be lowered by simply removing material from a reed?

Looks like a raised ended Jeffries. Could be an anglo?

Is there any general agreement on which is the right-hand spring and which is the left? I have always assumed that the right-hand spring is the one with the hook that curls around the lever like the fingers of the right hand and vice-versa, but I’ve never actually seen that in print. Page 25 of your book talks around it without actually making it clear, but suggests the other convention, saying that they “usually hook to the left” (which is what I would have called a right-hand spring), but does not explicitly say that this is a left-hand spring. For having a few spares, it’s easy enough to just order a few of each, but for replacing a whole collection with many that hook left and few that hook right it’s important that the buyer and the supplier are speaking the same language.

Lately I have been coming around to USPS from usually using UPS. UPS is getting to where they "could give a s%*t" whether you ship or not. USPS has some idiosyncratic rules (take a look at their website, especially involving batteries! That being said, USPS Priority Mail, Insured, is pretty safe. As stated, new box, double box and/or foam (good case is good for penetration safety but not for shock). Use good tape. Don't even consider FDX.

nice job David

A good purchase at any price 🤐

Use a spike to form the pilot for a new hole adjacent to the old spring anchorage point no harm will be done and you will be up and running again. That is what a professional would do. Short of digging out the old spring end, drilling or chiselling a cavity in the action plate, gluing in a bit of new wood, then dressing it flat before fitting your new spring, it is all that can be done. You often come across evidence of spring replacement with old spring holes and stubs left in them. It is no detriment, just a small footprint in the history of the concertina. A 'get you away' remedy whilst waiting to replace a spring is a small piece of kitchen sponge pushed between the pivot post and the key, cut thick enough to hold the lever arm up and thus the pad in place.

Absolutely good to get it back, its all about the playing and playability not the repair process as long as no harm is done.

I have an Altura pannier bag which is perfect for a concertina with bubble wrap. I don't actually cycle with it as I usually carry a melodeon as well and public transport is far easier late at night but as I already had it i pressed it into service.

Hi everybody! I'm a beginner concertina enthusiast and was hoping the kind people here would help me identify a concertina. Classic movie The Wicker Man features a concertina played by Mike Cole. General consensus is that it's a duet but I'd love to narrow it down further if possible (or be corrected). Cheers!

Absolutely! I think I got my camera bag from Goodwill. I agree with Dana about the limitations of soft bags. But I think that in many circumstances, they will cushion a fall better than a hard case, which I think would be more likely to transfer the shock to the instrument. And yes, do not, under any circumstances, crash your bike.

I was somewhat surprised by the cracks in the pan as well. Had it spent time in a very dry climate? I wonder. I can't comment on the tuning method. Perhaps it is simply because it is reversible? I do expect Mr Snope knows what he is doing. Regardless, it will be very nice when I get it back.

Whatever you do, make sure it (and you ) can survive a spill. I’m not a big fan of soft cases. I know a lot of people use them. They are fine until they aren’t…