rudeboy

Hi Bob, Is the Clover 30 button anglo or the Tedrow baritone in Jeffries layout? And how wide is the latter, across the flats? Great photos, BTW. Thanks, Doug

Thanks for the responses; I've now got a better idea of what's involved, i.e., I don't think I'll try to tackle switching back and forth (unless someone hands me a nice Wheatstone). And thanks, Ken, for the merge.

Thanks, Jim It makes sense to me that switching between more different systems, i.e. Anglo and English, concertina and B/C accordion, would be easier, but I accept the fact that this ability differs widely from person to person, there being no way to predict how easily any individual might be able to do it, and that practice would increase the odds of pulling it off. Merging the two threads seems like a good idea, but I don't know how to go about it.

I'd like to hear about people's experiences with playing both Jeffries and Wheatstone layouts in Anglo concertinas and switching back and forth between them, difficulties encountered, strategies for making it work, or if it's crazy to even contemplate doing it, etc. My own experience is limited, I learned on Wheatstone layout, and when I was thinking of buying a better instrument, I studied the layout charts, and swore I'd never want anything other than Wheatstone. When I bought my Edgley on eBay, it was advertised as Wheatstone, so I was pretty annoyed to find out it was actually Jeffries. I even talked to Frank about the cost of changing the reeds in the third row on the right. But once I learned to play Jeffries, I discovered I liked it a lot more. It took a while for my fingers to adapt, though. After that, I tried to play Wheatstone layout once, but gave it up quickly, for various reasons. So far, I’ve heard from Doug Anderson, who said “I spent several months trying to play both my Morse with the Wheatstone layout and my Jeffries with the Jeffries layout - both are G/D Anglos. I eventually gave up and sent the Morse to The Button Box to have the reeds changed to the Jeffries layout. I had no particular preference for one layout over the other but switching the Morse was a much more practical solution.”

thanks, wunks, the most reeds wins

Learn something new every day. I'm still hoping someone will suggest the proper forum for my question: General Concertina Discussion, Teaching and Learning, other? Anyone?

Yes, Anglos. I could be wrong, but I don't think Jeffries and Wheatstone layouts apply to English. Or duet for that matter. Thanks, Doug Anderson. That's funny. I started on Wheatstone, and after studying the layout charts, swore I'd never want anything else. When I bought my Edgley on eBay, it was advertised as Wheatstone, so I was pretty annoyed to find out it was actually Jeffries, but once I learned it I discovered I liked it a lot more, so go figger. It took a while form my fingers to adapt, though.

I'd like to post a question about people's experiences with playing both Jeffries and Wheatstone layouts and switching back and forth between them, difficulties encountered (or if it's crazy to even contemplate it) etc., not a debate about which is best or preferred, but I'm not sure which forum it belongs in. Any suggestions?

"no additional pic visible here" I realize that, I don't know why it didn't load.

Well, I made the same mistake about thinking it was a 40 button anglo and bought it. I've been looking for 40 button anglo for some time. When Gary sent me photos, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the instrument and didn't look at the button configuration carefully enough. It now seems like fool any (except me!) could have seen it wasn't an anglo. It also needs quite a bit of work, leaky bellows, buttons that don't depress, reeds that don't sound. Gary offered to take it back if I wasn't happy with it, so now I'm trying to decide what to do: have it fixed up and sell it, or return it. I'll be taking it up to Button Box this weekend to see what they think, but I'd appreciate any suggestions members of cnet might have. I've attached one picture which doesn't show much, but the others are too large to post here

Hi Gary, I've sent you a PM

"Thanks for the mention Rudeboy." No problem, but I should probably mention that I have no commercial connection with either The Box Place or Barleycorn Concertinas.

I noticed that Theo Gibb has a Stagi Gremlin for 275 pounds, not a great make but a reputable repairer/dealer: https://theboxplace.co.uk/product/staggi-cg/ And Barkleycorn Concertinas has a 30 button Lachenal for 675: http://www.concertina.co.uk/stock-selection/?concertina=3136 also a few 20 and 26 button for under 1000 pounds Good Luck!

"Are concertinas fairly difficult to repair?" Yes and no. If you can repair a lawn mower, a concertina's not bad, if you have the right parts and tools (I suppose that goes for a lot of things). There's a good book that'll get you started, The Concertina Maintenance Manual, by David Elliott: https://www.amazon.com/Concertina-Maintenance-Manual-David-Elliott/dp/1899512675 I've actually replaced a broken spring with a reworked safety pin, but it can get gnarly when you get the end back on and things aren't working the way they should.

You might want to give some thought to what kind of concertina you want: anglo or English. On anglos you get a different note on the pull and the push of the bellows (bisonoric), on English, it’s the same note on pull and push (monosonoric). There are also duet concertinas (also monosonoric), but these might be harder to find. I prefer a challenge, so I’ve opted for anglo, but it also depends on what sort of music you want to play. Buying a concertina is a bit risky; aside from the buttons, bellows, and box that you can see, inside there are many small springs, valves, and levers, any of which can (and do) break. People selling concertinas on Ebay and other places often have no idea how concertinas are supposed to work, and will advertise an instrument as being in “good condition” just because they can get some sound out of it, even though the bellows won’t hold air and half the buttons are missing. You might find something workable for $100, but save yourself some trouble and look for a used Rochelle (anglo), or Jack or Jackie (English) on this site or elsewhere. You might get one for $250. Good luck!

I saw the first listing, which seemed suspicious because it didn't seem like enough money. For some reason I missed the relisting. As for waiting a while, I've been looking for three months. Not long enough, I guess!

Thanks for the tips about Ben, I've sent him email but haven't heard back yet. I don't know how long I can wait; my Edgley needs a tune up. Several keys are slow to respond and my right hand index F#/G freezes up in humid weather -- bad summer for that. That's when I start looking for Irish tunes in C.

Wanted: 40-key anglo concertina Seeking offers of playable instruments, as well as advice on whether this is doable given my budget: $2,400, including shipping to the US (Connecticut). Or should I just get a Stagi W-40 with a Button Box or Tedrow set up? I usually play alone, so relative tuning (i.e., A = 440 hz), loudness, timbre, etc., are not hugely important. That being said, I don’t want anything too high, so the central range should be no higher than a regular C/G. Hybrid reeds, brass reeds OK. I’d prefer one without novelty keys. I’ve been playing anglo concertina for about five years, the latest an Edgley 30-button with Jeffries layout. I mostly play classical guitar music, as well as folk tunes and latino tunes like milongas, zambas and chacareras, and I'm seeking to expand the range of materials I can (sort of) play. PM or post here. Thanks!

Here's a couple sources: https://www.cdss.org/vm-store/store-home/books/pat-shaw-collection-of-dances-541-detail http://www.aads.be/order.php?id=B 8945 I can't vouch for whether they're "worth supporting" but they look OK. Good luck

Thanks (counting pennies)

Is this Jeffries or Wheatstone layout? Thanks

Harlan, Sorry, that quote was for one concertina. For two it would be more like $25 standard post, and $45-74 for priority. Apologies to this site for not conduting this all thru personal messaging.

Harlan, Rough estimate for shipping is $16--that's 4 lbs. standard post from Connecticut to Seattle area. Faster--2nd day--is more like $45-50. I'd prefer Paypal, but we can discuss other options, and you can pay once I've shipped and know how much it will be. I can ship early next week. I'm happy they'll be of some use. Cheers

Yes, that's the model. Google Stagi W-15E, click on images, and that's what you'll see. Thank you Blue Eyed and Daniel for your responses. So, Harlan, are you still interested? If so, I'll check out shipping.

Ah. Issues. First off, they're not very good concertinas to begin with. Stagi makes a couple passable models, but the W-15E isn't one of them. I bought these before I knew much about concertinas. One had nice end pieces, the other had a decent bellows, so I decided to combine them to get a better instrument. But I never got the ends fastened properly without keys sticking, so I gave up. Plus, I finally got a good concertina (an Edgley with Jeffries tuning), so I lost interest in these. To be honest, unless you're a good concertina mechanic with good tools and need a cheap concertina that might play OK, I wouldn't bother with these. But if you're still interested, let me know and I'll figure out shipping. Others on this site might know--Can a Bastari/Stagi W-15E be made to be playable? Or should I just toss them? Thanks