David Hornett

Has anyone a suggestion of a good material to make the resonator from that fits under the end plates. Generally when I repair concertinas they are either without the resonator, or it is in pretty poor condition. But at the moment I have completed repair on a 38 button metal ended Lachenal Bb/F and the notes are hard on the ears in the higher harmonics (a dying crow would be a good metaphor for some of them). A good resonator may make it a bit more mellow, and save me from hearing aids in a few years down the road.

Thanks Dan, Unfortunately, that A G button is one of the four added on the right hand side. One day when I am not so lazy, I may take the shimming out of a few selected reeds and see which shoes really belonged there. At the moment, restored, tuned and resplendent, but unplayed it sits on my shelf tempting -- but I always reach for an Anglo. What do they say about old dogs and tricks? David

Dan, This button 'A' on the chart is 'G' on the push 'A' on the pull. It is the only button not unidirectional, and appears not to have been tampered with and has no rust on either reed. Hope this answers the question. As a matter of interest I also play the "B" Griff -- the 'B's and 'C's are everything one could ever want in an accordion, although so as not to scare the session away I take a three row melodeon (made by Hyde, Australia.) All the best David

Hyde 3 row melodion. Has not the 'cut' of a concertina.

Try this, should have tears dripping off noses into beer mugs, Sorry about the sound quality, it's undergone a lot of compression. Thylacines lament 2.mp3

Thank you all for the advice, especially the correction that it would be C#, not D, if tuned up rather than down: that certainly says something about my thought processes at the time. I have appended the tuning chart for reference, should anyone else have one of these to figure out (maybe someone knows how to place it with the other tuning charts on Concertina.net. Now, I am not certain, but I think this layout suggests a 'G' instrument. (When playing it, it falls beautifully, almost intuitively into the minor. It certainly has been modified, very professionally, but nevertheless modified from a 37 button instrument, all the original holes, including the breather holes, have been filled, ie air release vent, reed shoes modified, face plate guides added , right down to the air release button, which has been swapped to the left, having the air breather pallet kept so as to cover the two reed shoe holes. These shoes had to be displaced to elsewhere in order to hold the low C#. I am left wondering if it is not a early, Jeffries Bros experimental duet I have, prior to their going into production. I may play it for a while to see if I can get the hang of the thing before making up my mind. Possibly the quickest way to change it would be to make two new reed plates, be a dashed sight easier than digging out the filling, and shimming down shoe slots. (Anyone out there got a left and right Jeffries reed plate -- without the reeds -- they would like to sell me?) Thanks for all the help.

Hi all, I am in the process of completely restoring a Jeffries Bros Duet and have got to the tuning stage. (So far completed: New 7 fold kangaroo skinned bellows, in the heavy Jeffries style, / papers / tooling / hand-straps / pallets / valves / reglued frame / bushings -- all animal glued.) There are a few peculiarities about this instrument: although it has the raised duet ends, it seems to have started life as a 37 button anglo. I believe this because the added notes button guides have been soldered on the inside of the instrument, both sides, and don't pass through wooden guides, and the added buttons very neatly and precisely passed through the fretwork. The air-button has changed sides to become C# on the left hand (Being a duet there is no need of an air-button). When the instrument is opened one can see where the peg and pin were on the right side for the airbutton. New reed mounts have been added and the old reed and air holes closed up with dowel. Some reeds have been remounted, former large and small reed slots packed out. And finally the pegs mounting board has on both sides been scooped our to allow for the pallets of the extra keys to cover the added reeds. The whole thing has been done most professionally, and I doubt very much if a backyard handyman could have done this, I certainly would never have attempted it. The instrument is in 'G' (an octave below the G on a standard C/G) A456, and pretty much in tune except for a few random stray notes. Now my question for you to ponder: In tuning do I file and take it up about 40 cents to 'D', or silver solder weight the notes and take them down about 60 cents to A440 'G', or leave it at 'G' A456; meaning barely a soul except for the violins can play with it? OR Do I restore it entirely to a 38 button anglo? OR Do I tune it entirely to goodness know what, keeping its 44 keys: this depends on changing at least half the reeds by filing and weighing, because being a duet they are the same note push and pull? I hesitate to silver solder notes, because although most accept it nicely, in does alter the tone at some frequencies and , for the few notes affected turns them from mellow to more of an ear cutting scream: been there done that! As it is, it is beautifully mellow instrument, with a growl, volume and response that would knock most concertinas out of the room. Suggestions? When tuned I will sell it as I don't play duets, so just maybe I should anglofie it??? So, what do you think? David