Greg Jowaisas

Things I check with a sticky button: button/fret work bushing (I burnish with a tapered metal punch.) button arm bushing. The button must be able to move reasonably well on the arm as the angle changes up and down (burnish felt with an awl) Check arm alignment with guide pin hole. Arm must bisect hole when viewed from above. Less critical with a metal button but check guide pin for burrs or guide pin hole for irregularities On Lachenal hook and arms make sure the pivot plate is not excessively worn. (Especially when the arm has a bend or two to clear other buttons) Arm should not be twisted and primarily move up and down. Make sure pad is clearing the inner rim of action box After checking all the above, then, I'll adjust spring pressure if necessary.

"Nothing is wiggling or loose that I can tell. The reeds look correctly adjusted on their blocks. The pan looks firmly sealed all around." I had assumed (incorrectly) that you had a vintage instrument. Those with hybrid instruments and familiar with their construction may offer useful advice.

The symptoms warrant a check of the reed pan support block that the reed pan rests upon. It is glued inside the bellows frame in that corner beneath the G/A and Bb/G# notes. Give it a good wiggle. Sometimes they look firmly attached but move once the concertina is put back together.

The ICA maintains the original Crane Driver site. You should find this link useful: https://crane.concertina.org/layouts.html

In my experience dense felt starts out fine but can contribute to pad slap noise down the road. (How much glue used in their construction might be a contributing factor.) I can't tell you how many people have sent me instruments not all that old, suspecting action arm rivet noise, when the primary culprit turned out to be hard pads. (Thankfully much easier to replace pads than squeeze or replace rivets!) Greg

I like the way Geoff Lakeman plays the Crane. I have no idea if he is open to giving instruction but it couldn't hurt to ask. He has a facebook page.

Still alive and well and repairing, refurbishing concertinas as time allows. You can message me thru concertina.net or call and leave a message: 859) 291-7062 9am to 7pm EST.

This piccolo Eb/Bb turned up in my neck of the woods. Wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but knew it was a quality instrument, fast as the devil and with a lovely, if high ringing sound. I tuned it and put it in good order and when Noel was in town for camp I showed it to him. He was impressed with the instrument and said it would be perfect to play with Frankie Gavin's 'F' flute. (D fingering for a C/G comes out as 'F' on an Eb/Bb concertina.) We made a deal and needless to say the concertina found a good home.

In the old wood hex cases there were generally three fabric covered wood blocks to support 50% of the six corners and keep the buttons from being depressed. Not much in the way of mitigating shock to the instrument if the case was dropped. There was also the ever present danger of bellows wear as the instrument was removed and reinserted in the traditional "end up" wooden case. There are horror stories of instruments being "trapped" in perhaps wooden cases that were not the original size as sold with the concertina. Some of the leather Jeffries hexagonal "jug" cases came with the same caveat. The concertina had one safe orientation into the case. if the end in was reversed or the hex orientation rotated a cherished instrument could be difficult to removed and possibly damaged. I will occasionally ship an instrument in a hex case to insure its safe passage but only with a strong suggestion the new owner find a proper case. The old wood hex cases and leather jug cases make excellent "stand alone" mantle displays. Greg

I believe Bob Tedrow might defy that zero, Mike. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/homewood-musical-instrument-co-homewood

I have a repair/refurbishment that could possibly use a replacement set of Whetstone Aeola reeds. I'm looking for steel tongues in brass shoes with the reeds in good shape, if possible from an instrument in the 1920s (serial # close to 30,000.) If you have a "rescue" Aeola languishing in the closet with reeds of of this description and you'd like to turn a project that you might not get to into cash, drop me a personal message or email. (leave out the exclamation points): !!gjowaisas@fioptics.com!! Best hopes for a happy and healthy New Year, Greg

Adding wrist straps can work wonders taking some pressure off the thumbs on the draw. My sympathies. At 70 and fly fishing hard I looked at my right hand and thought, "Wow! Look how developed my thumb muscles are getting!" Nope! Arthritic thumbs! I'm with Wunks as far as short sessions with the concertina, building surrounding muscle strength and playing smart, i.e. employing good technique. There is a topical (Voltarin is one brand containing diclofenac) which you might ask your doctor about. (Sometimes the pros can really help) For a whole day of fishing it allows my thumbs to stay in the game. Greg

Letting the concertina acclimate from extreme temps prior to playing could be a concern. I'm thinking about moisture condensing on cold reed tongues and making them vulnerable to eventual rust. Allowing the instrument and its reeds some time to regain room temp is a good idea before pumping air through it. Sounds like you are already considering ways to mitigate temperature shock to any wood parts. Again, the drastic changes to humidity are probably the main concern. Take along a Dave Elliott "Concertina Maintenance Manual" for trouble shooting and a few spares like springs and different sized valves and perhaps a spare pad or two. Proper sized screw driver and small pliers (bent nose are best) + some pva or hide glue will be a big aid. You'll want to be prepared to cope with any minor annoyances during your 5 month sojourn. Good luck and let us all know how it goes. Greg PS. baffles or a way to control the volume of your concertina may win new friends and keep old ones in a confined environment!

Probably not uncommon in the making but uncommon to survive 150+ years. I have several similar Wheatstones and Lachenals with wood baffles on the workbench or in the project closet. Chris, check for original 1/4 comma mean tone tuning. (Although the shiny spots on your reeds may indicate a retuning) The combination of wood baffles and mean tuning make for a sweet, mellow instrument. Greg

Never say never. I had the luck to find an "Edeo Anglo" at a backyard auction #33301. (Apparently a few where bought in the Cincinnati, OH area. Grey Larsen found two others!) 40b hook and arm action and a very even sound. The late Cindy Mayti of the Cincinnati Irish band, "Silver Arm" played a 40b New Model anglo which was/is a very nice instrument. FWIW I think New Models are under rated. Very nice Lachenal sound (that says "vintage concertina" to me) and in most cases very good response. with a bit of time and care the hook and arm action can usually be set up for a pleasant playing touch.