Greg Jowaisas

A good point. In which case often notes in a certain area of the reed pan can sound weaker than the rest. Support blocks need to be secure and the proper height. Do not overlook a potentially weak one, loose, but hanging on to the chamois seal.

Thanks to Tim and Geoff for sharing. A great concertina story and a wonderful peek into history.

An impressive craftsman and by all accounts and limited personal experience, a fine fellow and gentleman. A sad passing. He will be missed.

Just back from a fishing trip and late to this dance.... Ed, put a micrometer to the reed shoes. Many Jeffries reed shoes are noticably thicker than Lachenal or Wheatstone. Yours have the correct shape. If they mic out at 0.80 to 0.84 you would have good indication of Jeffries shoes. I'm with Malcolm on noting the South African connection and possiblly significant modification. The Africaners were not shy about customizing their concertinas or finding ways to keep them playing. I refurbed a "Jeffries" from S. Africa that had 40% aluminum shoe Wheatstone reeds and the rest legitimate brass Jeffries (shoes). Always an adventure! Greg

Most of the early instruments only used blocking to shorten reed chambers on 5 or so notes. I suspect these longer chambers lead to a ringing resonance with lots of harmonics. That is my guess. Greg

You can reach me at 859 area code then 8039472. Or: gjowaisas (type the @ symbol) fioptics.com (All in an effort to thwart the "spiders" that collect information and then flood the inbox) And unless I'm out fishing, I check cnet everyday.

I think Dave Elliott nailed it early in this post. I will second Johanna's observation that the chords and particularly the thirds on a brass reed concertina can be less jarring to the ear than an equal tempered steel reed instrument. Brass reed concertinas are often said to be more prone to going out of tune than steel reeds. My experience is that if you work within the limits of the instrument, that is not overblowing the reeds in an attempt to play loud, brass reeds stay decently in tune. BTW Wheatstone, during the Chidley years of rivet reeds, made some excellent brass reed instruments with tight tolerances and very good response. In a number of instances I was surprised to find brass reeds when the volume and response led me to expect steel. Greg

The "great" Malcolm Clapp told me that valving was the black art of setting up a concertina and an important aspect of performance often overlooked. I once had a white kangaroo skin that yielded exquisite small valves. Mine was used up years ago but left a lasting impression. You might keep an eye out.

There are some very good you tube videos which can show you around the insides of your concertina and also address specific problems. I especially like the ones on the Carroll Concertina site: (Don't worry that Wally demonstrates on an anglo. Nearly all these approaches work on all vintage concertinas) https://www.youtube.com/@CarrollConcertinas/videos Simon Thoumire has his own take on fixing a sticky reed:

Changing valves would be the place to start. Very important that your valves are centered over their slots. And while the chamber valve is off view the push reed from the chamber side just to make sure the push reed is centered while snug in its slot. Columbia leathers are the go to source in the U.S. There are other, less dependable, sources of hair sheep leather, so occasional searches and keeping your eyes open can pay off.

This can be a way to deal with stubborn valve flutter. (I can't tell you why but sometimes it solves the problem!) Many of the Jones anglos I've refurbished used this treatment on a few of their valves. I suspect it could be to address valve flutter or deal with the sometimes "less than ideal" placement of the vents beneath the valves that were too close to the chamber walls.

Yes, the September 19th post has all the current contact info. Lost the 7062 land line and fioptics is the current email.

Still here. Cnet personal message will put you in touch. Email works for most people: gjowaisas (type the @ symbol) fioptics.com (I present it that way to fool the trolling "spiders" and keep the spam to a minimum.) You can also phone: (859) eight zero three 9472 and leave a message. Available repair time is limited and sometime in the future there will be shoulder surgery. But if possible I'm always willing to help. Greg

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.