malcolm clapp

AFAIK, Michael Hibbert plays only the Jeffries Duet system, and what a player!!! The Rampin' Cat is one of my favorite concertina recordings. Haven't heard about him for a few years. Any one know what he is doing these days? (Maybe playing Maccann???)

Sold? Rats! I was too late to offer him a swap for my daggy spare copy of the Alf Edwards English tutor....

Or a pretty flat (rusty reeds) C/G? Or maybe tuned down to the pitch of an old timber framed piano?

Hi, Geoff, You must surely be the same Geoff Lakeman who bought a nice little Wheatstone Crane from me about 20 years ago. Good to hear you're still with the Crane system. Same instrument? Can't help you with any gigs I'm afraid, though if you want a trip down-under I can probably let you have a few contact addresses. Best wishes, Malcolm

Several times, I have asked people to stand for the National Anthem. they were expecting God Save the Queen, but being an exile, I actually played Flower of Scotland - or at least I got the first few bars in before the howls drowned me out! I thought it was "I Would Walk 500 Miles"....

Here, it is more likely referred to as a LOC.....

G'day, again, Also for sale I have a recently overhauled 20 key Lachenal in C/G, mahogany ends, bone buttons, 5 fold bellows, new pads/valves/straps and tuned to A:440. A nice player, better than some Lachenal 2 rows I've had in the past, and a great step upwards from a Chinese/German/Italian 2 row. Price Australian $950 including worldwide shipping (approx US$700 or 380GBP) or might consider swap for a chemnitzer.... Regards, Malcolm mclapp@bigpond.net.au

G'day, all, I am selling a Lachenal 30 key C/G anglo for Australian $2,400 including postage worldwide. (That's a bit under 1000 pounds or US$1,800). Or would consider trade for Triumph/Crane duet or unrestored concertinas. The finely cut rosewood ends have a little wear, but no cracks, neither do the action boards or reedpans. The pads, valves and handstraps are new, and tuning is concert pitch A:440. Reeds are steel and buttons bushed metal. Bellows are 7 fold brown, made in South Africa some years ago and are well made and in excellent condition. Plays fast and sounds good, an ideal instrument for the intermediate player and a good investment. Photos available upon request from mclapp@bigpond.net.au, along with any questions you may like to ask. Regards, Malcolm

Russell, I note your interest in Victorian ballroom music. This interests me too. Schottishes, polkas, quadrilles, varsoviennes? Ezra Read? Felix Burns? Theo Bonheur? I would be interested to hear if you, or any one else, has any information on the above composers. Regards Malcolm

So, Geoff, can you tell us a bit about this particular concertina? I'm sure it would be of interest to many c.netters. Or would it perhaps be politic to wait until after the auction closes?

Thanks, Lennart; I couldn't find it either! Could be the dark glasses!

Maybe a midi or reedless accordion with headphones? (Can't find an smilie with headphones, only glasses!) I seem to recall some thread on the subject of midi concertinas not too long ago.... Might be worth consideration. Good luck.

Wheatstone concertina - excellent condition (1922) Item number: 3752189829 This one was recently purchased on eBay by a friend in Australia from a seller in Wales. It is not for sale; in fact it is currently on its way to me for repair. eBay have been informed, but have taken no action. Of course, there could be two identical concertinas with identical numbers. If you believe in flying pigs, then go for it!

Looks very much like the German Lange chemnitzer I recently borrowed. Usually there is a maker's name stamped inside somewhere As an anglo player, I found the borrowed one fairly straightforward to get a tune out of, fully chorded, keeping the melody on the right and the accompaniment on the left, but you do need a fairly wide stretch to reach all the notes. If you play the right end button marked 5 on the push, the key of the instrument is a minor 3rd above. Therefore, if it plays A, then it is called a C box, and is usually played predominently in G, D and A. (Well that's what I was told by Pat Robson many years ago!) That is apparently the most common configuration, though many others exist. http://www.concertinamusic.com/index.html is a good link to glean more. Good luck.

Thank you. I shall follow this up since this so clearly has a bearing on the past of my concertina. We know so little about the history of these instruments that for me to be able to put in another link in this way is great! Chris Chris, suggest you contact Geoff Crabb who may have some idea... Regards Malcolm

And another "must have" gem.... http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...2272959411&rd=1 Well, Halloween isn't far away!

I once owned this Jeffries Duet and the information about a connection with a Liverpool band came from Neville Crabb, from whom I bought it c1983. Regards Malcolm

But will it defeat the breathalyser???

IMHO one reed is worth having a go yourself; 7 reeds sounds to me like a job for a repairer as there may be a not so obvious reason for the voicing being the way it is. Did you say it is brand new? I would be looking to the retailer for a replacement or a repair under warranty. Not good enough, Mr Stagi, not good at all....

Glad it's gone to a good home! Will bring my washing around next time I'm in Ireland

Easy to do, also easy to do wrong! I could show you how, but find it hard to describe, which is probably why it isn't in the existing repair archive. What make of concertina are we looking at? Also is it a pull or push note? This info will help as there are a number of different ways that reed plates have been fitted by different makers, some allowing for easier re-voicing than others.

Looks to me like a typical 1930s entry level full size Italian accordion, probably with 3 sets of treble reeds. Not terrible valuable or rare, though in reasonable condition it would make a good workhorse, though nothing flash. The trouble is that at its age there will probably be many hundreds of dollars of work required to replace leather and felt parts which will have degraded with the passage of time. Its value is probably minimal without these repairs being undertaken. I would recommend that you find an accordion specialist in your locality who will give you a better idea of the cost of refurbishment and its value. It is difficult to do this from a photograph.... Good luck, Malcolm (sometime accordion repairer, Australia)

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...5118824833&rd=1 Not recommended with your favorite Jeffries....

Wasn't former president of the ICA, the late Father Ken Loveless, in the Royal Navy at some point? Whether he played concertina back then or whether he only took it up after acquiring William Kimber's instrument I don't know. Can any morris historians assist here? (I am amazed how few Google results there are for KL).

QUOTE (Bob Tedrow @ Aug 24 2004, 03:28 PM) Malcom and Jim ... Perhaps they would be kind enough to tender a re-evaluation of this clip.... This time without the reverb. Definitely sounds more like a traditionally reeded concertina without the reverb. Reminds me of a rosewood ended Wheatstone English I once owned, a little reedy, perhaps nasally, lacking a bit in lower mids, but that could be my speakers. Sounds a bit like my Morse Ceili too, but, surprisingly, not at all like the Tedrow I recently sold, which had probably the closest to a traditional concertina sound of all the accordion reeded concertinas I've heard. Which raises the question as to why I sold the Tedrow.... The answer is that maybe I wasn't looking for a traditionally reeded concertina sound from an accordion reeded concertina! I chose to retain the Morse Ceili over the Tedrow because of the different tone. Vive le difference!