malcolm clapp

This concertina is now sold, but I will have another similar one ready shortly. Currently has aluminium buttons, which look surprisingly original, but will be replaced with something a little more tasteful...unless somebody can convince me that they are of immense historic value Regards to all, Malcolm Clapp.

A photo too...

Morgana, you should have come to the National Folk Festival in Canberra at Easter. Lots of inspiration on hand there.... Maybe next year. Regards Malcolm

I thought this concertina had sold, but the deal was never completed. So it is once again on the market if any one is interested. Regards Malcolm

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...&category=16218 A customer has asked me about this item and I'm sorry to say I haven't a clue. Any suggestions? Looks like a chemnitzer, but.... Regards Malcolm

That's the second one in a week or so. It might be catching on....

For piano accordions???

I've just looked at a ledger entry marked S.V., but the concertina in question has no air valve of any type. Maybe they just forgot to put it on... I would be interested to know at what point in the process of ordering/manufacturing/completing/invoicing/dispatching etc that the ledger entries were made. And, in the case of the earlier ledgers, by whom? And at what point the number was allocated. Regards Malcolm

Some are even marked W.S.S.V., i.e. a reversal of the letters you mention. Therefore I believe it refers to several different features. I am fairly certain that the W.S bit is "wrist straps", as I have checked a number of Wheatstones Englishes against the ledger and those with original wrist straps are all marked W.S. The W.S is absent on those I have checked that have no wrist straps. Mind you, my sample has been small (6 only). Have not discovered any common feature yet for S.V. (or even S or V). Hopefully, somebody knows.... Regards, Malcolm

For those interested, here is a modern, almost Jedcertina type, currently on eBay, made in Czechowhateveritisnowskia Interesting that only the right hand side is like this, the left resembling a standard 20 key layout. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...&category=16218 Regards Malcolm

Nice photos, Jim. The staple over the reed is quite a common repair technique to prevent the reed striking the first bellows fold, especially when the bellows are almost closed. Some instruments I have seen have lots of them, and usually it is because of the hexagonal box which has caused the first bellows fold to fold back under the bellows frame to some degree. I'm sure I've seen an early Crabb with that mechanism. Labelled Nickold & Crabb I think. Got to get that top label off.... Regards Malcolm Clapp

Rhomylly wrote:

Alan, If the 5th button from your chin is G push:A pull as you describe, then it is a B/C box. On a Hohner 2 row the key of each row is defined by the push note on the button 6th from the chin. Certainly a popular fingering system used today for Irish style playing, though there are many who would contend that it was not the designer's original intention.... Hope this helps. I'm sure there would be more people interested in acquiring a B/C than a B/G Regards Malcolm (Concertina & Melodeon Repairer)

In Australia, a "to and from" is rhyming slang for a pom. Hadn't heard of any concertina connection with this phrase before... Regards Malcolm

I am selling a Lachenal 30 key C/G anglo for Australian $2,350 including postage worldwide. (That's a bit under 1000 pounds or US$1,750). The finely cut rosewood ends have 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 *pretend* bone. Bellows are 6 fold originals with star papers. I would describe the condition as close to mint. There is *very slight* wear to the french polishing from errant pinkies near the extreme highest and lowest buttons. The only other fault is that the bellows papers are a little stained from, I would imagine, an over-enthusiastic application of leather dressing at some point, but the bellows seem to be holding together OK with no leaks and a new set of bellows papers is not prohibitive in price for the decoratively minded! Photos available upon request from mclapp@bigpond.net.au, along with any questions you may like to ask. Regards Malcolm Clapp

True, but a great insight into bandoneon/chemnitzer construction.

Paul, I have a fairly complete Prince discography, but it is quite extensive, meaning a lot of typing, and at present I am without a scanner. If you would like to email me off group at mclapp@bigpond.net.au with your postal address, I would be happy to get it photocopied and snail mail it to you. Regards Malcolm

Australian song "Brisbane Ladies" mentions ..."and dance to the old concertina of Jack Smith, the Don" Australian poet Henry Lawson in 1891 wrote "The Good Old Concertina", set to music by Bob Bolton and published in Concertina Magazine #16, page 6 (1986) Australian bush band Wongawilli recorded a song called (I think) 'Play Us a Song on the Old Concertina". There are (at least) two New Zealand songs about a swagman by the name of Concertina Joe, a real life character who, as one song says "....shore in New Zealand, Australia and in the Argentine...", so maybe his concertina was in fact a bandoneon??? And I vaguely remember Martin Carthy singing a song about a concertina being "...kicked about till the bellows burst..." (Hopefully not a Jeffries!!!) Regards Malcolm Clapp

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...item=3705233678 Would seem to be of French origin, reeds look very "harmonium" in style. Any one know anything about French makers? Regards Malcolm

Yes, I do have a Tedrow hexagonal 30 C/G, about 2 years old, and for sale. If not sold beforehand, it will be at the National Folk Festival in Canberra at Easter. If you are there, find me and have a play.... Regards Malcolm

I have seen something very similar on a Dipper Cotswold D/G owned by a friend in Australia. Perhaps Colin can enlighten us further.... Regards Malcolm

Chris, for what application do you need it that thin? I'm sure readers would like to know.... Regards Malcolm

I am soon to put the above restored and very playable concertina on eBay. However I am making it available to readers of this list at a price of Australian $2,600 including postage worldwide. (Insurance extra if required). That is about US$2,100 or UK 1,100 pounds. The instrument has metal ends on ebonised rails, bone buttons, new pads, valves and straps, steel reeds are in A:440 pitch, and it is numbered 173455. Bellows are new 7 fold all black leather by Richard Evans with original gold tooling on the frames retained. The ebony work has a few dings and scratches, but nothing too serious. The plating shows perhaps 10% wear overall. However I don't consider either to be sufficiently bad to justify attention at this stage. There are no cracks or warping in the action board or reed pans. The reeds have had some surface rust removed, but are sound in profile and shape, producing good tone and volume. Buttons protrude approximately a quarter inch at rest and depress one eighth of an inch, are level across the keyboard and show little wear. Sorry, no case.... ....and if there was, it probably wouldn't fit with the new bellows! Any one interested please email me for photos and further information. Thanks for looking. mclapp@bigpond.net.au

I assume 1979, not 1879. If I was the repairer, sorry, my 24 year extended warranty period has just expired. Seriously though, I think any competent repairer should be able to remedy this problem, and I would hesitate to suggest you do it yourself. Without being rude, it sounds like you are not too experienced with such things, and I think you could do a lot of damage. My best advice, without seeing the concertina, is to carefully put it tightly back together and leave it in a fairly humid environment for a week or so, then try playing it again and see what happens....I have done this many times with excellent results and no cost involved. This does not indicate any problem with warping; it sounds like the tuner is picking up a harmonic or partial. Rely on your ears, not on needles or LEDs, to indicate whether or not two notes may or may not be sounding at once. If I play two notes simultaniously into my tuner, it swings around wildly and eventually settles on a note that is neither of the ones I played! The way electronic tuners function is a bit off topic here, but like all such aids they have their limitations. Having said that, I would not attempt to fine tune without one, and I have nothing but admiration for those who do/did so with accuracy. Regards Malcolm Clapp Australian Repairer

Which one???Storage in a cupboard with a LARGE bowl of water is a favourite. The vast majority of Australians live within 30kms or so of the coast, so to most of us down-under there is no problem with the woodwork warping due to lack of humidity. However one player I know in coastal Cairns, Nth Queensland, transfered with his job to outback Mt Isa where just about every glue joint on his anglo failed. Luckily the correct glues had been used and, rather than cracks appearing, the glue had let go so that re-assembly was not too difficult once he returned to the coast. Slightly off topic, but related, is the widely held belief that many oldtimers who played string instruments in Australia would tune a semitone flat to lessen the possibility of necks warping. When I came to Australia I was amazed how many old button accordions there were here in the key of F# or two rows in C#/F#. Of course a fiddle played with D fingering and a semitone flat would sound in C#, and fingered in G would come out as F#. I played for some years in a band with a 12 string guitar player who also tuned flat by a semitone for the same reason, so it is still happenning.