Peter Smith

A couple of weeks ago, I sent a Bandonika weighing 5Kg by UPS from the UK to Texas. It was 'double boxed', as described by Don & the total package weight was 9kg. It arrived safe & well in 5 days, so I was very pleased with that. I also believe in the 'belt & braces' approach as you don't know how your package will be treated in transit, even if it is marked as 'fragile'.

I placed an order with Concertina Spares and it arrived in a week. So things are improving.

24 Button Anglo concertina sold and an appropriate donation made to concertina.net. Peter

I have a clean steel-reeded 24 button Lachenal Anglo in good condition, in C/G & tuned to concert pitch. I would be looking for around £400 for it. It has the following accidentals (C#, D#, F#, G# & A#), which would mean you can play tunes in the keys of C, G, D & A. I'm happy playing Irish tunes on it though haven't ventured beyond the keys of C, G & D. If you might be interested, I can send further details & pictures. Regards Peter

I have refurbished fie or six 'black' concertina boxes. The materials I have used and things learned are listed below. To clean off the old coverings inside & outside the box, I usually use an electric palm sander - much quicker & easier than scraping & sanding by hand. I would check the box for any splits between the wooden sides & glue them using wood glue (& a woodworking band clamp to hold it all together). For the outside of the box, I have used a material like Skivertex book binding paper (I have bought some off E-bay recently but previously obtained it from Concertina Spares). I will be trying Buckram book cloth on my next box to give a different finish. I have used PVA glue to attach it but any indentations on the woodwork do show through. Internally, I have used non-stretch velvet, again held in using PVA (or Trimits Fabric Glue). One cautionary note from Alex Holden, is that PVA glue contains acetic acid (vinegar). He noted that the acetic acid can cause the metal finish on a ended concertina to tarnish. I tend to leave the box open for a few days for the acetic acid to evaporate. The velvet is 1-2mm thick and will reduce the internal size of the box slightly, so if the concertina is tight fitting before, it may not go into a box lined with velvet. For the strap, I use black leather belt strip matching the width of the slots in the lid (Trademcrafts on E-bay). I make sure the ends meet inside the lid & glue them firmly inside using wood or PVA glue. Hope this is some help and would be happy to answer any questions. Regards Peter

PM sent with my email address. Peter

That's great news. I have a Jeffries duet but guess I'm a 'wannabe'. Guidance / suggestions on fingering would be very useful, as the layout feels a bit random at times, though I guess its not! Look forward to the finished work. Thanks Peter

Having recently bought a 48-button Crane, I am looking to sell my 35 button Crabb Crane. It covers the usual range from C3 to G5 (though the button that should be C3sharp if actually B2flat). I bought it from Chris Algar 8 years ago and it has been serviced by Dave Elliott. The instrument has steel reeds, is tuned to concert pitch & the tone is quite mellow.. It has aluminium action arms riveted onto brass posts (three of the arms have been replaced - see photos). The valves & pads are in reasonable condition and the bellows are airtight (several corners of the bellows have been patched). The concertina comes with a serviceable old Wheatstone box. Please see the pictures below. I think this is a rare concertina, as I have not seen its’ like in the last decade. I am not certain how much it is worth but was advised to insure it for £1000, so I am selling for £750 + postage. I am also open to offers. If you are interested and want to find out more, please send me a PM. Thanks Peter

I watched this on E-bay and also thought it looked like a Tidder. I bought a 20 button Anglo recently which I am pretty sure is a Tidder. Things I found different to a L:achenal were as follows: solid mahogany ends, buttons with thinner ends than Lachenal, screws holding reeds in shoe bigger than Lachenal, bellows 'recessed' (perhaps 0.5cm in from ends). On mine the lever arms are held in place by a metal plate screwed into the action board. Hope this helps. Regards Peter

Many thanks. Peter

Thanks. I have a friend with a Wheatstone Crane with the curved layout, so maybe I will give that a try. On my Crane, the middle button at the bottom is a B and the outlier on the right is a B flat - both just under middle C. The other button on the right is the air button. Regards Peter

Looks really good. I assume it’s a 55 button Crane. Could you comment or send me an end on photo? From the photo, it looks like the curved arrangement of buttons, rather than the chevron layout I am seeking. Thanks Peter

I am looking for a Crane concertina with a chevron layout of the buttons – rather than the curved Butterworth set up. I have a large Crabb Crane with 67 buttons with the chevron layout (see picture) but it’s not very portable due to its size. I am looking to buy a second, smaller Crane with the same layout with between 42 & 55 buttons. My preference would be for a Crabb (or Wheatstone, if they ever made them) but would be interested to see what is available. If you have such a Crane that you are looking to sell, please get in touch. My preference would be to buy from the UK but I'm open to purchasing from abroad. Peter

Good idea. I will give that a try.

To be honest, I am not sure as I hhave never used it I guess it could be used for larger reeds.