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Don, I'm finding that if you put a positioning hop or an undertuck at the beginning or early in a phrase or string of notes, it sounds more like an accent and less like an act of desperation.....?

You might think of a material with a unidirectional cross grain like fish-scale or climbing skins for back country skies.

"First you say you do and then you don't and then you say you will and than you won't You're undecided now so what are you gonna do?" scoobidy rebop de bebop de bay!

I'd suggest a short piece of elastic material at one or both ends to preserve the original character rather than an entire strap. My daughter suggests an elastic para-chord survival bracelet fab. Any teen can custom make one for you......?

Should you be so inclined, it's a craigslist item across the river in Grafton ......?

My eyes and hands are not compatible with fine work but I always drool over the possibilities of these old treadle machines. There're always a few for sale around here but seldom this fancy. They're so common that I wouldn't feel guilty about re-purposing one for a concertina work station. Any Ideas for uses for the treadle?

I'm wondering if the spatial constraints for duets have more to do with button patterns than room for reeds. my 6 1/4 JD has 50 buttons+air and although the left side is quite full. the right has room for 3 or 4 more notes. The fan shaped pattern streatches to 6 and 7 buttons side to side with 4 rows. I would think a Hayden would have similar charicteristics. Extending the range of other systems involves crowding notes towards the heel of the palm doesn't it?

A Trojan Horse from a distant planet populated by citizens of the same hue...?

I'll use the third finger occasionally but most tunes will accept a hop of one finger or another as a voicing opportunity, same with the B d f notes which I like to play with one finger even on fast tunes. Neither of these runs are within the overlap zone of course. I'll also reach for the bb with the 3d finger as I like to play in F but because I'm using a 2 finger lead it's usually available and hovering in position. The same is true with the left hand. I play a lot of melody in the viola range and favor voicing and sparser harmonies over oom-pah so the third finger and pinkie are always at the ready. On the JD by the way there are many 3 note combinations on the left side playable as a chord or a slur with one finger. I think it's a misconception that more fingers = more speed. Look what Wes Montgomery can do on guitar with just his thumb! Or Dock Watson with thumb and one or a flat pick! Also I recall seeing one of Simon Thoumire's videos talking about two finger lead on EC.

Wow! There are duets and then there are duets. Different strokes for different folks. On the JD, given the overlap and it's chromatic nature, I play anywhere and everywhere I damn well please. I use a two finger lead either hand or one finger alternating if in the overlap zone or even on one hand to achieve a counterpoint or chord. I use a floating hand approach. You need an anchor point somewhere but the further from your noting fingers the better. Gary, I have to disagree about the lower notes on the JD. On the 50 button boxes we both have, the lowest notes are toward the index finger side of the hand,

That is a fond musical memory. I remember loving that tune and the movie, and without looking it up, The lyrics were something like Fubwadubadub, and it was Aonouck Amie and who?

If part of your objective is to confound the fiddle players, (I am one and we're a spoiled lot) let me recommend the Bee's Wing. It's a beautiful hornpipe and the original score is in B flat I believe. I use it as a warm up tune in F, C and B flat (on duet). If you play it in F the fiddlers will mutter and many will sit out. Those worth their salt will be able to follow along. Modulate to C. Some of the sitters may re- join. After a round or two lower the boom with a seguay to B flat. You're beyond reproach in the original key and will likely have the stage to yourself.....? Or simply learn it in B flat of course.

Stephen, what's the bellows geometry on the (Florentine?) instrument , second top left?

With everyone at home now, I self-quarantine to the tree house to play.....?

Perhaps a clue and/or more confusion; I just opened up my JD 50 button which is a close match for Gary's and perhaps the one Alex examined as well. On the left hand, all the inboard 5 (lower) notes are chamfered plus the low C# which has an outlying chamber with it's button at the far lower left in the low note row. All these are heavily weighted at the tip except the D which is in the center of the inboard notes and has more room to extend towards the point of the hexagon. On the right hand the inboard 5 notes all have the chamfer but none other. None are weighted.

Gregor, This is dance music! A clip with dancing pliiiiiiize?

The image of extruding any number of them at once through a flat plate comes to mind.

The object on the left looks like the "Pokey Little Puppy" either stuffed or in glazed ceramic.....?

Lucy Cash Dollar still plies the Erie canal.

I can add two instruments ( safe in their cases for 50+ years ) and one player ( resisted the siren's call for 50+ years).....?

I don't think of the word "swing" being associated with Irish music but looking up "lilt" I find "swing" as a characteristic along with "happy and cheerful" and "a pleasant rising and falling cadence"

Texas Swing deserves a wiki look as well and swing dancing among the contra dance folks was hot for a while, probably still is in some places.

After clamping a displaced veneer chip with a veggie rubber band I realized it would make a good marker for gatherings or sessions where there may be several instruments laying about. Even though I'm sure everyone keeps a close eye on their precious box, mix-ups could occur! They come in spiffy colors too.....?

Your location would also be helpful.

If anyone has parts for these such as fret ends, reed pans, action boards etc. or an instrument that's been stripped for it's reeds, I'd be interested for a custom re-build project. I'm in central NY State. PM me if you have something that might be usable. Thanx.