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Joe G.

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Posts posted by Joe G.

    Looking to buy Bflat/F Anglo concertina

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    I have a 30-button C. Jeffries Bb/F with metal ends, all-black bellows (surely not original), and metal buttons. It plays very well and has a lyrical, comfortable voice (that is, doesn't bark the way you'd expect a Jeff to do). Greg Jowaisas, who put it into playing order for the previous owner, told me that it has reeds from different makers, including Jeffries, but it sounds very balanced. 

     

    I know nothing about shipping / receiving concertinas between here (Washington State, USA) and Ireland,  but I'd like to clear $4,500 USD when the dust has settled. 

     

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    a short rant about trying to sell stuff...

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    Bargaining is an art, if it's done right—that is, if both the seller and the buyer know what's going on, and if neither of them insults the other. I lived in Marrakech in 2012/13, where bargaining seemed to be a full-immersion sport. Vendors in the market stalls were fond of saying they were seeking "a democratic price." They always opened high; I always countered low.  I never doubted that, in the end, "democracy" favored the vendor over the non-Moroccan shopper, but I don't think anyone was ever offended in those exchanges. I even made some friends in the process. I sometimes miss that part of Morocco, but not enough to get jerked around by low-ballers. You were right to move on.

    *Sale Pending* Carroll Concertina For Sale

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    Sadie, I sent you a message asking why the Carroll didn't get the playing time that you'd surely envisioned for it. I didn't mean to offend, if I did, or suggest anything judgmental. Mainly I'm curious as to whether the Carroll was competing for your attention with an instrument that you were already accustomed to playing, and if so, what is the other instrument?   I'm still trying to make up my mind about justifying another concertina purchase. Anything you can tell me will help.

    Thanks!

    WTB C/G Anglo (Suttner, Dipper, Carrol, Kensington, etc.)

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    Give Dana Johnson a visit. He's practically your neighbor, there in Kensington, Maryland. If your daughter likes playing one of his instruments, not only does she get a really good concertina at a reasonable price, but she also gets the care and attention of the guy who built it. In my experience with him, Mr. Johnson is the real deal.

     

    • Like 1

    Bb/F Jeffries 30 button For Sale

    in Buy & Sell

    Posted

    This is a Jeffries 30 button anglo in Bb/F. It has "C. Jeffries Maker" stamped between the right hand rows, so I would guess it was made toward the end of the 19th Century. It has a six-fold, all-business black bellows in very good condition, certainly not original but not new, either. It's been worked-over by Greg Jowaisas at some point in the past few years (not to restore it, but to put it into good working order), and it plays very well, indeed. The action is light and quick. While all the reeds are steel, set in brass shoes, Greg J. told me that they aren't all Jeffries reeds. The tone, however, is very well balanced, if less strident than you might expect. In short, it's a Jeffries that won't drive your partner out of the room, and it's a lot of fun to play. I'm asking $4650 for it, shipping included to the Con.US (negotiable for a Pac.NW, in-person sale). 

    Bb:FJeffries.jpeg

    Dana Johnson & Kensington Concertinas

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    I recently answered an ad on concertina.net for a Kensington concertina with Jeffries lay-out. I played it, liked it, and bought it, but two reeds played different notes from what I was used to on my C/G Jeffries. I contacted Dana Johnson and offered to pay to have the two reeds retuned or replaced to match the other concertina. He offered instead to do the work just to keep the Kensington playing as it should; all I had to pay was the cost of insured shipping. This is the only interaction I've had with Dana Johnson, but I couldn't be more impressed. First, he is a careful and thoughtful craftsman. In addition to the reed work, he replaced a fluttery valve (now it's perfect). I'm very pleased with the voice, action, and articulation of this Kensington concertina, but I also have nothing but praise for Dana Johnson's work-and-service ethic. If you're looking for a well-made concertina, consider Dana Johnson's Kensingtons. They—and he—are the real deal. 

    • Like 3
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