d.elliott

weak spring is the first thing to eliminate, also check that nothing is catching around the pad. Check also key height is even with those around it, but the spring is most likely culprit.

To smooth the leather I find the thumb works better than anything, and it's kinder to the leather finish

The airflow through the instrument allowing things to even out might also have helped too, nothing like playing a concertina to keep it in god condition

The process is called binding, 'top binding' to be more precise. this is a strip of leather which is about 18mm wide, and about 0.6mm thick. However it does not stop there as both flanks of the strip of binding are skived over around 5mm each side on the underside of the leather. This skive leaves around 8 mm of full thickness down the centre, and tapers off to around 0.22mm thickness along each edge. This double tapering of the cross section of the binding makes for a stretchy strip with less leather bulk along the edges. I apply adhesive along say 100mm of the binding at a time, then stretch the binding along the top of the flat of the fold but without full pressing the skived area down. When I get to the corner between two flats I continue round the corner and part way along the next flat. I smooth down the middle third of the length of binding, both sides, along the two flats either side of the corner leaving the corner binding flanks still standing off the fold/ gusset faces. Finally I smooth the binding down over the gusset on each flank spreading the excess bulk of the leather back along the fold flats. This distributes the bunched skived edges back along the corner radius and part of the flats. Thus there is no need to do anything fancy with the binding over the gussets/ corner

Concertinas were made before central heating, never mind air conditioning. Homes were heated by open fires, and condensation ran down the single glazed windows to form pools on the window ledges. This current humidity is not likely to cause condensation in the instrument, maybe some wood might swell very slightly however I don't see this as being any different than normal usage in the late 1800's early 1900's. If you were taking your instrument abroad to places of extreme cold or extreme heat I might be more concerned. Dave

From the number and other listings probably around 1908

Greg is very good. However your first choice may also be good too, have you talked to him about his materials and how he tunes reeds< what tuning tolerance does he work to? If he says +/- 0 cents, then forget it.

The stamping on the flank of the palm rest is the Lachenal trade mark. I don't see the STEEL REEDs Stamping above the trade mark on the top of palm rest, so I assume it is brass reeded. You have a 20k Lachenal brass reeded Anglo, of a good grade but sadly in need of at least servicing to make it playable. If talking to a buyer I would suggest, and if the bellows are good, a budget of say £250/300 for servicing, plus the same again if new bellows are called for. In full fighting condition a brass reeded 20 key Anglo might be bought for £500/ 600. This assumes that the concertina is in Concert pitch A=440Hz. This may not be true, and if the instrument needs re-pitching, your service cost starts to look like a full restoration cost.

Repairing and tuning a traditional concertina is very different to an accordion or melodion. Especially the techniques around tuning adjustment and reed work. Accordion repairers use scrapers, or dremel type grinders. This sort of approach can do significant and irrecoverable harm to a concertina reed. the valve leathers and shapes are different, I could go on. I don't know the chap you mentioned, and I am sure he is a fine craftsman, however do check that he is also a concertina specialist and knows his way around a traditional instrument. The phrase you use is 'all free reed instruments' this worries me on your behalf.

Hello Michael, I wish you well of your zoom session, but like my friend Paul, 2:00am is a bit too early. I wonder if we reverted to to a flat earth then things would be easier?

Thanks everyone, my problem resulted in a mis-remembering of the name, it s Tidder, not Tedder, which is a hay turning device used in agriculture! Dave

I remember that, some tears ago, a thread which identified Tedder concertinas, and a bit about Tedder the manufacturer. I have searched for information on the forums, but have come up with 0 results. Have these been taken down now? thanks Dave

same here Jim. long, long queues for both the single action G Bass, and the single action baritone

Richard, it would be nice to be able to see through our finger tips, and have finger tips that can also read. What I offered was a statement based upon experience. perhaps the player had not realised the risk?

sorry mate, not for sale at any price, yet. However, I would add 'steel reeds to my buying specification.