d.elliott

my first attempt at fixing was a brass reeded 48k English, 24 leak bellows, split mahogany ends. Tuned in the old pitch. The valves would have been decorative if they had been clean.

Can you explain just where on the reed tongue you are filing and how you are supporting the reed during that process, and exactly what you are using to support the tongue.

For repaired or refurbished concertinas there are too many variables for a hard and fast policy. You can contract to say re-pad, re-valve and adjust tuning. However, the instrument is well over 100 years old. What do you do if an endplate bushing drops down once the owner starts playing the concertina? whose fault? or a reed suddenly starts to go flat, a cracked reed? I think you have to separate new made from vintage instruments in this argument. On a refurbishment you have to consider the scope of work. If the end plate bushings have been replaced and one drops into the instrument, then it may well be a workmanship issue. Basically, it is a matter of T's & C's, the contract and what is the agreement, where does the risk lie.

Bernard's Bass was weighed at 11.5 lbs. just saying.

top left-hand corner of the scree, turn 'original sound' ON

Yes, a square layout. Which chamber holds the errant reed? and is it adjacent to the air release pad hole? can you indicate on your photo?

not a bad idea, but just see if there is any sign of an earlier paper underneath what you have.

Early bellows used book-binder crafts and materials, looks a bit like the decorative paper used to line the inside of a book cover.

Use a tuner to see if you can identify the note that is sounding, are we talking a radial reed pan, or a square layout?

Talk to the WCCP for recommendations etc.

I find the use of an inspection light inside the bellows finds most issues, that and experience in knowing where to look. That, coupled with sensing air flow on the lip of the tongue and listening hard. a dab of soap bubbles with a soft water- colour paint brush work well to confirm things if usure.

I have just serviced and repaired Bernard' Bass, it is a beauty, but heavy! and very powerful, hence capable of blasting out. Of course, being single action, it is also capable of a more delicate sound too. Not pianissimo, but it does have a surprisingly good dynamic range. The standard Bass or 'G' Bass goes into the 'Contra' octave, I assume (nasty word) that this gave the instrument range it's name. I have never seen a bass with a range below the 'G' bass not counting the down tuned G# to F Nat.

Wheatstone 36700 is dated as February 1962. whilst 36800 is April 1964. post the full serial and we can be more precise.

I did hear of a lady giving talks to the local W.I. meetings that were entitled 'The concertina in Nelson's Navy'. 😕

You don't need a dedicated English Concertina book for Shantys, You can play anything in any key as you find your way around the instrument.

David, I would start by trying things out and looking/ listening for other evidence: Are the affected reeds going down to the same height of 'stop' position when being pressed, as the other keys that are sounding properly? Are those keys sitting higher or lower when the respective pads are fully closed? Are there any ghost tones being sounded? are there any damaged end bolts, any cracks in the pad board? any loose of missing reed pan support blocks. Is there any evidence of looseness of the reed pan in it's bellows frame gasketing. Valve condition is important, but also look at the chamber walls, often the chamber wall can slope and catch the valve when blown open. Do the affected note all have the same size of valve, if so is that valve sizes made of a stiffer or thicker leather. Once this overall assessment is complete then you may well get some useful pointers or frighten yourself to death. With a Wheatstone or Lachenal I would doubt a design flaw like chamber sizing, pad hole diameter etc.

The methodology is quite simple, there are two fixed points: 1 when the button is fully depressed, the height of the button, fully depressed is set by the damper stack under the body of the button, the little felt rings that are pierced by the button guide peg. I have seen a stack height of anything between one to five dampers being used. The number being consistent across an instrument. 2 when the button is fully up, set by the contact of the pad onto the pad board. The button pressed down height of button top over the finger plate is often set to be around 2.5/ 3mm this can be increased or decreased by adding or subtracting dampers. Once this button low point is set, then the button height is set by establishing the button travel height. Button travel is usually set at 3.2mm or 1/8th inch, or there abouts. This is done by taking a measurement of the existing travel and by bending arm near the pad until you get your 3.2mm. Obviously there are a number of government health warnings that could be issued at this point. As you do the first couple of arms, check that the guide pin under the button is not likely to come out the action plate's guide hole and jam. The thicker pads simply set everything higher and given an appropriate amount of button travel there is a risk of the lever arm gromet, or the edge of a pad striking the underside of the action box cover, tapping noisily and affecting pad security. I measure several button low heights (button pressed in), take an average. I add 3.2mm to the average and make a height gauge to suit. I can then set all buttons to the same height using my gauge as I bend & adjust each of the arms. I must go through 25-30 full re-pads a year so it is second nature now, but I can remember how daunting it was in my early days of repairing. If you can get some experienced to show you it is best. I always use arm bending to adjust travel, I always use consistent pads., and a consistent number of dampers per button. This gives an even key hight. Voicing is controlled by the original manufacturer's pad hole diameters. Often there are two diameters of pad hole, sometimes three diameters.

Hi Paul, I think (based upon the data from others, 1889, or thereabouts. As to the differences between the Paragon and the No. 5, besides a 33% increase in price, the Lachenal price lists make the comment about the reed metallurgy and the quality of sound. The No. 5 is quoted as having 'no gilding but ornamented paper' on the bellows, I know that the inimitable, excelsior, nonpareil had gilding on the bellows frame wraps, I am not sure if the paragon had this feature too. both concertina models are quoted as having German-silver keys (studs).

I am a simple man, I still have ties from my working days, but why not just get a good box and block it in one of the ways as discussed, no need to reinvent the wheel. or deface a valuable instrument either. General Lud

with respect to strapping an instrument, using a nail or screw, Fancy doing that to an Aeola, Edeophone, or indeed any vintage instrument? Dave

compressed, to enable maximum bellows sweep with little additional force over the normal playing resistance. Also periodically stretch the bellows fully open (with buttons pressed!)

based upon current data 1891/1892 would be about right

My first reaction was a Jones, Wheatstone reeds were narrower, both used riveted actions but the jones pivot posts had a flared profile below the rivet area. do you have a better photo of an action post on sideways please?

This is not a beginner's instrument, the note names and coloured keys indicating a beginner instrument is a fallacy, especially in an instrument of 1851 vintage. The concertina's grade status can be judged (visually) more by it's end material, in some cases by the number of bellows folds, woodworking decorative details in the fretting and around the perimeter of the action box end (finger) plate, felting around the keys etc. On some higher grade instruments coloured bone keys seem to have been an option on ordering. Even on some very high grade instruments silvered keys had their 'C' keys gold plated. Lachenal & co produced some very basic instruments, mahogany ended low grade brass reeds, plain ends, bone keys etc. These were the 'Peoples' Concertinas' (see the catalogues of the day). They were not intended as student models but as affordable concertinas for the hoy-paloy, the working man. The 'peoples' model was later superceded by the 'popular' model.

video is not available, sorry.