Marien

It looks very much like the Crabb Crane I play. The lowest note on the left hand side is a low F (the button of the rows where on the right hand side you will find the air release button). Marien

Somehow mahogany seems to be a good wood type to me.

Hello Alex, I suppose you mean the "ordinary" white yellowish titebond which I use for building guitars and mandolins(?). Or did you mean the cold titeboond hide glue you once mentioned? Thanks, Marien

It appears that the air finds a way to get out of the bellows somewhere where it should not. If it is an lachenal or another brand of old english concertina's there may be lots of causes, such as - blocks to hold up the reed plate have loosened. - a reed or action plate may be warped, - a crack in the action plate - shrinkage of the reed plate, letting the air go around it there may be more, and I suspect that answers may already be available somewhere in this forum...

today I finished a recording of the Ukranian National anthem, played on a lachenal crane duet concertina. it is here:

a good old hornpipe...

Thanks Theo, looking forward to receive the wood. I think that considering the age, the mahogany wood stopped working... seems to me that it is very suitable for the job. Easy woodworking and If there is no pressure it will keep its exact form and it won't crack.

Thanks for the tips everyone. Problem with the sycamore is it has to be the right dimensions, quartered and dried for about 12 years (or artificially). So it is not that easy to get it for use today. The original plates with the holes for the pads are 4.2 mm thick and is solid wood, possibly sycamore. When using the birch plywood, would it have to be about the same (4.2 mm)?

Thanks, I'll go for the sycamore...

I am trying to completely replace a the wood of 2 action plates in an old 30b Lachenal concertina. It looks like a kind of pine. I am wondering - would it be appropriate to use willow (it does not split easily), (good quality) spruce for the basic plate? What would be the best wood to use for it?

Hello Jim, I once tried this tune on a german GD 20b concertina, the name of the tune is exceptionally good but I am not going to say that this counts for the rest. I guess playing the chords fits this double reeded instrument. Marien

Here is how I played the melody of the hebrew song called "O de lo ahavti dai" on a C/G anglo (wheatstone layout). Not every klezmer tune can be played easily on an anglo concertina, but this one suits my anglo. Mostly, when I play klezmer on a concertina, it is on the Crane Duet or de Jeffries Duet concertina. o de lo ahavti dai on wheatstone CG.mp3

Woops, I see, I stole the quote (it was a quote from the jazzy muppet Zoot in the muppet show, saying "forgive me Charly Parker") but I forgot to translate Charly into George...

Another tune is a polish folk song, about falling leaves (after spring and summer have gone). You can find it here: vallende blaadjes. More to come later, Marien

Today I managed to put a tune on soundcloud, at last. I recorded summertime in spring a couple of years ago (in spring). Forgive me Charles Gershwin. I played it on a Lachenal 55b Crane, the guitar part is played by my niece Wendy Lina. Marien