jdms

I might have considered it--I have no experience with wood-turning myself, but I know a few wood-turners--but this particular instrument has metal-capped plastic buttons, which means anything I had turned would look a bit different. I might try something one of these days and fit the metal cap from the broken button to the result. I now have the buttons from the Button Box, though--very quick service, that--and so have no pressing need to experiment. jdms

Isn't that a Heavyweight Boxer? (291 posts to go, and just as literal-minded as ever--when it suits me...) jdms

Problem solved: two buttons (one to replace the broken one, one to keep as a spare) are on their way to me from the Button Box. I inspected the rest of the ones on the instrument to make sure no more were developing any alarming cracks. None of them is, but one has been repaired and another is a whittled wooden replacement (under a metal cap like all the others--presumably the original...) (edited for grammar and word choice)

Resurrecting this thread for a similar problem: I've had a button break across the hole for the lever on my 1953 Wheatstone Aeola. It's a seldom-used button, so its loss doesn't affect my playing, but that also makes it a bit surprising that it did break...there's another visible crack in the plastic, so I'm thinking I ought to inspect all the buttons to see if any of the others are about to let go. It could be that I'll need to replace not one but several buttons. So: Concertina Spares is a proven source, but overseas (I'm in the Boston area). I have an email in to Doug Creighton at the Button Box, but in case he doesn't have anything handy, does anyone have any notions for a source of replacement buttons that I can get with only domestic shipping charges? Joshua Mackay-Smith

My first concertina, a G/D Morse (I don't count the Hohner D40 that's around here somewhere), and its more recently acquired companion, a latter-day C/G Wheatstone Aeola:

Off-topic, but now I find myself looking around for Ms. Chetirye Pyat' Shest...

You're most welcome. I'm still adjusting my practice routine, such as it is, to the presence of a baby in the house, so I've had little opportunity to implement what I learned in the workshop and what awaits me in your book. The direction in which it all pointed looks very promising indeed, though, and I expect great things.

That was what I thought until I said so in this thread. The next post, though, pointed out that the British Pathé film of the Wheatstone factory (which I did watch, but I didn't notice this bit) showed how it was needed for the routing machine that made the reed slots.

The Button Box lists a Wheatstone Mayfair on its Instruments In Stock page--I believe that, like the Stagi, it has accordion reeds mounted in reed blocks and, I'd expect, better bellows (others no doubt could tell you much more about Mayfairs than I can). Joshua

It's worth having a look at the Button Box's Instruments In Stock page. It looks like they have a 30-button C/G Stagi; they also have Rochelles new and used, which I have heard are better instruments at a much lower price. Not having tried either for more than a brief tune, I can offer no opinion on the accuracy of that comparison.

However,I should like to know if Jeff normally plays his duet while sitting up a tree? Is this an obligatory form of practice? I think he's trying to branch out! Sometimes, we all have a desire to be leafed alone. I've just twigged, you're all barking. The root of the issue is that I need to get trunk more often. Well, ya wood, woodn't ya! It all depends on where your playing stems from!! Chris Is anyone else getting board with this? I wonder how long before someone calls the copse on yew. Too much silo vision lurching in the background! Nope, sorry ... you totally lost me on that one, Don't understand that phrase at all. I think he meant the larch. The Larch. THE. LARCH. Number one...

This is about accordions, not concertinas (and the accordions aren't melodeons), but it's definitely interesting.

Theo, on inspection of the images on the nice big monitor they give me at work, I believe that serial number is 2448.

However,I should like to know if Jeff normally plays his duet while sitting up a tree? Is this an obligatory form of practice? I think he's trying to branch out! Sometimes, we all have a desire to be leafed alone. I've just twigged, you're all barking. The root of the issue is that I need to get trunk more often. Well, ya wood, woodn't ya! It all depends on where your playing stems from!! Chris Is anyone else getting board with this?

At the Harvest Ale in western Massachusetts, October 2010...

...which indeed it is. VJJB has a "Ceili Band" concertina, which I don't recall running across before but which may be a Chinese-made, German-pattern 20-button instrument. I tried googling "ceili band concertina" to confirm my hunch, but unsurprisingly those terms return lots of pages for ceilidh bands...

I 'd imagine Jodrell Bank would have about the highest speed connection available...

I'll be driving out in the morning--I'll send you a PM. Joshua thanks Joshua I appreciate that very much I will need to be there about 20 - 30 minutes before the workshop begins. Is that too early for you? Bertram It shouldn't be a problem. I sent you a PM earlier--we can work out details through that, or email if that's more convenient (I'll send you another PM with my email address in it).

I'll be driving out in the morning--I'll send you a PM. Joshua

I'm going (my initial belief that I couldn't turned out to be incorrect), but coming from the opposite direction...echoing David's question: anyone want to share a ride from Boston and its environs? Joshua Mackay-Smith

It's there so you can hook your finger through it and pull the reed pan out. There may be some reason it's impractical to put it there on hybrid concertinas like the Tedrow (and my Morse); the Crabb and the Wakker (and my Wheatstone) have traditional reeds. Others with wider experience will know if there are examples of hybrids with the hole and/or traditionally-reeded instruments without it...

See this thread. Short answer: yes it is, and it's already been removed.

Sorry you cant make it - Appreciate if you could spread the word. thanks Bertram The word is spread--and I may be able to make the one at the Button Box after all. Here's hoping.

Would that I could go...

I have heard before of Thomas Hardy playing the concertina. This was, interestingly enough, during the 2008 Christmas Revels production in Cambridge, MA, which was inspired by Hardy's "Under the Greenwood Tree." The Mellstock Band was part of the production, but I don't recall whether it was Dave Townsend or someone else who mentioned Hardy in connection with the instrument.