Alex West

Ralph It's common for that note to be either D or A (although the A can be more useful). Retuning from D down to A might work with a bit of solder on the end, rather than by removing metal from the root. At least that would be reversible... Alex West

Sudden and sad. He leaves a tremendous legacy in the instruments he made and the generosity with which he posted his learnings here Alex West

Scrapped and repaired Jeffries bellows with new papers Alex West

Alternatively, if you want a set of concertina bellows to make a tuning jig with, I have a spare set you could have (might need a little patching work but should be OK for the intended purpose

I reckon the big anglos get a bad press! In general, the extra buttons from a 39 key to a 45 (or even 50) key instrument don't go significantly higher (or lower) and give you extra range. I just checked a 50 key Jeffries chart I have and it goes one note lower and 2 notes higher than a 30 key. What the extra buttons (and of course reeds!) do give you is more notes in both directions so playing chords in different keys than the home keys becomes easier. A C/G is always going to be squeakier than a Bb/F (or an Ab/Eb or a G/D) Quote from Wes earlier - "We often find that concertinas with this many buttons are conversions of Jeffries duet systems to anglos." I know of instruments where this has happened but I'm not sure of the quantity. I've no supporting data either way but I've seen a number of large Jeffries anglos which were only ever anglos from the very beginning. And if the conversion from duet to anglo has been done well, it shouldn't affect the value? As regards weight, there's another thread about concertina weights. Personally, I don't find weight to be a big drawback as most of the time, the instrument is supported on one leg or other. I have heard people say that the chambers are so small that the acoustics of big Jeffries anglos are compromised with respect to 39 or even 30 key instruments. Certainly, the reeds mounted in central locations on the reed pan can have some very odd characteristics, but in my limited experience, a 50 key can sound just as good as a 30 key Alex West

The changes weren't terrifically significant. Just a matter of shifting reeds around. If I remember correctly, a little carpentry was necessary to get the reeds to sit comfortably in their new surroundings but it was fairly painless. Originality? Well, I'm on the side of playability. If it makes it easier for you to play, make the change Alex West

I had a couple of George Jones anglos in to do a little work on recently. You'll see from the attached files what the original tuning was and what the owner wanted (in red) to make it more like a standard Wheatstone layout on the RHS. Alex West George Jones 32 Key.pptx George Jones 34 Key.pptx

Also check out C A Cornish. Very helpful, very good products https://www.cacornish.co.uk/musical-instruments/ Alex West

I had almost exactly this question from a person who had inherited a concertina shaped toy and wanted to know if I could get it fixed up for her to accompany herself singing or if not, suggest an inexpensive concertina (as a small, light, portable instrument) which wouldn't be rubbish. Cutting a long story short, I recommended a ukelele. Andy Norman has an interesting series of YouTube videos going through the extensive work he has done to make inexpensive concertinas remotely playable at a cost of considerable use of his time and expertise. Alex West

I'd say recording #1 is the hybrid with accordion reeds. The fact that there's so l;ittle difference is a tribute the the build of the Morse - he made good instruments! Alex West

Many thanks Stephen - I stand corrected Alex West

David The fretwork, reeds and action all look identical to an instrument I have which was identified as a Shakespeare by someone much more knowledgeable than me. I'm not arguing with you, Stephen, but weren't there 2 (related) Shakespeare makers? One I believe identified his instruments and had very fancy engraving with bird motifs. Alex West

Steel or brass reed? Alex West

The McGarrigle Sisters - quite a pretty song Alex West

And the Major General was the "poster boy" for Camp Coffee, referring to the military rather than any other sort of camp Alex West

Buy Dave Elliott's Concertina Maintenance Manual http://www.concertina-repair.org.uk/page7.html. Section 7 shows you exactly how to make an English concertina thumbstrap. All you have to do is add a little extra length to the dimensions given Alex West

I have some. I think I got them from a vintage screw supplier on ebay Alex West

I spoke with Lynda Cornish yesterday. They're changing their supplier for valve leather and are sending me some samples Alex West

Good to hear this Jake. I echo Mike's thoughts and look forward to seeing the finished concertina Alex West

PM sent

At this age, it may also have nickel reeds rather than steel reeds. Nickel reeds tend to be soft (as in quiet) and little can be done to make them louder (I am told). This can affect the value as to modern tastes, they would be similar to brass reeds in performance. Alex West

I got them from a knife making supplier in the US called Jantz Supply. It was a custom order in the size I needed. I have some spare sheets; if you're interested send me a PM. Alex West

PM Sent Alex West

I'd definitely be interested in your Dropbox link, Dana. Enjoy your retirement Alex West

Ah - OK - I didn't see that Alex West