Alex West

Thanks Donvon. These aren't Jeffries papers Alex West

Malcolm I just did a quick mental sum and I made a mistake. So yes, you're correct. However, if the instrument is in old pitch, A=455Hz, then Bb might well sound as A on a tuner calibrated to A =440Hz pitch? (or close to it). I didn't clock the SA case so missed that possible connection but ravages of time, one swallow etc. Who knows? I have come across an instrument recently where the entire bottom row was shifted one button along so the reed that you might expect was a B, was in fact a G ... Alex West

Donvon There's a few features that suggest that it might not be a Jeffries. The stamp looks genuine at first glance, but the fretwork pattern doesn't look like a Jeffries 30 key pattern to me, including but not limited to the scroll-work and the third screw into the bushing board. The piercing to the side frames isn't completely unusual for a Jeffries (or similar Victorian) but it's by no means common. But the action; Apart from the one obvious Lachenal lever and post, the rest of the action looks to be either Jones or Shakespeare - probably Shakespeare and definitely not Jeffries. I couldn't make out the bellows gilding to confirm Alex H's comments, but do you have a clear picture of the papers? And what about the reeds - what do they look like? Your single note identification could indicate that it's a Bb/F instrument (or B/F# in old pitch). but that's a guess without seeing and hearing the other reeds None of the above means it's a bad instrument and won't play well once renovated, just that it isn't worth what a 30 key C/G Jeffries would be, restored or in existing condition. Alex West

The full programme is now available - see attached. Should be a great weekend! Button Boxes programme leaflet 2025.pdf

That was Ben Otto - he died 2 or 3 years ago as I recall Alex

Just one observation, looking at the original video. The "normal" connection of pad to lever arm is via the grommet on the end of the arm and a small disc of leather (samper) on top of the pad, all glued with a small amount of the glue of your choice. This gives some flexibility for the pad to flex laterally and take up small misalignments to seal fully. With the amount of glue joining the grommet to the pad and no evidence of a samper, it's practically a solid connection with no chance of flexing. Alex West

Good effort! There's no need to buy a whole new concertina though. If you go to Alex Holden's website (https://www.holdenconcertinas.com/) and search through his concertina build stories, you'll see how he makes his bellows. Every maker has their own methods (adapted to their tools, experience and ability) and every one can have an opinion as to what is and what makes the best bellows, but following Alex's stories and looking at the improvements he's made along the way will give you a good start. Alex West

This is similar to a design that Wim Wakker used for a time, except that the "rivet" was a simple steel pin acting as a trunnion (axle). I had a bunch of these from a project which was gifted to me and used it quite successfully on a complete rebuild project, the big advantage being that I could use a simple flat sheet of brass as the lever rather than beating a flat into a round bar. Alex West

PMs sent Alex West

Nikita You'll see your instrument here http://www.horniman.info/DKNSARC/SD01/PAGES/D1P0760S.HTM, dated September 7th 1915. And you'll see from this reference that 72 keys was a 'standard' size.http://www.concertina.com/pricelists/wheatstone-duet/Wh-Pricelist-Duet-c1915.pdf. There are more references to the Maccann duets here http://www.concertina.com/maccann-duet/index.htm I've no idea how many were made and the relationship with the other sizes - you could spend many a happy hour looking through the Wheatstone ledgers unless someone's al;ready done that! Alex West

Alan If you look at the way Simon Thoumire plays the English, he hardly uses the pinky rest at all and twists the thumbstrap round so that (at least on the Right hand keyboard), he's playing it practically horizontally Alex West

John Kirkpatrick gives lessons via Zoom or Skype in the "English" style of playing https://www.johnkirkpatrick.co.uk/lessons.asp Alex West

Jody, I've successfully treated this in the past by rubbing (gently and sparingly!) with a cloth sprayed with a normal kitchen cleaner - the kind that has a mild bleach solution in it. In the quantities you're going to use, you shouldn't see any damage to the bellows as you're not soaking them, just wiping the surface clean. Then "soak" the insides of the bellows under a UV lamp for 24 hours. I also installed a small piece of carbon/charcoal filter in the bellows to take down the smell/absorb any remaining spores. This can be removed later. The owner (very sensitive to mold and pollutants) was very happy with the results Alex West

Julian No, I meant Titebond Original - it's an aliphatic resin. I don't find Titebond liquid hide glue easy to work with Alex West

Julian I get my rabbit skin glue pellets online and having just done a quick check, there are plenty of bookbinding and fine art suppliers in Australia who should be able to supply you albeit from Sydney, Melbourne or NSW. If it's bellows you're thinking of, then Crabb's used to use a wheat or starch paste glue (or so I'm told) which you can also get in Aus. The concern with PVA for bellows is not so much creep, but that it remains somewhat flexible when set and the flexiblilty changes with temperature. It might not be a huge problem in Australia, but in the cold, the bellows joints will become less flexible and the whole thing sluggish and hard to operate. Rabbit skin glue (and also Titebond, I'm told) dry "brittle" so without losing airtightness, the joints form micro-cracks as they are flexed and are consistent over a wide temperature range. (I've not tested this, just relied on teh wisdom of other makers and repairers)> Alex West

I've also heard of woodworkers trying to use gummy sweets (suitably melted/dissolved) as an alternative to old-fashioned joiners glues. Tried and trusted rabbit skin and fish glues I would suspect have greater consistency and more reliable initial tack and final strength/flexibility than a food store gelatin of uncertain composition from a variety of animals. What's the motivation - cost? Alex West

Gustav Personally, I'd use regular Titebond for the "structural" repair of the paperwork. You could use a starch based or similar bookbinding glue but I don't think it would offer a particular advantage. The "dot and cross" paper is purely decorative and is used to cover up the join between the leather gusset and the bellows card underneath. For repair, use anything that isn't too think to look too obvious. 0.5mm card on the inside plus something a little thinner (strong cartridge paper?) on the outside should be fine Alex West

Gustav It rather depends on whether the tear is just in the paper, or goes all the way through the card underneath it, or extends through to the leather gusset to the right of the area you've highlighted. In the first instance, I'd remove the paper by gently soaking the paper with water (on the end of a cotton but, not under a running tap!), peeling the decorative paper off and then assessing what the damage is underneath. I'd guess you'll need to repair/reinforce the card underneath by gluing paper to both sides of the card (inside the bellows and externally) and trying to impregnate the card with the glue so that you get a sort of paper/card/paper 3-ply sandwich without adding too much thickness. Then replace the decorative paper with one from Concertina Spares (or I can send you one if you run into huge difficulties sourcing it). If the tear has gone into the leather gusset, you'll need to repair that with a very thin piece of leather (or "Zephyr") inside the bellows and maybe a thin piece of leather externally Alex West

It would be worthwhile speaking with Robin Beech in Montreal. He's a regular at the Montreal music sessions and plays a D button accordion and an English concertina Alex West

Very sad to hear this Robin. I met Paul at your house and also saw him at Sidmouth a few years ago. A good friend and a great loss Alex West

Wes Williams knows more about the range and variety of vintage concertina keys than I do so perhaps he might give an opinion. Bb/F and Ab/Eb are common flat keys, arguably suitable for playing with brass bands so why not Eb/Bb? (albeit in one of the old high pitches like A=454 or higher) Having said that, I've heard of and had in my possession an instrument in B/F# which was apparently a known variant. High pitch Eb to A=440Hz D would be possible, but you'd have a lot of metal to remove from the root or a bit of solder to add to the tip (which isn't terribly successful for the high reeds in my experience). You might have to look carefully at the profiles and stiffnesses after the changes Alex West

I agree with what Tiposx has said, if you want to get from C/G old (high) pitch to C/G with A=440Hz. To get to D/A from C/G is sharpening by a full tone, not flattening. If the original tuning is from C/G in an old, sharp pitch, then it's not such a big step, but the top reeds are going to be very thin. I'm confused by you saying that your C/G instrument is currently 50 cents sharp of Eb/Bb. That would indicate that the original instrument keys are Eb/Bb? Alex West

BrokenBox The clamping bolts can often be interchanged from other scrapped frames. If you don't have any, then what I've done in similar situations is drilled out the old broken bolt and drilled and tapped for a 10BA or 9BA bolt. Whereabouts in Scotland are you? I'm in North Ayrshire and might be able to assist with advice if nothing else Alex West

Theo I don't think I have a smoking gun, but I have had through my hands a 26 key Crabb with similar looking bellows leather, papers and action. The levers look to be steel? "Mine" had a Crabb number inside which made it more easily identifiable. Geoff Crabb confirmed that the papers were readily available at the time (1878) and steel levers were used to keep the cost down. The only difference appears to be the fretwork on the LHS where the cartouche would be. Mine had the horns as a mirror image rather than yours which are more of a Yin-Yang pattern. One of Geoff Crabb's useful notes tells that until about 1895, the instruments which Crabb made for dealers weren't hard-stamped with the numbers - the numbers were just pencilled internally. Maybe there's some evidence of that which doesn't show up in the photos? Does the font of the stamping of the reed frames offer any clues? Or the reed frame dimensions themselves? The 20 and 26 key wooden ended Jeffries which I've seen had the "C Jeffries maker" stamp on the wooden ends (as well as typical Jeffries bellows with fancy gilding and typically Jeffries papers). Is it worth restoring? Even if you have to replace a handful of reeds, a handful of levers, repair the cracks, fix the warping, it's more than 70% original and a quality 26 key instrument is IMHO a much more satisfying starter instrument than a Chinese made 30 key hybrid. Bellows, valves, bushings, pads are all consumables and whilst it's a bonus if the bellows are in good condition after 150+ years, it's not the end of the world to replace them. Granted, there's a lot of work involved and it might not be commercially economic depending on how you cost your time. What might it be worth at the end of restoration? OK, it's not a Jeffries so doesn't have that premium, but if it's a CG, and can be fairly confidently identified as a Crabb or near equivalent (and playing like one), then the retail value (as a good player rather than as a museum piece) surely has to be £2,000 or more? Alex West

Dropbox?