Jake Middleton-Metcalfe

really great to hear this, I have not heard this tune before, very developed arrangement, well done.

Phoenix Anglo by Mcneela? I think that is probably a step up in quality from the Jackie which would explain you getting on with it better. Comparable English models in the same price category would probably be something like a Morse Albion or Andrew Norman English concertina. To be honest though I would recommend just staying with the Anglo - you can play smoothly with practice on that system, you just have to pay attention to where the repeat notes are on the keyboard - many though not all of the notes are available in both directions, so you can adjust your playing of certain passages for a more legato feel. But that is just my opinion as an Anglo player. edit: in summary - I would say just more practice as opposed to wrong instrument.

hmm, its hard to say, what model of English did you have before? And what model of Anglo have you now? Some instruments are not as easy to play due to simply being made cheaply. With air button use on an Anglo it is a matter of practice. When I first started playing I would work out a tune like this: 1. learn the tune 2. work out the chords or otherwise accompanying harmonies 3. work out the best points to use the air button in anticipation of which parts of the tune might be 'on the push' for example. then 4 - go back to chords and think about the chords in relation to the use of the air button as it sometimes changes your approach. In time this process became not quite so laboured and dictatorial as that described above and you just learn to do it a bit more quickly and fluidly which is one of the joys of regular practice. I wish you all the best on your musical journey, but as for staying with Anglo or moving back to English its hard to advise on that without knowing if it was actually just the particular instrument you had which was causing the problem. - If you let us know the make and model of both of the instruments you tried - English and Anglo I maybe we could better advise you. But fair warning: sometimes English or Anglo questions are a can of worms, but its always worth discussing it in reference to your own particular desires as a musician.

C.Wheatstone and co use three reed scaling approaches - normal scale (the shortest reeds), best scale (longer than normal) and long scale (normally reserved for the likes of an aeola). All of these approaches to making the reeds will produce the same notes but the reeds are of different lengths. It sounds as if your 36 key English has maybe the next grade up in reed scaling, as to whether its best scale or long scale I don't know. To simplify it the general idea of this stuff: longer reeds = better reeds. You cant fit long scale into everything though. Maybe they cut down on the range of the 36k instrument so they could fit a better scale in there.

As its a Wheatstone I would also recommend you could take it to the Wheatstone business - they are still trading. http://www.wheatstone.co.uk/ edit..... he is still trading I mean

It can be frustrating! I hope you are able to come to a conclusion about it Lucasz, these things can be very tricky. I once spent a couple of hours trying to work out a problem with a draw reed that would stop suddenly at high pressures - aha I think, it must be set too low to the frame. No - actually the pad had come into two parts and when you drew the bellows out firmly the bottom half would get sucked out and cover the hole. Well that was an unusual cause of that problem. For ages I tried doing things to the reed thinking that was the problem but it was not at all. Best of luck!

It sounds as if you are having a really tough time with this problem. I have been in similar situations in the past with one of those "what on earth is causing that buzzing" sort of problems. And as you are - you go through it methodically trying to find the source of the problem. It can be quite frustrating. Apart from my suggestion above sadly I cant really offer much help but I will say this: every time I have been in this sort of situation with a mysterious sound problem with unknown cause - and I have been in that situation many times, the solution in the end was always something really really basic and stupid, such as: "oh the buzzing was not actually caused by the reed or the chamber its because the makers mark plate was not actually screwed down properly and was vibrating in sympathy with the reed, lets tighten that bolt, ah job done" In many cases of this sort I spent rather a long time (three whole days in the case of the loose bolt) over-complicating things with scientific reasoning, beware of this.

I could not find the original thread regarding the problem - the one about pitch stability. But I did recently have a problem with a low F3 note - it sort of gurgled when I changed bellows direction at low pressure. The problem was actually the valve it was sort of curled but not curling up it was curling down. The solution was to replace it with a flat valve.

As always very interesting Geoff. I like the bit at the end "Their ages at closure does seem to support Tommy Williams quote, 'it was because most of the staff were getting to be very old', if we consider that this was the impression Tommy may have had as a much younger man at that time." Yes. I hope I too have not accidentally offended too many people by thinking or saying things in a similar way over the years!

In some cases when this is not done the high reeds won't sound at all, its because the air pressure just causes them to choke too easily - as due to the size of the reed its set very low comparatively to the lower pitched reeds. If you partially cover the slot it allows some of the air pressure to escape through that slot (passing through the reed on the other side without causing a sound) and the reed wont choke. On some instruments you see the chamois gasket removed from the high reed chamber end partition - if I remember this is done for the same reason. Its just one of the old tricks of the trade people used to employ - it works though.

Does adding material at the base of the reed raise the pitch. To be honest I have never tried that, but I would imagine that although it may raise the pitch it is likely to make the reed not perform very well. The reed needs to flex, you are unlikely to get that flex when you are adding solder or anything else that is not spring steel to the base of the reeds, especially on a bass reed where most of the flexing is happening near the clamp end, higher pitched reeds flex most a bit higher up but its going to be the same problem. Its not such a problem adding solder to the tip as the very tip is not really flexing at all on a bass reed which is the context in which it is usually used. What I have said here is a guess buts its based on experiences of making reeds by hand.

Hello Fanie It may be possible to fix this instrument but you may find that it is probably easier and or cheaper to buy a new one which is similar. I believe there are a couple of people making and repairing concertinas in south Africa who may be able to supply you a new one or repair the existing, I am not sure. Here is the closest thing I can provide to a contact detail: Gys Mans Konsertinas: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057035876378 I have actually spoken to this guy in facebook. Wifra [Willie van Wyk] - I can't find or provide any contact details but I met a fellow once who if I remember correctly had a concertina by this maker. His profile is here on this website: https://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?/profile/853-zak-vdv/ perhaps you could message him and ask if he knows if Wilfra is still active. Best of luck Jake

I was always tempted to try and put an acme siren whistle in a concertina. I don't know if anyone is mad enough to want that though. For those not familiar this is what they sound like:

hmm, I am surprised that those two were different on your other concertina, did you get it 2nd hand? Maybe the previous owner had swapped the reeds round themselves or even asked Frank to make it that way. There are differences in what Jeffries accidentals actually were, but normally the one that has the most variation is the highest note on the accidental row, I have seen that tuned to all sorts of things. I always just make sure to show people the layout before making an instrument to be absolutely sure that is what they want. Then with 38 or 40 key instruments it gets very very different, with loads of different layouts, but that is another subject.

very very rare and amazing. Never seen one. Brilliant. I would love to play such a thing.

Hybrid does indeed mean a concertina made with accordion reeds. Tipo a Mano is a sort of accordion reed. It means it is a machine made hand finished reed. Morse concertinas are indeed what would be called a hybrid instrument. Anything advertised with tipo a mano is a hybrid concertina. There are a number of people still making concertinas with traditional concertina reeds, you can see a list of them in this permanent thread here: Whatever you go with, enjoy the music!

Ah the low notes, were they by any chance the E/F and B/A, the lowest buttons on the left hand side accidental row and left hand side G row? If I remember those ones are usually scaled down (shorter than they should be for their pitch) due to the way the reedpan is designed and the size of the instrument there is not enough space for them to be full size reeds. Its the downside of that design.

I could not agree more. I had the pleasure of restoring a 1905 (or thereabouts) Crabb anglo a year or two ago and found it to be great. A force to be reckoned with volume wise and very responsive. Both firms seemed to go through various and sometimes slightly subtle differences to their designs and materials over the years as well, and the results of that can be a bit subjective. I suppose you have to just play it and decide what you think. Thanks Pgidley for uploading the photos, the one I worked on was very similar to what you had there, same buttons and same variation on the fretwork pattern (I think). Though the one I was working on was stamped crabb on the ends and ball beavon on the side of the action box.

I saw "melodeon players are there" but really of course nothing has happened in over a year sadly.

The session in Ampthill is not instrument specific, just sticking to traditional English, Northumbrian and Scottish. A few melodeon players are there. Basically any instrument would be fine non amplified. Good to Hear John is giving lessons. Best wishes Jake

By the way, I see you are in Northamptonshire - when sessions start up again I can really recommend the Albion in Ampthill. Once a month, English, Northumbrian and Scottish music, really good! I hope the pub has not gone under by the time restrictions are lifted... Also if you play Irish music my wife runs an Irish session in Northampton 2nd Friday every month starting again August 13th. In the "swan and helmet". Here is a facebook page for it: https://www.facebook.com/events/1865493413614222 There is some good Sliabh Luachra style Irish music, which I had not encountered until I met Patrick Curtin an old Kerry man at this session, great fiddle player!

There seem to be a number of theories on this subject and it sort of depends who you ask unfortunately. Many believe that in the early days Jeffries simply stamped his name on the end of an instrument made at Crabb's and he later learned to make the instruments himself. Here is a paper on the subject where Geoff Crabb talks about his family's business and there is some mention of interactions with Jeffries, quite an interesting read in my opinion, I like the part about making the press tools by hand: http://www.concertina.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PICA07-2010.pdf Enjoy!

Normally this sort of instrument is available new for £1500-2200 or in that sort of range, maybe slightly less 2nd hand, though I can't be more accurate than that I am afraid. You could always email Andrew Norman and ask for his current prices. His website is here: http://www.acnorman.co.uk/

hey this looks great, you certainly have been productive with books lately. When available I will order a copy.

Maybe the player moved to Brighton from CA thinking it was the closest thing in the UK😆 When I was living in Bournemouth I found out that the Arts college in Bournemouth was advertised as the California of the UK to prospective students in China ... they got that a bit wrong somehow.