Dave Prebble

Far better to breakout of this before it becomes an ingrained habit. Practice in a dark room - If you can't even see the concertina then you won't be watching your fingers - not even to sneak a quick peek. Not such a brilliant idea for sight readers though ... then again it might break their habit of staring manically at those dotty tadpole thingies they have printed out in front of them Regards Dave

Hi Dan, The reed will only sound one way. For a good description of why this is check out this link: http://www.concertinaconnection.com/concertina%20reeds.htm Cheers Dave Beaten on the draw by tallship )

If I understand correctly what Wes describes, there would appear to be a fatal flaw in that, in order for a reed to sound, air has to be drawn through it from the tongue side, not blown through from underneath. Now, ...a vacuum pump..... I would stick to the bellows and plate - tried and tested Cheers Dave

Hear, hear !! Another great weekend of music enjoyed by all. Even the sun shone on Bradfield Very much looking forward to meeting up with everyone, again next year. The Royal Hotel again hosted some unbelievable concertina music. The sheer number and quality of instruments assembled there and the huge range in playing styles was nothing short of a delight. That so much can be accomplished with the instrument continues to astonish me ! Thanks again to Mark and Joan for all their hard work and to everyone who came and helped to make it such a relaxed easy-going fun weekend. Regards Dave PS A whole new experience for me was waking up at Bradfield without a hangover ....

Hi Mark, glad to hear you have remembered to order fine weather this year. I have heard strange things go on up in them hills and am a little concerned. Are clothes optional ? Dave

An industrial ratchet strap should do the trick provided someone will help by holding the box still as you crank up the lever. On the question of 12 sided bellows for an anglo, the words chocolate tea pot come to mind. The more sides you have to a set of bellows, the weaker and less stable they come. Certainly for any energetic playing in the English chordal style, stick to six sides. If I played a 12 sided Anglo with my usual gusto, the bellows would implode in about five minutes. The only real excuse for 12 sides on an Anglo would be to make it look fancy.... there is no practical advantage. Regards Dave

For accordion tuning :- 2 vials of Morphine, 1 set hi attenuation earplugs and a 4 1/2" Angle grinder Malc - For the same job, I use the tapered handles of artists paint brushes to good effect. A 2" stub of a candle and a cigarette lighter- great for lubricating screws and endbolts - just drag the thread across the candle so it picks up a little wax and then pass it through the lighter flame. Melts instantly and gives a thin but effective coating to the whole thread A selection of 2.5ml syringes c/w blunted needles, each filled with a different glue. Great for applying pinhead sized dabs of glue with great accuracy. A 3" Cobbler's awl, set in a small turned wood handle. Kept ultra sharp, this is so much easier than tweezers for picking up tiny valves, washers and the like and leaves no visible mark but it will pass right through your hand with minimal effort so keep a cork on the end when not on use. A 12" x 2 " section of leather belt stuck to a strip of wood. Dressed with metal polish this makes a great hone for keeping the keenest mirror finish cutting edges on scalpel blades, knives etc. If it ain't sharp enough to provide a good dry shave... then it's blunt ! Dave (ps not kiddin about the morphine )

This is all getting rather serious ! International mono-cycling concertinists association ...hmmmmmmm we'd have the drug testers sniffing round in a trice ! mind you, they will have to replace the Tour de France with something Dave

Well, if you're black balled playing the concertina----I'm pretty sure you're not doing it correctly! Don't worry, it comes off with methylated spirit D

They won't get me Pal. The next Starbuck (whatever that is) Latte, Big Mac or KFC will be my first !! I'll stick to a Pie and a Pint at the Royal. JUST SAY NO !! Dave

Excellent album, John. Now all you need is a Jeffries Duet........ Regards, Peter. ....or why not come up to Bradfield and hear him play Dave

Which makes it a Latke. Hmm. Is it kosher to have a latte with a latke? Well, since Latte is a creation of certain Imperialist entity, reaching it's tentacles all over the world, and employing cheap labor in it's never ending lust for more money and power, it's product is drenched in Proletariat's blood and sweat. Untill this Imperialist entity drains the blood out of it's Latte, it is not Kosher. Didn't realise Latte was Russian Dave

Just the Biscuit ! Dave

I have known Pip all his life and am most glad he is now tuning back more towards the concertina. I well remember him with his first concertina - it was nearly as big as him Between you and me, I'm sure he will not go short of sound practical advice for his first restoration project. Cheers Dave. PS Pip, if he's got two at that price, save one for me

Welcome to the madhouse, Aogan Feel free to tell us more about yourself... or we will start rumours... Regards Dave

My copy of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary indicates that in English "bag" doesn't derive from the same earlier word(s) as"bellows", and that "bellows" derives from a two-word expression that meant "blowing bag". Yours is a good story, though, and without the details of intermediate evolutionary stages, neither scenario seems obvious to me. The expression 'Pair of Bellows' derives from the fact that, in their earliest form, they were a two handled tool and, in their later and larger form, that they were just that, a pair of bellows which were separated by a driven central dividing board and designed to act on both the up and down stroke. I used to be the 'engine' for just such a set when, as young chap, I worked for a farrier. Other than in official or formal written descriptions, such as wills, manifests bills of sale and the like, in spoken English, the whole set up has most likely for centuries past just been referred to as 'the bellows' for short .... we certainly did. This word usage would have carried over quite naturally as a singular noun to describe a similar looking device fitted to a concertina. 'Half a pair of bellows' is just a little unwieldy don't you think? Peter, You not seriously suggesting that they speak English in America are you ??? I quite agree with you. Evolution of the language is of course unstoppable. We speak far more than we write and certainly don't check on grammar and spelling before we open our mouths. As you correctly point out sheer weight of numbers will change language ... 'twas ever thus'. A handful of folks in this forum proposing, to suit their own logic, that the word bellow(s) should be changed one way or the other would hardly qualify as an overwhelming change in general usage. If the case were any different I would ask the OED to settle the matter by changing the word bellows to 'windybags' ....... or should that be 'windybag' ??? Regards Dave

Indeed so Alan! Time for me to bellow my reply ! Bellows are bellows, bellows folds are bellows folds and are always counted by the peaks and, since we were never invaded by Russia, ever will it remain so. I prefer to trust my meagre 50 or so years of speaking the language and the hundreds of years of study of both historical and current English usage upon which the Oxford Dictionary is based. What was good enough for the Englishmen of Chaucer's day and before, is good enough for me. (....from stage right - distant strains of 'There'll always be an England' are heard on solo concertina .....) Regards Dave

Hi Greg, Depth of bellows most certainly is an important factor. I remember Geoff Crabb saying something like 1/8" deeper folds will give you the same extra air as would an extra fold. Having nothing better to do one afternoon, I did all the calculations and this proves to be just about 'spot on'. It is not the additional air trapped by the deeper folds themselves that makes the main difference, but the extra length (thus swept volume) of the main hexagonal core at the bellows centre, which is significantly extended by the deeper folds. ie Deep fold bellows open quite a bit further. I always used to maintain that 6 folds were sufficient for me, and that is certainly the case for chordal dance music where there is a lot of emphasis on snappy rhythm generated in large part by bellows reversals. These days I find myself mellowing somewhat, experimenting far more with phrasing and playing more airs and melodies where I will play long passages on either push or pull. I am thus resolved to make set of seven folds for my main squeeze, a G/D Jeffries..... one fine day....when I have nothing else to do Once you get used to them, and provided that the bellows are made well, there should be no less control over 7 fold, as opposed to 6 fold, bellows. Regards Dave

There lies the difference between the Chelsea 'Jeffries' and the Mile End Road 'Jefferies' Dave

Don't you start Clappo - or there'll be trouble.... Mark my words!! Correct pronounciation is 'Latchbox' or 'Lasher' Dave PS remember to mark 'em 10 out of 10

Eh Up trooper, Sorry but I'll not be able to make it down this year.... too busy looking after my humungous rebellious belly Play a few for me and sup my share of ale Prebs

Hi Stephen, I would be grateful if you could also contact me by PM on another matter. My emails and PMs have been bouncing too Regards Dave Prebble

Hello everyone, I spoke to Val this morning and passed on the kind thoughts and sentiments expressed by folks here on Cnet and she asked me to convey her thanks to you all. The funeral is to be held this coming Thursday 3rd may at 12:00 am at St Lawrence's Church, North Wingfield near Chesterfield and all Pete's friends will be most welcome. There will be a reception afterwards at a local hostelry (details to be finalised) I include some location maps below for those not familiar with the area. Feel free to email me or send a PM if you need further information. Regards Dave Prebble

A sad loss to this community and to all those who knew him. I first met Pete when he came to cnet looking for an replacement endbolt. He brought along his english concertina and a new bolt was sorted out in 2 minutes flat. We spent the following 5 or 6 hours in the workshop playing tunes and talking concertinas. It was immediately clear to us both that we were true 'kindred spirits' By the end of that day he was a confirmed anglo addict, determined to learn to play in the English chordal style and to get himself a Jeffries. The first ambition, he achieved with astonishing speed and never looked back. The second he managed within a year and his Jeffries remained his pride and joy to the last. I count myself lucky indeed to have found a friend who became as close to me as a brother - I shall miss him deeply. Pete was very brave in the face of adversity, bore his illness without complaint and wanted no fuss. When I saw him in hospital, he asked me to apologise to everyone for keeping things quiet, and to explain that he had very limited energy and was saving this for his family. He asked me to forward his thanks to folks for their e-mails and letters and for all the kindness, friendship, fun and music they have shared with him over the years. Sadly I didn't get to see him again as I was rushed into hospital myself and have only just got out. I am so glad Pete made it home to spend his last days in the love and care of his family. I will let folks know as soon as the funeral arrangements have been sorted out and I am sure we will be organising a musical wake in the near future. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Val and his children, Emma and Tom. Dave

Cheapest way is to buy the currency in a travel agents (far more comtetitive than banks) and post cash in a recorded delivery signed for letter. Clearly a higher degree of risk, but certainly the cheapest way and often quicker than the bank transfer/international money order route. Dave P