Pete Dickey

This is absolutely brilliant stuff and you did a great job bringing it to our attention. What a shame that the costs of obtaining a full related set of cpies of the various footages are so considerable as it would be nice to have them all on a DVD available to any members of the group who wanted them. Pete

Helen Wel perhaps you could get one and remove one side of the bellows, fit some oars then sit in it while you row the Atlantic on your way to the session. Now there's some good words about an accordion. Pete

Second attempt at attaching photo . Pete

Hi Wes Noting your post, I thought you may like to have a photo of 23235 ebony-ended English with leather bellows, riveted action and screwed reeds. (I would add that I have done a bit of work to it since getting it off ebay) Pete

Bill Since Christmas has now been and gone, if you are still in touch with the group then perhaps you would be so kind as to tell us just what you ended up buying the wife, assuming it was a concertina of some persuation? (well - why not turn the forum into a soap opera) Pete

Mark Perhaps you should have name tags ready so that various members of the forum who don't already know each other can identify who they've been arguing with. Pete

Dave Is this the venue where I'll be seeing you and Dave P getting stuck into a pint of PVA (to quote a different thread). Pete

Some excellent points Goran, although don't you feel that had these represented a significant problem, then 150 years of natural evolution in design would have produced instruments which were much more preferable to players and in so doing the original concertina as we know it would now be a thing of the past? Natural selection doing it's job as with so many other things in everyday use be they cars or sewing machines or whatever. Or do you have some other reasons for us seeing modern instruments produced in much the same manner as they have been over many,many years with button sizes and keyboards generally of similar dimensions? Practice helps us overcome the limitations in keyboard size and perhaps it is this very size which assists in playing at considerable speeds achieved by the likes of Simon Thoumire, whilst expanding the spaces between buttons will increase the necessary finger travel and slow down the possible playing speed achievable. (I know I'm going to regret this! ) Pete

Now come on Dave, you've got to admit that a sensitively played melodeon can really compliment a concertina, just listen to the Moorcock Band. An accordion on the other hand can't really compliment anything, it generally just drowns it, admittedly more in some hands than in others. Pete

But you did have the extremely good sense to make sure it was brought to everyone's attention Samantha and for that we are grateful. Pete

Geoff Will that be with the accordion as well as the concertinas? Pete

Goran I'll certainly let you know if I manage a set of stainless steel buttons. You are of course quite right that I want to play with my new toy. Richard re: Hamish Bayne cross-drilling the buttons. Would this not lead to increased wear of the bushing felts? I do take your point about weight and intend to try and accertain the additional weight solid metal buttons will add depending on material used. Perhaps some upgrading of the springs could be necessary to try and improve crispness and speed - which in turn will alter the entire playing characteristics of the concertina - which of course will change........(perhaps I shouldn't have started this thread!) Pete

Hi All Have just robbed the bank and got a little modelling lathe. As a project I am considering making some new buttons to replace the bone buttons on a restoration project (48 button Lachenal English). I have in mind using aluminium or stainless steel although other materials do spring to mind e.g. nickel silver and brass. Has anyone any thoughts or recommendations that I could take on board? I am also undecided as to the shape of the button ends e.g domed or flat with rounded shoulder. Some food for thought would be useful. Thanks Pete

Hi Daves P and E Count me in when you meet for that pint of PVA. I want to bear witness to the discussions. Dave P - just to pick up one point re: the fit of the chamois to the face of action box. You mention shimming out the chamois as necessary to improve the fit. My question is what is the best way of checking the fit - if you were for example using a sheet of glass over the bellows end? How would you mark those parts of the chamois that needed adjustment or conversely those parts that were making a proper contact? If machining you could use "Engineer's Blue" but this clearly is out of the question with the chamois. Or do you feel that it is adequate to just estimate the fit by eye? Cheers Pete

Hi Lester Perhaps the answer is to send some very strong drink along first and then arrive late. If you leave it long enough you can probably play in the key of "H" and no-one will notice. Have Fun Cheers Pete

Hi Alan Surely enough is enough. After all you have given the names of the tunes on that excellent tape of yours. I would have thought it shouldn't be too difficult for whoever wants it to get hold of the music if they really need it perhaps from an archive/collection on the net or even by dropping a post on the C/net forum. Like yourself I've mainly picked up tunes by listening to recordings or playing in sessions and found that the more you do it, the easier it seems to become. To me that is part of the fun of folk music although I could accept that this may not suit everyone. Pete

I also took the view that the use of brass bolts was preferable to steel since sweat from the hands would cause corrosion of the steel with consequent expansion which could also split the wood. I used 8BA bolts with recessed heads which I obtained from a model shop. Pete

Paul Insetting the hexagon bolts into the wood might, I feel, weaken the structure a bit too much and could promote splitting along the grain of the wood particularly in Rosewood. Far preferable I think would be to solder a hexnut onto a washer and glue the assembly onto the wood. This should give enough grip so you can tighten/loosen the bolt (machine screw) and should help with pulling forces on the wood. However perhaps Dave Elliott or other like-minded folk have a different view. Pete

I recently replaced the short screws on an Lachenal English when fitting a new thumbstrap. It struck me that it may be better to replace the screws with small brass bolts, washers being placed on the underside to distribute the loading more evenly. This seems to work well. Pete

Whilst I've not made any definitive study of this subject, it is difficult not to have noticed over the past 25+ years that if you play a concertina then it is virtually a necessity to move some part of the body, most often the feet, in a manner which generally coincides with the beat of the music being played. I have noticed a considerable number of styles employed including, Tapping the toes of one foot, Tapping the heel of one foot, Tapping both heels alternatively, Tapping both toes alternatively, Stomping the leg supporting the concertina or Stomping the "free" leg, Waving a leg around, and I'm sure there are other styles in favour. I've also noticed that the tempo of the tapping/stomping also varies and I've seen half speed up to double speed (yes that's you Dave). What I am wondering is:- Does it matter which style is used. Is any one particular style better than the rest? Is any style not to be recommended? One thought that does spring to mind is the possible damage to the concertina e.g. when supported on a stomping leg or in collision with another player. Has anyone seen such damage? It would be interesting to hear the thoughts/accounts of the members. Pete

Dave Prebble and I recently spent an unforgettable day in the company of Geoff Crabb. We were made very welcome by Geoff and his good lady. Geoff kindly spent several hours sharing some of his tremendous knowledge of concertinas with us. His enthusiasm and ability in the construction of these superb instruments is amazing and we left exceptionally grateful yet humbled by the experience. Geoff also proudly showed us a part of his latest project which, when complete, will be the world’s largest concertina which he is assembling in a marquee in his back garden. The photo shows Geoff with one of the reeds which he has just finished voicing. Using an angle grinder saved several weeks of filing and he says the reed is so powerful that when he pinged it, the shockwave blew his glasses off.

Hi All I got talking to a chap the other day. He was looking really glum so I asked him what his problem was. "The problem is that I've got a Jeffries and a Stradivarius" he said. Now anyone with a Jeffries and a Stradivarius has got no right to look so miserable and I told him that. He replied "The trouble is that Stradivarius made rubbish concertinas!" Keep Smiling Pete

Hi Just thinking about the in and out movements of the arms/bellows , perhaps concertina players could be called BIFLEXUAL? Or a determined player CONCERTENACIOUS. Perhaps when you can't think of something to play you could be CONCERTIPATED. Cheers Pete

Referring to the exceptionally thin wood screws that certainly appear to be unobtainable, does anyone know just what gauge these screws are? (e.g. 1 inch number 1 's perhaps?). Perhaps armed with the appropriate size it may be possible to get hold of some or to have a batch made up which could be shared out with all who need them possibly via the forum. Pete

At the risk of providing too simple an answer, since the rails are so thin do you think that they could might have been added to provide some protection to the faces of the concertina in the way guitars have a fingerplate?