Jody Kruskal

Snake Chapman's Tune. D modal tunes work great on the C/G Anglo concertina. This crooked tune is popular at Old Time sessions and festivals. Originally known as "Home with the Girls in the Morning" this tune has undergone some modifications via the folk process.

I've been happily using Myers Feather 2 pickups in live performance for almost a year now and I like them very much.

Hey digver, glad to hear that you like my angle. I'm trying to frame it so that the concertina fills the screen. The camera is about 8 to 12 inches away from the action. Shooting so close amps up the detail and yes, sometimes you can see both sides at once.

Simpson County, Old Time tune from Kentucky fiddler Charlie Kessinger played on C/G Anglo concertina by Jody Kruskal

That was jolly. Thanks. Made me smile😀

Railroading Through the Rockies from fiddler Jim Bowles played on the C/G Anglo concertina by Jody Kruskal 2024.

OK David, does this help? Moments before posting this funny scene I had just successfully repaired my Jefferies 38 button C/G vintage Anglo. Button #6 on the left hand (pitches A-B) was sounding continuously, impeding my ongoing Old Time tune recording project, so it had to be fixed. The button seemed to return when pressed, so it was not a broken spring. Nothing to do but take the end off and have a look. I could see nothing wrong. I unhooked the spring, wiggled the lever, seems ok. The staple was snug. I opened the pad and could not see anything keeping it from closing. Gave it a good blow of air. Put everything back together… but the problem was still there. The button seemed to return when pressed, but maybe not fast enough and certainly not strong enough to close the pad. Often, just taking the problem bits apart and fiddling with them fixes the issue. I call that the fuss factor; but not this time. Button #6L was still sounding in both directions without me pressing the button. So I took the end off again to have another look. Should I bend the spring to increase the closing pressure? Attach a second spring? Before taking that drastic measure I tried lubrication. I sprayed a bit of graphite lock lubricant in a bottle cap and applied it to the lever fulcrum with a toothpick and worked it into the riveted joint. Then I found an old drill bit that just fit into the button bushing hole. Rotating the non-cutting end against the felt in one direction can polish and align the fibers to make for a slightly looser fit. I then applied graphite to the bushing felt for good measure. When I put the end back on,.. problem sorted; much to my relief. Moments later by chance, I watched the Chaplin video and thought… wow. I really dodged a bullet on that concertina repair. It could have been much much worse!

Back in my 20s, my dancing days; I remember a pick-up side at Pinewoods Camp dancing Drunk's March. Every time I drained my mug some onlooker would fill it up again. It looked a bit like this...

This has been a favorite of mine for decades.

Here is another fine example of this fine tune.

a4naught, I know what you mean. When learning a tune I want to hear it from a fiddler. Preferably playing one on one, knee to knee.

Ora Lee - My 5th Old Time offering exploring American fiddle tunes on the C/G Anglo concertina.