Bill McKim

Congratulations! I have a 30 button G/C which is a Jones. The nimber is 22470 and has been dayed by Paul Reed as 1895 so you are probably close. It too has a beautiful rich sound which I enjoy hearing It has an imprint I have not been able to decipher "LYONS MEEB". I have posted pictures: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10318&st=0&p=103641&hl=lyons&fromsearch=1entry103641 Regards Bill M

Thanks everyone: There are some interesting suggestions here. I will do some more digging. Thanks again Bill

Hi All: A while ago I posted a question about "LYONS MEEB" stamped on the end of my concertina. It is a Jones 30 button G/C dated 1895. There were a couple of suggestions but none seemed to fit. I have now acquired a new camera with a macro setting and am able to post pictures of the inscription which I have attached. It is clearly LYONS MEEB, but it has been struck twice which complicates things a bit. I suspect the "B" is for "band". Does anyone have any suggestions what the MEE is all about? Sorry to bug you about this again, but I thought the pictures might help. Thanks Bill M

I am glad I discovered this thread. I figured I was the only one with this problem. I have been a guitar player for years and myleft pinky has a nice hard callous on it as do all my other fingers on my left hand. The other fingers are not a problem, but the pinky often hits the pin (bone) at an angle and slips off. I had envisioned using stuff like gorilla snot or getting little rubber finger tips, but the problem seems to be getting better with pactice. Glad to know it should go away. B McKim

Good advice. I have been playing a concertina for about 3 years, the first 2 1/2 on a 20 button that made my elbows ache. Last june I finally was able to afford a vintage 30 button (just love that C#). That was a great motivator. It has such a beautiful tone, I just love listening to it. I will try to hang on for the next 5 years and see what happens. I can recommend that you only practice each tune briefly. As in 5 min. Then go back to marking papers, reading email, wasking dishes (or whatever) for 20 minutes. Seems that neurons in your brain take a while to respond, or soak up the practice and wire in the finger movements. If you pour all the water on a sponge at once, not much will be absorbed, but if you let it trickle a drop at a time, it will fill absorb more water. Well that's my theory and I am sticking to it. By the way, it makes maring papers easier to take as well. Bill McKim

Hi Alan: I suspect that the decline was not restricted to concertinas. During this period there was a proliferation of radio stations and 78 records. People seemed to turn away from making their own music in favor of radio and recordings. The experience in Newfoundland was that there seemed to be a specific rejection of home made music because it was "old fashoned". Both fiddle and accordion playing declined in Newfoundland and those who could play took up guitars and tried to imitate what they were hearing on the radio stations in the US that they coould hear; mostly pop and country and western stuff. There was a revival that started in the 60s as a result of an interest in "folk music". It is still going strong. I believe that a similar thing happened in Ireland and probably many other places. Bill

Happy New Year!

Hi: I sent in the enquiry about the words "LYONS MLLB" or "MEEB" stamped in my Jones 30 button Anglo. I do not believe that there were any responses to that posting till now. It clearly either an MEEB or a double stamped MLLB. It is very unlikely that it could have been a MCCB. The date is interesting, though. It was made in 1995. Bill McKim

I recently purchaces in Toronto a Jones anglo 30 button concertina built in 1895 and I love it, but it has a mistery. Impressed in the wood on the top of the left end is "LYONS MLLB" in the form of an arch. It looks stamped into the wood by a die. It is faint and can only be seen if the light is right. The LYONS is clear, but the MLLB is not. There is no doubt about the "M", but the top of the "EEB" is missing and looks as though it has been double struck making the Ls look like the might be Es. Does anyone have an idea what this might be; a retailers mark, the name of a a band? Any ideas? B McKim

I am in the market for an anglo concertina, G/C or G/D. I would lile to have a chance to play it before I buy so it would be nice if it were in southeastern Ontario or around the Toronto area. Baritone would be OK, too Bill McKim bmckim@play.psych.mun.ca