Bob Tedrow

Hello everyone, In the spirit of open communication, may I offer my method of bellows construction? Take a look.....it took me years to develop it and several hours to photograph and narrate it. http://hmi.homewood.net/bellows I am interested in your comments, I may completely disregard them as the maniacal ramblings of a demented mind... but please don't let that stop you. I am interested. All the best, I hope you enjoy the show. Bob Tedrow

I am surprised the concertina.info site has nothing about the Jack/Jackie Concertina. I am carrying them in my shop http://hmi.homewood.net Bob Tedrow

I have a new box of Rochelle Anglos in the shop. Call me at 205 879-4868 Bob Tedrow http://hmi.homewood.net

This is the very definition of "thread drift" is it not? I drove my 1928 Model A Ford everyday for about 13 years. This was necessary because at the time, it was the only car I had available for daily transport. My wife drove the *real* car. Day and night, near and far, raining or sunny, I was only towed home three times. Twice the electrical system caught fire and I managed to get home with spare wire I kept handy. I spent many a puzzled moment on the side of the road trying to get the motor started. I have also changed my share of flat tires on the road, patching them and filling them back up with air. This brings me to a difference of definitions between the sexes. I maintain that a "breakdown" is defined as an event that prevents one from reaching their desired destination without a tow. By that definition, I only had three breakdowns in 13 years. My wife maintains a "breakdown" has occured anytime you are delayed at all in reaching a destination due to a mechanical or electrical problem. By her definition breakdowns were a regular event. I do believe the experience depending on the old Ford has given me a forgiving and generally favorable attitude toward mechanical devices and old concertinas in particular. Bob That sounds very much like why I now drive a Subaru! And though an MGB GT was once my "pride and joy", I wouldn't consider one now as a daily means of transport; as another Subaru driver said to me - MGB=Mine Got Broke, and it did frequently, usually at the worst possible times, in the worst possible places. But a concertina isn't a car (and I'm a hypocrite ), so I'm sticking to my 1926 Wheatstone.

Yes, that helps. I just wanted to know if one of the reeds "speaks" faster than the other at the same pitch or has any qualities good or bad that may be related to the dimensions of the reed tongue. Can you detect a difference in timbre and response in the two low B reeds? Hmm. I didn't even mention the low B reed on the contrabass. And I question the relevance of comparing timbre and response of the B-below-middle-C reed on the New Model treble with that same pitch on the contrabass. The instruments themselves are too different. Nevertheless, I'll try. The treble is 6-1/4" across the flats (7-1/8" point to point). The contrabass is a stretched hexagon, 8-9/16" across the short flats and 10-3/4" across the long flats (11-3/8 between the long points). The ends are of different materials (ebony veneer vs. what appears to be solid rosewood) and different thicknesses. Actually, the timbre of that pitch sounds more similar between the contrabass and my amboyna treble Edeophone than between the Edeophone and the treble New Model. (Maybe later I'll check the length of the Edeophone reeds, but I'm pretty sure they're not as long as those in the contrabass.) And "response" is very difficult to judge, because the contrabass is so much heavier (7 lb 2.5 oz vs. 2 lb 14.4 oz), the bellows is very different, and the buttons have a longer travel. My manipulation of the buttons and bellows can't be identical. Of course, the set of the reeds could also be a factor, and though both instruments were done up by Colin Dipper, he did the contrabass sometime in the 1970's and the New Model just a couple of years ago. Still, I'll say that both respond as quickly as I can move the buttons and bellows, whether in a scale run in one bellows direction or on quick bellows reversals with the button held down. Does that help?

Hmm, Can you detect a difference in timbre and response in the two low B reeds?

Would you give me the general dimensions of the low G on you contra bass? reed frame size; length of the tongue, width etc? Bob

Jim, you are from DC right? Drop in to the Capitol City brewery and ask for my son, Travis, who is the assistant master brewer there. Tell him his Dad said he would set you up with a pint. Bob

A c/g "baritone" anglo is one octave below standard c/g Would the desired g/d "bass" anglo be one octave below standard g/d? (certainly not TWO octaves, right?) Bob

Here are a couple of concertinas I built with over 30 buttons. http://hmi.homewood.net/jeff31/ http://hmi.homewood.net/33bGD/ I can be flexible with the number buttons and the size of each concertina as I build each one individually. If I need an extra 1/8" of reedpan space I can build a set of bellows to match. By the same token I can make a smaller concertina: http://hmi.homewood.net/zephyr/ (thirty button) or http://hmi.homewood.net/fretless/ (smaller 24 button) I will admit adding buttons/reeds is much harder if you are using only one body size or don't want to take the time to build the appropriate bellows jigs for the odd sizes. Bob

Subsequent to an agreement with the Concertina Connection, Rochelle Anglos will be availble here in the US from Tedrow Concertinas/Homewood Music http://hmi.homewood.net. I also have Jeffries papers available, should you like to paste them on the Rochelle. You can call me at 205 879-4868 or email me at hmi@scott.net Bob

Yes, my fretwork is more sophisticated now. I probably cut that one with a jewelers saw. Although I still cut each top by hand, I use a Hegner Scroll saw....with much more skill as well. Still, all those early pieces are my children and carry the same transferable lifetime Tedrow "guilt" guarantee. Definition of the Tedrow Guilt guarantee: If for some reason the concertina fails to behave or act like a musical instruments and I feel guilty, I will correct the problem for no charge other than shipping. If you just back over it with the car, I would feel bad, but not guilty. If you spill beer on the concertina, I would feel sorry, not guilty. If you just slap wear it out, I would feel proud, not guilty. If all the bellows papers fall off..I would feel guilty for using the wrong glue. (that has happened) Button sticks?...I will fix. I hope that is helpful. sincerely, Bob Tedrow

I built this for a fellow who is a professional chef. It has a certain Avocado cache to the finish. http://hmi.homewood.net/green Curly Maple; green sunburst oddly, the handrest is the same green over mahogany, but looks completely brown in the photos. Bob

give me a call 205 879-4868 10-5 CST Bob

His instruments look gorgeous. How would you characterize the sound? But alas, no G/D, it appears from his Web site. Same with Kensington. http://hmi.homewood.net/33bGD/ I just finished a nice little g/d

http://www.irelandindixie.com/ I will attending, any one else? Bob

oh my god I am married to a Hungarian. She has cast an evil glance at my concertina playing more than once.

mercy, don't rush me.

oh yes, the upside of this rig is that it is quite adjustable. and yes, the downside of this rig is that is quite adjustable. There are a few features that are not evident, there is a "laser pointer" indexing light mounted so that the spindle center projects on the workpiece. I can locate an endpoint and cut a dovetail slot of any angle and width to the located point; split the dovetail slot for the central vent and cut the rails....... all in several slow careful steps. Because of the extremely accurate (thanks Wallis) X,Y,Z and radial axis, repeat cuts, remove and accurately replace the workpiece if need be. There is very very little "slop" in the bearing rails and the digital micrometers allow me to keep track of the cuts as I progress on the reed pan. It is no CNC machine.........but I can cut slots for variously angled brass shoes on the fly and adust for their length, width and depth on the fly. Allright, Bob! Now that's something! You must have a very exact way of controlling the width (if I can use that expression on a tapered, routed track). A few degrees? Adjustable? Trial and error, until the reed shoe fits? (I better hide this hexshaped piece of cardboard, the ruler and the needles before my boss comes ) /Henrik

I designed this reed pan cutter. Rather than eighteen months of work, I should describe it as eighteen months of tinkering and pestering my machinist/musician friend Wallis.

Are not the correct leather terms for skin orientation "flesh side" and "hair" side? FLESH SIDE is the side of the skin being next to the flesh ( flesh is the fat and muscle between the skin and the bone) HAIR SIDE the part we shave in the morning Flesh is not the same as skin. We eat flesh, we do not usually eat skin. Bob Ah yes, you are correct. We get so many customers referring to the split side as the "hairy" side that we've been calling it that too so as not to confuse them. I'm going to have to be more careful about the "hair" and "hairy" side descriptions. Not to confuse things, but there are animals which have hair that goes COMPLETELY THROUGH the hide! Now which side is the hairy one? Such as pigs. That's why pigskin is "breathable" - because once the hair is removed there are zillions of air passages from one side to the other.

sold

Likely a reed set/profile issue: Set here refers to the tip opening or the distance from the tip of the reed to the plane of the reed carrier A reed set too high will start slow with an audible passing gas noise. A reed set too low can choke when played "hard" Profile issue: A reed with a decurved or downward profile as it enters the plane of the reed carrier will start slower than a reed that enters parallel to the plane of the reed carrier. Aggressive attempts at reed tuning can alter the profile of a reed. Dull files or diamond files that scratch rather than cut can "bend" a reed. Reeds should be reset or reprofiled carefully preferable by someone who has already goofed up a couple of reeds and has the prerequiste fear and respect for thin pieces of metal. I hope this is helpful...you caught me with coffee and a couple of minutes of time. Bob

Thanks to the asute observations of a couple of you, I will add this is a Chidley uniform system concertina. I took this instrument in trade for some extensive tuning and repair of another concertina. Bob

http://hmi.homewood.net/mccann3/