Azalin

Good to know thanks, hasn't happened to me yet (as far as I can remember, but I might be wrong) but I'll add this to the potential list of things to monitor 😀

A bit OT but with the help of the great The Concertina Maintenance Manual, I was able to fix two notes this week-end. One with the valve too close to the hole, and the other one too far away (had to replace it). I'm guessing being able to replace valves, springs and pads can fix 80% of common problems, the scary part is the 20%...

I think that's it, thanks a million! PS: Wow, just saw they have a kit for a 20 button Anglo, USD$111... I think I'll need a second job 😆

No, it was somewhere like Washington state, probably Concertina Connection like Takayuki posted above. I wasn't aware (or forgot) that The Button Box closed down, that's pretty sad. Are you aware of any concertina repair workshops being given in North America sometimes? I know there's reed making workshops for pipers sometimes but never heard of the equivalent for concertinas. I would consider training myself for maintenance because it's getting harder and harder to find people who can do maintenance work on concertinas, at least around the northern part of the U.S or in Canada.

Dear folks, Many years ago I bought a kit from somewhere in the U.S that had misc maintenance items like pads and springs and I'm slowly running out. I can't seem to find that provider anymore. Would any of you know if it's possible to find, in the U.S (or Canada but I can keep dreaming I think), a seller for such kit? Thanks a lot.

Well, I just put the reed back in its shoe but noticed a space of about a milimeter at the tip so I pushed a little harder to cover the whole shoe and now it seems to be working perfectly! I will put it more to the test later on but it seems that was really the problem. Thanks a million for that, I've got the great "The Concertina Maintenance Manual" but couldn't really make out what the problem was because the sound was a bit weird.

Thanks a lot! I'll try all of your suggestions tomorrow, fingers crossed 😃

Dear C.NET folks, For years when I had a strange sounding note, the fix was easy. Open up, find the reed, pass a small aluminium sheet under the reed to remove the hair or dust. Put things back together and "bang" it's fixed. This time, I can't seem to find the problem. I've tried the alluminium sheet cleanup technique, nothing. I checked the valve and it seems fine. I don't see anything abnormal, visually at least. I was wondering if someone had an idea. I recorded a small video. On my anglo C/G, that's the E on the "C" row on the left side. Thanks for your help!

Yes thank you David, I get the feeling that's exactly what the problem is. It seems to be ghosting notes "everywhere" and I tried to play with a knife to "fluff" the leather but it doesn't move at all so I'm guessing I'm out of options without something more advanced. Anyway I will send it to Paul Read in Toronto as it requires masterful skills I don't possess

I meant two different chambers, not next to each other. I get the feeling the whole thing is warped a bit somehow and leaking "everywhere". I'll take a look at that trianlge tomorrow thanks, haven't noticed any such thing. What's a charmois job? But by the sound of it I'm thinking it's quite possible ?

Thanks for your answer. Actually now it's getting worse and I got the same problem on the right side, two different notes not adjacent that are ghosting. If I were to send it for maintenance, what type of work could be done to try to fix this? It seems to be systemic. I've looked everywhere and I don't see anything abnormal but I'm not very qualified for this sort of thing.

Hello folks, I'm having a weird problem with my C/G concertina. The left hand low B on the pull seems to be leaking (ghost note) but *only* before I play the lower F# also on the pull. When I play the F# right after the B, I can hear the B ghosting a bit. As it happens, both these reeds and pads are next to each other. I replaced the pad for the B but I don't think it made much of a difference. Maybe it's just a series of coincidences and I'll do some testing, but I was wondering if anyone had an opinion on this. Could it be that there's a leak between the pad board and the reed board? I check and didn't see anything obvious. EDIT: I tested some more and yes, if I play the B and then the F# right after, as long as I keep pulling I can hear a faint B... but if I play the F# by itself first, nothing.

I can certify that Paul Read does an amazing job at maintenance, he's fixed my Dipper concertina a few times.

I'd suggest avoiding shipping any concertina to the U.S. Paul Read, based in Toronto, has done tremendous maintenance work on my Dipper concertina over the years. He's my definite choice while in Montreal, but if you ever go at a festival in the U.S. you might have someone around who can do some basic work.

Hello folks, I'm being asked by Karen at Concertina Connection the pad and valves sizes for my concertina (I ordered some parts). I'd have to open my concertina and I'd like to ask here first if by chance anyone knows that specific info already, because I don't really trust my skills at measuring stuff. I got a Dipper concertina, C/G, County Clare model. Maybe one owner of such instrument would happen to have this info? I'm useless. ?

Darn, my third post in like five years and I manage to make someone angry, I have not lost the touch! ? I was just kidding, I own a Dipper concertina and they've always been super nice to me. It's just an "inside joke" and was not meant as an insult.

Yeah, would make a good joke. "Have you heard of the guy who contacted Colin 10 years ago and finally got an answer? He was shocked by such a quick response!" ?

Thanks folks! I'll look into the provided pointers. Very helpful.

Wow such lift and swing.

I recently had a ghosting note and played around with a pad for a few days to no avail. Today I decided to take the pad out and noticed a spot around the pad that was getting up a bit, thus preventing the middle section of the pad to completely block the air (that's my theory). With pliers, I squeezed the outside rim of the pad tightly and it seems to be doing the trick for now, no more ghosting... but I feel it's just a temporary solution. Does anyone know if someone can sell a few pads ready to be installed? I feel this is something that could be useful in the long run and I certainly don't have the skills to make some, not at the moment anyway! Thanks.

I personally think buying new is a much better option when prices are similar. The argument that an older instrument might be "better" when broken in has some value, but I bought a used concertina before that had lots of issues so the "safety" of buying new straight from the maker would trump anything else, but it's just my personal opinion. As always, the market will speak and have the last word.

Cool version of "Haste to the Wedding" I think

Thanks for the tips Chris. The thing with the Carroll is, since it's Bb/F and not the "standard" key for Irish Music, I tend to play it at home the most, in a very relaxed environment, so it's not as if I needed a performance optimization. So readjusting the pressure of all springs on it might be a bit overkill for my needs, and feels like it would a lazy way of dealing with this. I'll try to spend more time playing the Carroll (which is always a great experience, the sound is amazing) and try to adjust. Thanks again!

Wow thanks Chris could not ask for a more detailed post! Yes my Bb/F is actually an amazing Carroll concertina and I remember when I got it I was amazed at how easy it was to play, as if it was already "broken in". That's why I really need to ponder if it's worth changing the resistance or not, but I'm very happy to finally know about the technical requirements for changing the resistance. I actually have very good experience with Paul Read from Toronto, he's always done amazing jobs on my Dipper concertina. I try to avoid cross-border shipping with concertinas as it's a bit stressful. Thanks again!

Thanks Geoff. I actually would like more resistance on my Bb/F to get it closer to my C/G. What kind of work/technique would be involved to increase the pressure of a spring? I'm not very good with that kind of manual work usually, but might be able to send it to someone who could do the work.