Frank Edgley

If it is a Lachenal there is a strong possibility the reedpan or the action board, or both have warped. That means there is a gap between the tops of the reed chamber dividers and the action board. If it is the action board which is warped you may put a straight edge across the tops of the chamber dividers and find them straight, but there is not a good seal because of the warped action board. This is much more difficult to fix.

I suggest putting a razor blade under the tongue to support it. Also a small clamp just below where you want to put the solder. This will mitigate the heat going too far down the reed blade. Otherwise there is a chance the reed may lose some of its temper (springiness). Also be careful the solder does not extend outside the limits of the reed (stick out beyond the reed edges). Then you would need to remove the excess with a fine file. What I have found useful is a small, fine triangular file which can be found at a hardware store.

The critical factor is the thickness of the leather.

Pictures would be helpful. Traditional reedpans are completely different than hybrid-type reedpans. On a related topic: Humidifiers can be a dangerous thing. Usually, they introduce moisture into the concertina and can cause serious rust problems with the reeds. I had a concertina sent to me not only with a bit of surface rust, but deep pitting. The reeds were severely damaged, and were way out of tune. Yes, the reeds could be re-tuned, but this caused a significant shortening of the life of the reeds. The warping of the reedpans is a serious problem. When I only did repairs over 22 years ago, I saw a lot of warped reedpans, usually on cheaper Lachenal anglos, but only one Jeffries instrument.; very few Wheatstones The difference was the wood used. Warped reedpans on traditional-style concertina can be difficult to set right because the dividing walls of the reed chambers must touch the action board or the air pressure in each chamber will not be the same resulting in duller tone and less volume.

The reed tongues are the same with the Heritage and New Model, but the frames are different. The New Model has rectangular frames with 2 concertina tongues (push and draw.) This makes construction easier, and eliminates the possibility of the reeds coming loose. There is noticible difference in tone between the New Model and the Hybrid instruments, with the New Model having a stronger fundamental tone with fewer upper harmonics i.e. concertina tone. It is the concertina used on the video with Matt Heumann. It is also the concertina I usually choose to play either at home or when playing out at gigs or sessions.

I use a different way to identify which reed. I'm guessing it would be R-1-5-P (push) This is a difficult reed because it is so small. Alex is right. The larger the chamber the less air pressure, and despite it being a small reed, it needs a higher pressure unless the reed tongue is set just right. If you want to send it to me I will readjust the set of the tongue. 2346 Meldrum Road Windsor ON N8W4E4

I definitely does not harm the reeds.

All of these factors, mentioned above, do have effects on tone. The shape of the reed has the greatest IMHO, followed by all the others. I have built concertinas with reed chambers radial and parallel. There is a subtle difference in sound.One is not "better" than the other.....just very slightly different. We're not talking about Stradivarius here. A good tone is a good tone, even if slightly different. Even the best violins made today have different tonal qualities. But these are concertinas. listen to CDs of the best players. They all sound a bit different. Some of it is technique i.e. straight row player or cross row, and there are significant differences among cross row players. Also aggressive vs subtle. And don't forget that concertina tone changes with the the amount of playing, just like most other instruments.

I admire the knowledge to be able to do this, and understand the functioning etc. But I am not sure why anyone would want to make such an instrument. I know you could make it sound like anything you wanted with such an instrument, but there are other platforms that you can do that already eg. keyboards, Would it only be for the appearance? A concertina that can be made to sound like a trumpet, for example? What's the point? Do that on a keyboard. Sorry if this sounds disrespectful.. That is not my intention.

Unless I am mistaken, it looks like there is a crack.

Thank you for the offer. However, it has been sold.

Not sure about Tommy McCarthy, as I said in my post, or at least that was my intention. The point I was trying to make was that one system is not better than the other, and my theory as to why a lot of players in Ireland play Jeffries is because it was the best made instrument 40 or 50 or more years ago. Sometimes I have customers say they want a Jeffries system instrument because they heard it is a better system than a Wheatstone/Lachenal. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages, and our fingering patterns evolve according to the pattern of notes on the third row, RH side. I have also heard in the recent past that there is a right way to play (as far as fingering is concerned and what buttons you use to play certain notes) and anything else is the wrong way. There is only a musical way to play. Noel Hill and Chris Droney were very different in their button choices, but were both outstanding players with very different styles and button choices.

This is just my take on the issue. I sometimes hear that the Jeffries system of fingering is better that the Wheatstone/Lachenal system, and that is confirmed by the fact that most good players in Ireland play the Jeffries system. First of all, I believe both systems are equal. It all depends what you get used to. You will come up with a fingering pattern you are comforable with, either Jeffries or Wheatstone. So why do so many Irish players play Jeffries system concertinas? I believe it all comes down to the quality of the instrument, historically. Jeffries made instruments were far ahead of Lachenal made concertinas in quality and sound. Wheatstone did not make anglos in any significant numbers, concentrating production on the English system. So if you were a serious player, years ago, you wanted a Jeffries....way better qulity than a Lachenal. This continued until comparatively recently when makers like Colin Dipper and a few others started making excellent quality instruments in both systems. But there is still the legacy of this situation. Excellent players in Ireland give lessons to concertina learners and many, if not most, still play Jeffries. But there have been notable exceptions. Chris Droney played Wheatstone system, and I believe Tommy and Jacqueline McCarthy did as well. So, enough of the idea the one system is better than the other. Personally, I like the Wheatstone/Lachenal system and have based my fingering on it. It's all what you get used to.

The owner is willing to accept a lower offer. Make an offer and we will see.