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Good Afternoon! I have recently returned to my apartment in New York after a brief visit back home to PA to take care of my aging Grandmother. While I was there, she entrusted me to a mysterious family instrument: an old Anglo-style concertina. I've been doing extensive research on it but I'm having a hard time narrowing down the details of this cute little squeeze box. I wish to tinker and refurbish it but first I'd like to assess it's value (I don't want to ruin something precious). I'm in the process of figuring out how to resize my photos to post so you can have the clarity of seeing what I'm discussing, but here are some of the defining qualities: -Anglo-style (diatonic) -Key of C/G -20 (21) buttons -13 bellow folds (which seems like A LOT) with three of the sections having metal corners -the end plates are made of perforated metal (not screen) -there is no brand stated (and I regretfully have no case for it) but it has a little piece that says "DOUBLE ORGAN" on it as well as a stamp in white lettering on the wood where the leather handles attach that says "GERMANY USSR OCCUPIED" -it is not a very decorative piece. The bellows are in good shape but instead of leather edging they appear to be instead edged with something resembling canvas-tape. When I opened up one of the ends (it has 4 screws attaching it) out of delicate curiosity I found the wooden plate that houses the button/lever assembly to be tacked into the top and also edged with tape so I didn't want to open anything up. I just took a look at the reeds, which honestly were in pretty good shape from what I could see. The instrument plays incredibly sharp but it's held it's tune with itself--which I find admirable. I'll be uploading pictures as soon as I find an acceptable way to shrink them. Ask me all the questions, I want to know more about this cool little guy! Yours in writing, -Kay

Hi all, About a year ago I was commissioned to make a concertina by a friend of excellent taste, with the brief being to make it as eco/"green"/sustainable as possible, and totally veggie. I've always thought that the traditional concertinas, as very much a product of Victorian design, leave a lot to be desired in this respect; exotic hardwoods, ivory buttons, leather. All the more reason to restore and cherish them. I wouldn't say modern concertinas have bad green credentials in the slightest, but I don't see any instruments being made that specifically cater for the vegetarian, planet-conscious market, which I can only assume would be appealing to the folk music scene... Of course in achieving this there has to be compromises- and here it is, my scratch-built prototype eco concertina! Of course, huge credit goes to Bob Tedrow for his photo essay. For some more images and sound files see my tumblr blog: http://pistachiodreamer.tumblr.com/ here is the basic specification: Case, handrests and buttons: Sweet chestnut (native, reclaimed board), finished with Stones beeswax based polish. Internals and bellow frame: Native lime Hand straps: Hessian webbing with 2ply felt lining (undyed 100% merino wool) Bushings: undyed 100% merino wool felt. Bellows: 7 fold, with recycled card, linen tape, faux leather made with synthetic chamois, interfacing fabric and acrylic mediums. Straw and rhino-dung based recycled paper. Pads: Recycled board and synthetic chamois Lever arms, posts and rivets, all fixings: all brass Reeds: Butchered up from a variety of German instruments - mainly brass, with a few steel. 23 key in C/G (Lach style with the extra two accidentals in-line with the C-row, and an extra C/C drone on the left thumb.) If I were to do this again, which I hope to, I will look to improving the bellows materials and binding and using better reeds. It was great fun to make, a good learning experience, and materials-wise probably only cost about £100. It plays fine for a beginner's instrument, and the large bellows compensate for a little leakiness!

I've been looking at photos (on the www) of the metal end covers on a variety of old (19th century) concerrtinas (mostly Jeffries, Shakespeare and Crabb). Granted, there aren't that many pics posted and many of the ones that are were taken at an angle so all the details are not visable. The variations in the designs - sometimes subtle and usually not - got me to wondering how these were made back in the day (say last 1/4 19th century). It would be a simple matter (today) to machine press and cut the most intricate design. But what about in 1875? Were the old metal end covers made by machine and the design then cut by hand into them? That would imply that various people were employed by the makers to cut, finish and polish these pieces (most of which are near works of art - in my humble opinion). If that were the case - it would not be surprising to find small differences in the designs (a few slips of the file and you have a slightly different design). Using Jeffries as an example - can someone tell me if the cut design on his earliest metal end covers is the same as the one on his later (say 1890) concertinas - or is that 1890 design the result of various iterations of a pattern over a period of years? Too many questions for one topic - please forgive. Can't seem to find much info on this. Thanks for humoring me.