Jeffries concertina

[Jim Besser]

serviced ready for me to start scaring the neighbours as I learn it. I do already play the piano, bass guitar, lead guitar, Spanish guitar, drums, sax and on occasions the harmonica & spoons so I reckon one more set of strange noises coming from my house wont matter.

 

 

 

Well, if you play harmonica, you're halfway to playing anglo concertina, which is functionally similar to a bunch of harmonicas driven by bellows. You've already got the push/pull thing in your head.

 

I just acquired a Jeffries and feel a real sense of connection to a tradition and to the people who must have played the instrument before me -- and they're not even my family! You have a rare opportunity here.

[Theo]

Keep the concertina.

 

Money can always be found and its always the same stuff.

 

If you sell the concertina you won't be able to replace it later.

[JimLucas]

Interesting side issue is that the man himself called it a 39-button model. There has been some debate in the past re terminology and a lot of people would have called it a 38-button concertina.

If you count the buttons there are 39 that can not be denied. If the man who made the instrument in the first place called it a 39 button concertina who are we to argu with him? What does it matter one button does not make a noise? There are still 39 buttons on the instrument in total. That's like saying to ford you can not call that car a 3ltr as it is only 2993cc really. I reckon sherlock would agree with this deduction

A detail, and hardly worth arguing about... especially since anybody who knows enough to call it a "38-button" when it really has 39 buttons should also know that Jeffries didn't make concertinas with 39 musical buttons plus an air button. But here's an explanation/justification of the terminology:

 

Because on an "anglo" concertina (the kind you have) some notes are available only on either push or pull, an air button is

necessary

, in order to take a "breath" after "too many" notes in a single direction. Other kinds of concertina -- "English" and "duet", which you'll learn about if you browse this forum or hang out here for a while -- have all notes in both directions (i.e., every button sounds the same note on both push and pull), so an air valve is optional.

 

Thus the standard English concertina has 48 buttons which sound notes, in addition to which it may or may not have an air valve, and the air valve (where it exists) on some instruments is controlled by a button, but on others by a lever. (A few even have two levers, one on each end, termed "bowing valves", but that's a separate bit of history.) So a standard English with an air button isn't called a "49-button English", but a "48-button English with an air button". Similarly, a "55-button" Crane duet would normally have 56 actual buttons, though there may have been a few made without air buttons. And that convention has carried over to become standard terminology also for anglos, though Mr. Jeffries apparently used a different convention more than 100 years ago. Today "everybody" knows that the number of buttons in the description of an anglo doesn't include the air button, though there always is one. Everybody, that is, except newcomers to the trade/vocation/hobby. But they (e.g., you) are quickly educated.

 

My own practice in describing an instrument like yours is to describe it as "38-button" when I know there is no confusion, but more precisely as having "38+1" buttons or "38+air". Some concertinas, by the way, also have "novelty" buttons -- e.g., "cock crow" and "baby cry" -- and I feel that these should also be counted separately, but but it's really a minor point, and I haven't spent any effort trying to convert others to that point of view.

The important thing is that we understand each other, and if there's any initial confusion we can resolve it. I think that works pretty well here.

 

And discussing concertinas or music -- or even clocks, I think -- is far more interesting than debating terminology.

[Alex West]

Interesting to see another receipt. It doesn't differ in any significant way from my Jeffries Brothers one of Oct. 1920; in fact the printed section is identical. The main difference is that mine has the signature and the 'received with thanks' written across a one penny postage stamp. I wonder if this indicates export. I remember when records imported from America had to have a stamp stuck to the label to indicate that import duty had been paid. This carried on into the 1960s.

The original post mentioned value and nobody has yet taken the can-opener to this one yet so I'll jump in without any fear of being trampled by a rush of Angels.

Tommy Williams said he'd never seen a bad Jeffries, but Steve Dickinson wouldn't agree. Personally, whilst acknowledging a range of quality, my view is that they are never less than good/very good. They seldom have the softer end of the dynamic range that a Wheatstone can often offer, but the brightness and attack - and, yes, sheer volume - are what make them famous.

Alex West, who might fill in details if he reads this, emailed me last week about two vary battered instruments that went in auction last week for an awful lot of money. One was so out of tune the auction house couldn't work out the home key! I have also recently heard of two 30 button ends (no bellows) in poor condition that changed hands for £5000. I'd guess rebuilding will bring the cost up to £7000 with no indication at all of how it will eventually sound. I've also heard anecdotes of 30 key Anglos - not just Jeffries - going for more than that in Ireland.

 

The details are in the post of Concertinas at auction in the Buy & Sell forum. I don't think it was that the boxes were out of tune, more that there were pads missing, bellows leaking and "stuff" which made the instrunments unplayable and therefore the determination of the home keys difficult. The highest priced instrument was a 30 key metal buttioned C Jeffries which went for a hammer price of £4,800 which with premium and VAT meant a gross sale price of £5,628. Costs of restoration are difficult for me to determine as I didn't see the instrument in person, but reckoning inevitable pads, bushings, valves changes would add around £200, tuning to concert pitch at around £250 and maybe a new set of bellows at around £450 would push the cost up to £6,500. If there were more serious woodwork costs, lever replacements or reed replacements necessary, then obviously that would be more. I don't know if a dealer bought the instrument, but lets say he did - allow a mark-up of 10% and you're looking at an ultimate price to the player of around £7,200.

 

Let's be optimistic and say that very little work was needed and it went to to a player who can do most of the work himself - it's just cost under £6,000 for a 30 button Jeffries - quite high but not excessive. If it's passed through a professional restorer and a dealer's hands, it's closer to £7,500 so that's the range and that fits with the anecdotes from Roger and others about the prices in Ireland.

 

Is a 39 button C Jeffries more prized than a 30 button Jeffries? I haven't a clue.

 

Tony, your instrument has good provenance, looks to be in excellent condition, the outward appearance (not too much wear on the plate and the buttons, screws not mangled) is good in the pictures and the fact that your case has a key possibly means that the instrument has ben kept properly and not shoved in a garage. Even if all this is true, it's still going to need some work - pads, valves, bushings, tuning - so I'd say Roger's not far off on the value, but what you can expect to sell it for might be a little less.

 

Best of luck

 

Alex West

[Tone]

All very interesting and gratefully received. I have decided to sell my Jeffries concertina. It will include the receipt and the small music book written by my Great Grandfather. I will be looking to sell it once christmas is out of the way so if anyone is interested please feel free to contact me for any details you require and additional photo's you need. I will more than likely NOT be putting it on ebay as I hate them. I would rather the concertina was collected from me which is in SW London, UK. I restore and sell antique fusee clocks for a living and am yet to find a courier who will insure antiques against loss or damage. The highest bid will obviously win the Jeffries.

 

Happy christmas and all my best,

 

Tony

[Ptarmigan]

Jeffries update!

 

Well folks, I thought you might like to know that this Concertina didn't end up in a museum after all, as some of you feared, nor did it get snapped up, at a knock down price by a dealer looking to make a fast buck, as one member suggested it might!

 

Instead, I like to think it went to a good home ..... mine!

 

I believe I paid a fair price for it which, given it's history & the additional fascinating bits of memorabilia which came with it, is no more than the seller deserved.

 

You may be interested to know too that we have also agreed that, should I ever wish to sell it in years to come, for whatever reason, Tony will automatically get first option to buy it back. The fact is, I play my own Great Grandfather's Fiddle, so I know what a family instrument can mean to someone, especially a musician, so I have absolutely no problem with this.

However, I know this wonderful little box will now be with me until I either stop breathing, or am unable to play, so either way, I am planning to keep Tony waiting for ................ a very long time!

 

As for the Jeffries itself, yes it was, as the receipt suggests, originally a C/G, certainly if the note stamps on the Reeed Blocks are anything to go by.

However, at some stage in it's life & before concert pitch was last changed, ( i.e. around 1930 I believe ) Tony's Great Grandfather had it converted to, I think, A/E.

At least, I know it is now just a little sharp ( appx - 450 ) of my recently tuned G/D Lachenal, which I'm guessing probably makes it closest to A/E ..... in old money!

 

Of course, now I am faced with the age old dilemma of - do I keep it in the pitch it's at right now & never or rarely ever be able to play along with anyone else, or do I bring it back down to its nearest Concert Pitch, which would be G/D.

 

Of course tuning work will only be done, if Dave P reckons the Reeds are up to it.

 

Anyway, I thought some of you might be interested to hear where this Concertina ended up ... & yes I did drive over to London to collect it!

 

Unfortunately I've lost my good Digi Camera, so I can't post any extra photos of it, but I'll try & get a couple of YouTubes up, soon.

 

Cheers

Dick

Edited June 14, 2010 by Ptarmigan

[david_boveri]

glad it has a new home, and is appreciated!

[michael sam wild]

Good on you Dick it's in good hands Could it have been Ab/Eb or about?

Maybe it could take G/D tune up if you want to play with others

Edited June 15, 2010 by michael sam wild

[Ptarmigan]

Good on you Dick it's in good hands Could it have been Ab/Eb or about?

Maybe it could take G/D tune up if you want to play with others

 

Thanks Michael, & yes G/D is Plan A, at least it is if Mr Prebble reckons the Reeds will take the extra weight!

 

As for it's original Pitch, if only I knew by how much Concert Pitch moved, perhaps someone here knows, then I'd have a better idea of where it was before the pitch shifted.

 

Cheers

Dick

Edited June 20, 2010 by Ptarmigan

[Graham Collicutt]

Good on you Dick it's in good hands Could it have been Ab/Eb or about?

Maybe it could take G/D tune up if you want to play with others

 

Thanks Michael, & yes G/D is Plan A, at least it is if Mr Prebble reckons the Reeds will take the extra weight!

 

As for it's original Pitch, if only I knew by how much Concert Pitch moved, perhaps someone here knows, then I'd have a better idea of where it was before the pitch shifted.

 

Cheers

Dick

 

I am only guessing, but if it went back to Jeffries for retuning to make it 3 or 4 tones lower they would have just fitted new reeds, much easier than retuning and they then could have re-used the original reeds.

 

 

Graham

[Ptarmigan]

I am only guessing, but if it went back to Jeffries for retuning to make it 3 or 4 tones lower they would have just fitted new reeds, much easier than retuning and they then could have re-used the original reeds.

Graham

 

To be honest Graham, I'm beginning to favour the idea that it may well be in the actual tuning that it left the Jeffries premises, back in 1899, which would of course have been old pitch.

 

So once someone here can tell me by how much, Concert Pitch moved up, around 1930 I believe, I should be able to say whether this was originally A/E or Ab/Eb.

 

The fact is though, I believe it is now closest to G/D, which may well indicate that it was in fact Ab/Eb, but I'll wait to hear what the experts have to say, regarding Pitch Change.

 

Cheers

Dick