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Jeffries-fest On Ebay!


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I'll bet those strap screws aren't in there for long. The instrument certainly deserves better. The bellows looks new but the worn wood under the straps shows it has been well loved. I'm curious as to how a restored instrument came to be sold by someone who doesn't seem to know much about it. Well, it is said to sound lovely so I guess it isn't 30 buttons of bird whistles and baby cries.

E

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The anglo has just gone for £4001 (thats $7351). Wow!

 

Or $10,500 in Australian currency!

 

Oh well, I hope it beings it's new owner a lot of pleasure :)

 

Morgana

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Oh dear, that's a lot of dosh. I had hoped we'd seen the end of silly money for a Jeffries, but it seems not. :(

 

Among other things it might tempt the duet butchers back into action.:( :(

 

Chris

Edited by Chris Timson
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I had hoped we'd seen the end of silly money for a Jeffries, but it seems not. :(

 

Among other things it might tempt the duet butchers back into action.:(  :(

 

Chris

To be more blunt (and IMHO): That's just a crazy price. The expression 'more money than sense springs' to mind. If the buyer is a C-net member then apologies, and make sure you get £4k's worth of fun out of it!

 

Does anyone know what Barleycorn would have sold something like this for?

 

Regarding the duet, what is the percieved benefit of converting them to an anglo? As as has been discussed in these pages before, many people seem to prefer a 30 key anglo over a 38 or 40 key anyway.

 

I had always thought that one of the points of an anglo was to get maximum range and flexibily in not too many buttons and a relatively small package. Obviously this gets less relvant as the number of keys goes up. Personally, and for my style of playing, I can see a benefit in going from my 36 key to 38 or 40 key, but if you go much beyond that then surely you might as well go for a duet anyway ?

 

Or is it purley a finacial motivation, to buy a 'cheap' duet and sell it as an expensive anglo?

 

Clive.

 

edited for spelling

Edited by Clive Thorne
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I had hoped we'd seen the end of silly money for a Jeffries, but it seems not. :(

 

Among other things it might tempt the duet butchers back into action.:(  :(

 

Chris

To be more blunt (and IMHO): That's just a crazy price. The expression 'more money than sense' springs to mind. If the buyer is a C-net member then apologies, and make sure you get £4k's worth of fun out of it!

Clive,

 

The problem is that £4000 is very much for a lot of us and is only "peanuts" for some others. On second thoughts (after 5 minutes of playing with pleasure on my concertina) I ask myself: "is it really a problem"?

 

It makes me also think of this shop in Ennis, where I bought my Marcus concertina. I was allowed to play on other concertina's that were present in this shop. One of them was a wonderful Wheatstone anglo that was quite expensive. The lady that advised me heard how I played and she concluded quite directly: "This Wheatstone is a very nice concertina, but you don't deserve it!".

 

Having said all this, my conclusion is: the real problem is that players who really deserve a better concertina cannot afford it. IMHO they should be supported by people that can afford any concertina but in fact do not deserve it.

 

And the final problem: how to organize this :unsure:

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Having said all this, my conclusion is: the real problem is that players who really deserve a better concertina cannot afford it. IMHO they should be supported by people that can afford any concertina but in fact do not deserve it.

Who is the shop-keeper (or anyone, other than the potential owner) to decide who "deserves" a particular instrument? That is a quite appalling attitude in my opinion... to suggest that one person does not deserve to get happiness out of playing an instrument as much as someone else, simply on the basis of technical skill.

 

I am in the process of looking for a really nice cello - I'm not a good cellist but I absolutely love playing and for that reason I deserve the best I am prepared to pay for - it's my hope that I don't encounter any sellers with attitudes like this in the process (I haven't yet).

 

Having said that, I do think it is a shame when people buy nice instruments and do not either play at all or find pleasure in lending them to someone else.

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Regarding the duet, what is the percieved benefit of converting them to an anglo?  As as has been discussed in these pages before, many people seem to prefer a 30 key anglo over a 38 or 40 key anyway.

Well I paid 3000 quid for a 45 button Jeffries G/D anglo , that's some inducement. Also (mentioning no names) I have seen new anglos made with Jeffries reeds. I have always thought charitable thoughts and considered that maybe the reeds were rescued from basket case concertinas, but I do not know this. Harken to the wise words of Colin Dipper, "More than half the value of a concertina is in its reeds". If that's so then 1000 quid for nearly 100 Jeffries reeds might be considered a bargain.

 

Chris

 

PS My anglo used to belong to Fred Kilroy, so I'm certain it has been an anglo since at least well before it was profitable to convert them

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and she concluded quite directly: "This Wheatstone is a very nice concertina, but you don't deserve it!".

I'd like to think I would conclude that I would buy nothing from someone who said such a thing. I can't think of a context to take that as anything but obnoxious. Who does she think she is? The profit taking guardian of precious objects?

E

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QUOTE (Henk van Aalten @ Jun 6 2004, 09:30 AM)

and she concluded quite directly: "This Wheatstone is a very nice concertina, but you don't deserve it!".

 

QUOTE (Erik Murray)

I'd like to think I would conclude that I would buy nothing from someone who said such a thing. I can't think of a context to take that as anything but obnoxious. Who does she think she is? The profit taking guardian of precious objects?

 

I also found the statement offensive, but possibly only the stating of it.

 

I remember a story from classical guitarist Liona Boyd, who was shopping in the shop of a Spanish luthier. She asked if she could play a particular one. The owner, who didn't know her, said "That one is reserved for a perfomer." She played several others, then the owner took the other guitar out of its display case, handed it to her and said, "You understand, many rich people would buy it just to hang on their wall". (She bought the guitar.)

 

Perhaps an understandable attitude in a builder. I wonder how our fine concertina makers feel about this.

Edited by Stephen Mills
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Who is the shop-keeper (or anyone, other than the potential owner) to decide who "deserves" a particular instrument? That is a quite appalling attitude in my opinion...

 

I'd like to think I would conclude that I would buy nothing from someone who said such a thing. I can't think of a context to take that as anything but obnoxious. Who does she think she is?

 

Ratface, Erik

 

I did not explain her words (it was a she) like you do. Maybe because English is not my native language, but I explained it in a very clear (and for me very true!!) statement: "Sir, maybe you want to buy a Wheatstone, but the level of your playing is such that a cheaper instrument is good enough for you". For me it was a very direct but honest statement!

I must say that since then my playing improved a lot, but my limits are by far not determined by my Marcus anglo, but by my own playing skills!

 

I remember a story from classical guitarist Liona Boyd, who was shopping in the shop of a Spanish luthier. She asked if she could play a particular one. The owner, who didn't know her, said "That one is reserved for a perfomer." She played several others, then the owner took the other guitar out of its display case, handed it to her and said, "You understand, many rich people would buy it just to hang on their wall".

 

Stephen illustrates my point very well!!

My conclusion is that the girl in the shop was not eager to sell me the most expensive instrument, but the instruments that was best for me. The only objection that could be made is that she could have said it more diplomatic. Anyway fo me it was a clear message and I was not upset about it.

 

Finally: buying for the simple reason that I can afford it, is not my cup of tea ;) !

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Who is the shop-keeper (or anyone, other than the potential owner) to decide who "deserves" a particular instrument?

The one who has it gets to decide what to do with it. Whether you think that's right or wrong, it's pretty common rule.

 

And just as you have a right to disagree with -- and even be apalled by -- her attitude, she has a right to it. Myself, I could argue both sides of the issue -- and several other sides as well, -- but I'm not going to bother. And this without even considering whether one might be misinterpreting her meaning from Henk's brief report, which lacks tone of voice, facial expression, body language, or other context. It's interesting that you, Erik, and Stephen were offended by the statement (as quoted), while Henk says he was not.

 

Having said that, I do think it is a shame when people buy nice instruments and do not either play at all or find pleasure in lending them to someone else.

It seems that not only can I argue both sides, so can you. ;)

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