Jeffries Bros 44 button Duet

[David Hornett]

Dan,

 

This button 'A' on the chart is 'G' on the push 'A' on the pull. It is the only button not unidirectional, and appears not to have been tampered with and has no rust on either reed. Hope this answers the question. As a matter of interest I also play the "B" Griff -- the 'B's and 'C's are everything one could ever want in an accordion, although so as not to scare the session away I take a three row melodeon (made by Hyde, Australia.)

 

All the best

 

David

[michael sam wild]

GavDav is advertising a converted Jeffries Duet to Anglo on Buy and Sell £4000 insured for £8,500

[danersen]

Thanks, David,

I know nothing of Anglo concertina layouts; however, I do wonder if the untampered bisonoric button and reeds might offer a clue as to the concertina's original construction.

Is there an Anglo layout with the notation described at this relative button location?

Dan

 

1352026609[/url]' post='141108']Dan,

 

This button 'A' on the chart is 'G' on the push 'A' on the pull. It is the only button not unidirectional, and appears not to have been tampered with and has no rust on either reed. Hope this answers the question. As a matter of interest I also play the "B" Griff -- the 'B's and 'C's are everything one could ever want in an accordion, although so as not to scare the session away I take a three row melodeon (made by Hyde, Australia.)

 

All the best

 

David

 

 

 

[David Hornett]

David,

 

I'm wondering if your right hand notation chart is fully accurate as labeled.

 

The A in the far left (thumbward) button of the lowest row of the right hand would characteristically be a G in the usual Jeffries duet convention given the rest of your notation chart.

 

it appears to me that this may represent an effort to re-work an Anglo (G/D, perhaps) into a G-core duet; however the presence of only one C# in the right hand is curious to me if started as a G/D Anglo. Knowing nothing about Anglos, this may be just right.

 

As a duet, the scope of the notation seems a bit limited to me; however, there is a lot of music that can be played with the notes available if one stays close to home and sticks to the knitting, so to speak.

 

And, that said, this could be a interesting small(er) duet for convenience and less polyphonic material.

 

The tuning is a matter of the player's intended use as has been noted by others.

 

My own experience is consistent with Marien's description.

 

I have experience with the usual duet systems (Jeffries, Maccann, Crane, and Hayden) and I believe that I own the only Stark-layout concertina in existence having commissioned the Wakker C-2.

 

FWIW, I own two Jeffries duets and a Wakker Hayden system. I sold my Maccanns and Crane almost immediately after my C-2 arrived.

 

I also play the English system and CBA c-griff.

 

I will also suggest that the "head" part has not been nearly so difficult as the "hand" part for me as the "reaching and stretching" to various button locations has been anything but easy for me.

 

In some cases/keys/minor melodic sequences the transit has been tantamount to daunting for my small hands and short fingers.

 

I'd really love to know about that A button.

 

Be Well,

 

Dan

 

PS: If anyone is interested ... I am seriously contemplating the "release and departure" of two ECs:

 

1861 Rock Chidley standard treble in superb condition having been restored to as close to its original state as possible by Wim. Virtually all original except the usual "disposable bit" and remaining in its original key. Among the first black ones made.

 

July 2010 Morse Geordie Tenor - the original Geordie tenor in as-new condition played only by me and having left my home only for a project with a vocalist colleague. Cherry finish. Specs on the Button Box web site with the photo thereon being my very Geordie.

 

 

1349935837[/url]' post='140344']

Thank you all for the advice, especially the correction that it would be C#, not D, if tuned up rather than down: that certainly says something about my thought processes at the time.

 

I have appended the tuning chart for reference, should anyone else have one of these to figure out (maybe someone knows how to place it with the other tuning charts on Concertina.net. Now, I am not certain, but I think this layout suggests a 'G' instrument. (When playing it, it falls beautifully, almost intuitively into the minor.

 

It certainly has been modified, very professionally, but nevertheless modified from a 37 button instrument, all the original holes, including the breather holes, have been filled, ie air release vent, reed shoes modified, face plate guides added , right down to the air release button, which has been swapped to the left, having the air breather pallet kept so as to cover the two reed shoe holes. These shoes had to be displaced to elsewhere in order to hold the low C#. I am left wondering if it is not a early, Jeffries Bros experimental duet I have, prior to their going into production.

 

I may play it for a while to see if I can get the hang of the thing before making up my mind. Possibly the quickest way to change it would be to make two new reed plates, be a dashed sight easier than digging out the filling, and shimming down shoe slots. (Anyone out there got a left and right Jeffries reed plate -- without the reeds -- they would like to sell me?)

 

Thanks for all the help.

[David Hornett]

Thanks Dan,

 

Unfortunately, that A G button is one of the four added on the right hand side.

 

One day when I am not so lazy, I may take the shimming out of a few selected reeds and see which shoes really belonged there. At the moment, restored, tuned and resplendent, but unplayed it sits on my shelf tempting -- but I always reach for an Anglo. What do they say about old dogs and tricks?

 

David