PHOTO of CRABB SHOP ISLINGTON AT XMAS FOR GEOFF

[Kautilya]

Perhaps Marylin was a secret tina player!

HXmas Geoff.(High res to yr pmail)

 

Oh dear - uploading little 92jpg unlikes....

Given up after 6 reductions and attempts - may try tomorrow

(Unless u can get it to upload Geoff - reverse Xmas present to yourself!)

[Kautilya]

Perhaps Marylin was a secret tina player!

HXmas Geoff.(High res to yr pmail)

 

Oh dear - uploading little 92jpg unlikes....

Given up after 6 reductions and attempts - may try tomorrow

(Unless u can get it to upload Geoff - reverse Xmas present to yourself!)

[Geoffrey Crabb]

Thanks Peter

 

Happy New Year to you.

 

Geoff

[Roger Digby]

And Hats Off to Islington Council which I imagine has been responsible for saving the shopfront.

Incidentally, I took custody of a 32 C/G John Crabb yesterday and will have it for 48 hours before I show it to a possible buyer. It is a lovely instrument and genuinely 'unputdownable'. My first opportunity to spend a few hours with a John Crabb - or at least one that bears his own name.

Happy New Year Everyone.

Roger

[Paul Groff]

Happy New Year, Geoff, Roger, and all.

 

John Crabb anglos are treasures, especially when they retain as much as possible of their original character after over a century of use, storage, and repairs. Such a warm and musical tone quality and so natural under the fingers.

 

PG

Edited December 28, 2012 by Paul Groff

[RP3]

Paul, was your old Rushworth & Draper badged Crabb a John Crabb? I remember it as having nice tone and excellent action.

 

Regards,

 

Ross Schlabach

[Paul Groff]

Paul, was your old Rushworth & Draper badged Crabb a John Crabb? I remember it as having nice tone and excellent action.

 

Regards,

 

Ross Schlabach

 

Hi Ross, The Rushworth & Dreaper Crabb that I used for a number of years, and that was owned at various times by a few of my students and customers, was a very comfortable and great-sounding instrument (at least, when last I saw it). I don't have concertina records on my computer, or handy here, but if memory serves it was not labeled John Crabb Maker, but had a Crabb serial number suggesting it was made by a later generation of the family.

 

I did own and pass along a few John Crabb anglos over the years, recognizable by some details in the fretwork, reeds, woodwork, and action, and a somewhat concealed maker's stamp on the *underside* (action side) of the right-hand fretwork. All of them sounded exceptionally rich, warm, and full. Some of these were stamped "Ball Beavon & Co. London" on the outside woodwork. The one I still own, still on what I believe are the original thick-fold bellows, still in original pitch, and in my restored-estimate of its original temperament, is # 8075.

 

PG

[Robin Harrison]

I'd be interested to learn the time period over which Johnn Crabb was building concertinas ?

Thanks Robin

[Geoffrey Crabb]

I'd be interested to learn the time period over which Johnn Crabb was building concertinas ?

Thanks Robin

 

In his own right, from 1860 to his death in December 1903.

Previously he undertook work for Lachenal then joined Nickolds (Nickolds,Crabb & Co.)

He was joined by his son, Henry Thomas Crabb, in 1870.

The stamp, 'J Crabb, Maker' was still used on some concertinas upto 1908 (circa Instrument No. 8750) when the business name changed to 'H Crabb, Concertina Maker' and new stamps made.' (H Crabb, may appear in hand engraved form on some instruments during the period 1903-1908).

 

Geoffrey

[Takayuki YAGI]

During the recent business trip to London, I enjoyed a short walk along the Liverpool Road on Sunday morning and took a photo.

I am surprised to find a Marylin when I zoom in that photo!

 

----->

 

Happy new year to all.

--

Taka

 

Perhaps Marylin was a secret tina player!

HXmas Geoff.(High res to yr pmail)

 

Oh dear - uploading little 92jpg unlikes....

Given up after 6 reductions and attempts - may try tomorrow

(Unless u can get it to upload Geoff - reverse Xmas present to yourself!)

[Paul Groff]

I'd be interested to learn the time period over which Johnn Crabb was building concertinas ?

Thanks Robin

 

In his own right, from 1860 to his death in December 1903.

Previously he undertook work for Lachenal then joined Nickolds (Nickolds,Crabb & Co.)

He was joined by his son, Henry Thomas Crabb, in 1870.

The stamp, 'J Crabb, Maker' was still used on some concertinas upto 1908 (circa Instrument No. 8750) when the business name changed to 'H Crabb, Concertina Maker' and new stamps made.' (H Crabb, may appear in hand engraved form on some instruments during the period 1903-1908).

 

Geoffrey

 

Thanks Geoffrey,

 

It's always very interesting to hear your most current understanding of concertina history! I appreciate it. When attributing a concertina to "John Crabb," to me that means it has his maker's stamp and that tends to correlate with the other characteristics I mentioned (at least for the metal-ended anglos). . . unfortunately, not always with a serial number. But it's good to keep in mind that we might best be agnostic about the actual person or people who crafted the instrument, since Henry Thomas and others seem to have been involved from the second decade of John's independent workshop.

 

PG

[StanV]

Paul, was your old Rushworth & Draper badged Crabb a John Crabb? I remember it as having nice tone and excellent action.

 

Regards,

 

Ross Schlabach

 

Hi Ross, The Rushworth & Dreaper Crabb that I used for a number of years, and that was owned at various times by a few of my students and customers, was a very comfortable and great-sounding instrument (at least, when last I saw it). I don't have concertina records on my computer, or handy here, but if memory serves it was not labeled John Crabb Maker, but had a Crabb serial number suggesting it was made by a later generation of the family.

 

I did own and pass along a few John Crabb anglos over the years, recognizable by some details in the fretwork, reeds, woodwork, and action, and a somewhat concealed maker's stamp on the *underside* (action side) of the right-hand fretwork. All of them sounded exceptionally rich, warm, and full. Some of these were stamped "Ball Beavon & Co. London" on the outside woodwork. The one I still own, still on what I believe are the original thick-fold bellows, still in original pitch, and in my restored-estimate of its original temperament, is # 8075.

 

PG

[StanV]

I'm currently the lucky owner of Paul's Rushworth and Dreaper instrument, marked 8770. According to Geoffrey it was made around the early 1900's, perhaps 1904. It has had a bellows replacement (Rosalie Dipper) and some mild reworking (pads, springs, etc) and indeed plays beautifully. SV