How Slow Is Slow?

[griffinga]

I've been advised that the best way to get familar with the various makes and models of concertinas (in order to decide which best suits me) is to try them all. Realistically, that's not likely to happen - so I'm looking for some general advice on speed of response. I have an old 20b entry level G. Jones. I like this concertina - but it is rather slow to respond and lacks the accidentals for playing in additional keys. Did G. Jones make 26+ b instrumernts that were faster than this 20b - or were all his instruments about the same in this respect? Are his instruments considered (by advanced players) 'slow' to respond (it has brass reeds)? For comparison, what (vintage) make/model would be considered 'quick to respond'?

[Geoff Wooff]

A Brass reeded Jones is not going to be a fast instrument. His later ' Broad steel Reed' Anglos are very nice of tone but need some effort to get them to move along... Slow in other words.

 

The condition is an all important factor in speed of response. A slightly leaky bellows and/or some inefficiencies in internal sealing will slow the response of the best reeds. Generally Wheatstone and C.Jeffries are the most sort after vintage Anglos.. for good reason.

[Jim Besser]

I've been advised that the best way to get familar with the various makes and models of concertinas (in order to decide which best suits me) is to try them all. Realistically, that's not likely to happen - so I'm looking for some general advice on speed of response. I have an old 20b entry level G. Jones. I like this concertina - but it is rather slow to respond and lacks the accidentals for playing in additional keys. Did G. Jones make 26+ b instrumernts that were faster than this 20b - or were all his instruments about the same in this respect? Are his instruments considered (by advanced players) 'slow' to respond (it has brass reeds)? For comparison, what (vintage) make/model would be considered 'quick to respond'?

 

A lower-end vintage instrument will almost always be slower than a modern hybrid. Good hybrids (Morse, Edgley, etc.) are as fast as the best vintage instruments, and you get the advantages of 30 buttons. Personally, I favor the sound of traditional reeds, and that's what I mostly play. But if you're concerned about both speed and price, you might want to consider a hybrid. You're unlikely to get a fast, responsive vintage instrument at a budget price.

[Mikefule]

Generally, the lower reeds are slower to respond than those in the middle register. To some extent this is adjustable by someone who knows what they are doing (for example, not me) by raising or lowering the reed slightly in its frame.

 

If the bellows are leaky, the box will be slower.

 

If there is any obstruction to the air flow (for example a thick baffle behind the end) this may affect the speed of response, especially on the pull.

 

The speed of the action can also vary.

 

All of these things, as well as your style and your preferred kind of music, may affect the overall speed and feel of the box.

 

I personally feel that most musicians play folk/traditional music too fast. Most of it started as dance music, and you couldn't dance nicely at session speed. That said, your best test will be to find a tune that you are very confident playing, then play it "briskly". Does the box feel clumsy, and are all the notes sounding cleanly?

 

Most of all, do you like it? Does it feel like "your" box? Salesmen look out for the "buying signal": the car buyer who stays in the driver's seat and asks his questions through the open window; the person who places a proprietorial hand on the TV that they "haven't decided about yet"; and the concertina player who sits with 4 or 5 concertinas in front of him, but one on his lap with his hands still through the straps. To be honest, that's how I chose my Dipper. In many ways it was the least sensible option (30 buttons, with no drone, compared to a choice of two 38 button Jeffries in the same keys) but I noticed that t was the one I kept picking up and holding onto while I was chatting to Chris Algar.

 

Remember that any second hand box may well need some fettling from an expert before you can realise its full potential.