How Long Have You Played Your Concertina?

[Mike Franch]

A current thread asks about the longevity of hybrid versus traditional concertina reeded instruments.

 

Jim Besser commented, "if you're worried about the next 10 years, a good hybrid . . . should be as durable, maybe more durable, than most vintage instruments, and without the variability you find in older boxes. If you're thinking 50 or 100 years, who knows?"

 

I think only the very youngest members of this list are thinking in terms of 50 years of playing, but this discussion set me to wondering how long list members play a particular instrument. Some of us have one instrument, some have several (either in simultaneous service for different uses or "outgrown"), and some seem to upgrade and sell their older boxes.

 

So, I ask those of you who've settled on a principal concertina: how long have you been playing it, and do you expect to keep it as your principal instrument into the foreseeable future?

[BlueJack]

My Wheatstone C/G 30 was built in the early 50s, shipped to South Africa, and after refurbishing, shipped to me in the early 90s. I've been playing since then with no problems. Still exactly in tune as well. I started a one row melodeon about six months ago but my concertina will be with me to the last squeeze.

[Geoff Wooff]

I am sure that I would be branded as an inveterate changer of instruments. In 41 years of playing I have had a least that many English Concertinas. The longest I ever played one principal EC was 10 years, on two occasions.

 

Since joining C.net , three years ago, I have changed all my concertinas, bought four and sold three.... does this constitute some sort of syndrome ?

[Chris Drinkwater]

 

I am sure that I would be branded as an inveterate changer of instruments. In 41 years of playing I have had a least that many English Concertinas. The longest I ever played one principal EC was 10 years, on two occasions.

 

Since joining C.net , three years ago, I have changed all my concertinas, bought four and sold three.... does this constitute some sort of syndrome ?

 

Well, that's a fair bit of squeezing you've done in your time, Geoff. And I bet you've seen the prices of our beloved instruments creep up in value over the last 40 years. My 56 key Aeola tenor-treble, was bought from Stephen Chambers for £500 many years ago when he needed some money for roof repairs. Now it would cost around 7 times that amount, to buy it!

 

Chris

[Wolf Molkentin]

Once joining CNet some two years ago I had just acquired my Lachenal Excelsior which is my very first EC - and still the only one I'v got ("old model", however from the 1920ies; IMO it's both beautiful sounding and looking, and in quite a good shape too, seems to have it's original - steel - reeds).

 

I used to play several kinds of instruments including the piano (my main instrument, which I had taken up in 1966), pipe and reed organs, guitars, recorders, harmonicas, piano accordions,melodeons (C, C/G, Bb/F, F/C/G) and a Stagi German concertina (which I kind of disliked from the very beginning) since many years, and still do so.

 

After having abandoned plans of expanding from German to (German-) Anglo concertina I bought the Lachenal EC out of instant inspiration - and that was it, I'd found the instrument that I had been looking for through the decades.

 

I feel absolutely certain about sticking with the EC for the rest of my life. I'd wish to have a TT or B(T) (primarily for accompaniment of my singing) alongside my Lachenal Treble, but I'm pretty patient for the time being because there is so much to be explored just with the Treble EC.

 

(edit: 1st paragraph augmented)

Edited May 21, 2013 by blue eyed sailor

[Geoff Wooff]

 

 

 

Well, that's a fair bit of squeezing you've done in your time, Geoff. And I bet you've seen the prices of our beloved instruments creep up in value over the last 40 years. My 56 key Aeola tenor-treble, was bought from Stephen Chambers for £500 many years ago when he needed some money for roof repairs. Now it would cost around 7 times that amount, to buy it!

 

Chris

 

Yes, Chris,

I think my first real concertina (an Edeophone 48 Treble) cost £80 from Harry Crabb and a while later I traded it back to Harry for a Tennor Treble Aeola that he had just restored , £150 that time, but it was one of my Ten year instruments.

 

I recall buying a "Pin hole" (or Dot and Comma) Aeola for £8 one saturday morning in Lewisham , probably in 1975! It can still happen too.

 

These prices appear to be incredible in today's terms but at wages of £20 (take home ) that First Aeola was seven and a half week's money!

Edited May 20, 2013 by Geoff Wooff

[David Barnert]

So, I ask those of you who've settled on a principal concertina: how long have you been playing it, and do you expect to keep it as your principal instrument into the foreseeable future?

After playing a Bastari Hayden for a few years in the late 1980s/early 90s, I acquired my current Wheatstone Hayden 46-key in 1994 and expect to continue relying on it as my primary instrument for the foreseeable future. It was built in the mid 1980s, but I don't know how regularly it was played.

[Daniel Hersh]

So, I ask those of you who've settled on a principal concertina: how long have you been playing it, and do you expect to keep it as your principal instrument into the foreseeable future?

 

One of my principal concertinas is a probable early Crabb C/G Anglo that I bought from Stephen Chambers about 30 years ago after he restored it from what he said was barely more than a pile of concertina parts. I'm very fond of it and I expect it to continue to be my primary C/G Anglo into the foreseeable future.

[malcolm clapp]

I would like to boast that my first concertina, a C.Jeffries, bought in 1967, is still in my possession.

 

However, it is not the case, as I sold it after barely 6 weeks because:

 

1) It didn't play the same note both ways as did those of my then "heroes" Alistair Anderson and Louis Killen, and

 

2) I was told by a number of folkies I knew that the 8 quid I had paid for an anglo was a rip-off, and when an opportunity arose to sell it, I did so, and made 10 bob profit!

 

How times have changed.....

 

My second concertina was acquired in 1978, a 20 key Crabb, originally tuned C/G, but later re-reeded to A/E so that I could accompany my then singing partner on songs in the unlikely keys of F#m and Bm. I still have that one; not sure why....

 

My current "main squeeze" is a 30 key Jeffries Brothers G/D, purchased in 1982. Still good after giving it 30 years of hell reasonably heavy use.

Edited May 21, 2013 by malcolm clapp

[Jody Kruskal]

I took a flight to England from New York around 1983, specifically to find a G/D Anglo. In Victoria Station, I sat at a phone booth and inserted weird looking coins into that strange machine to call my various contact numbers. Even though the ring tone sounded just like my busy signal back home, I managed to connect with the Crabb Company in Islington. They sold me a lovely G/D 38 button Jefferies that I still play today as my main instrument. It sports a newish bellows made by Rosily Dipper that was added in the 90's and now needs replacement through over use. Some day I'll get around to that.

 

I played it tonight at a great old-time session near my place. It's had several tuning updates over the years and still sounds amazing compared to other instruments I've enjoyed.

Really, it's just like butter. Those Jefferies 38's are a rare and wonderful breed.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Jody Kruskal

[david_boveri]

i think jody's comment highlights and important point: the amount of time played in each year is very important, in addition to how it is being played. i only play one concertina on a daily basis, i know there have been times when i was playing 3-5 hours a day for weeks or months on end. my 5 hours is a HARD five hours... when my instrument was new, i remember a few times getting back from playing in loud sessions (everyone but me mic'ed) and realizing i had noticeably broken in the reeds in the course of 3 hours. additionally, i once ripped my handstraps in half in the middle of a tune (got thicker leather since then) and even broke the air-valve's pad in the course of a few days (to be fair i knew that was going to happen based on what i was doing).

 

with all that being said, i still expect my instrument to outlast me. at first, i thought i would have to refinish it in a few decades. however, now i'm thinking that'll last the abuse as well. also i baby the bellows, so i can't imagine that they would need to be replaced in my lifetime, even though i'm young. i think on any instruments the pads, valves, and straps will need replacement at some point, though many people can play with the same set of straps for decades (i can't). i've had mine about 4 years by now, but my 4 years is probably about 20 years of abuse by someone else. although i'm being facetious with that last point, we can't escape that jody seems to treat his bellows like i treat my hand straps, .

Edited May 21, 2013 by david_boveri

[Wolf Molkentin]

... many people can play with the same set of straps for decades (i can't). i've had mine about 4 years by now, but my 4 years is probably about 20 years of abuse by someone else. although i'm being facetious with that last point, we can't escape that jody seems to treat his bellows like i treat my hand straps, .

 

It might be good advice in any event that we replace regularly over-used parts of our instrument(s) with stronger material if possible. In my case it's the thumb straps, more precisely the thumb strap screws, which I exchanged for machine screws and nuts.

 

With the bellows such reinforcement won't be available unfortunately...

[SteveS]

With the bellows such reinforcement won't be available unfortunately...

I'm not so sure - I had a concertina on my bench a while ago with nails holding 2 bellows folds together.

 

I've been playing since 1979 when I acquired by first 48 key treble EC from Chris Algar. Since then I've graduated through several instruments, to my present squeezes of a metal ended Aeola TT and the rebuilt Aeola TT in my avatar. I'm also dabbling with Crane duet.

Edited May 21, 2013 by SteveS

[Randy Stein]

My first really good English concertina was a 48 key Wheatstone I purchased from Boris in 1975. Then I bought an ebony 56 key a year later and played it almost exclusively until I purchased my 56 key rosewood EC in 1979. I sold the ebony when I had a medical issue and needed the funds and play exclusively the 1939 rosewood Wheatstone.

I probably should buy a second box but can't seem to find one I like the sound of as much as this one.

 

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[Wolf Molkentin]

My first really good English concertina was a 48 key Wheatstone I purchased from Boris in 1975. Then I bought an ebony 56 key a year later and played it almost exclusively until I purchased my 56 key rosewood EC in 1979. I sold the ebony when I had a medical issue and needed the funds and play exclusively the 1939 rosewood Wheatstone.

I probably should buy a second box but can't seem to find one I like the sound of as much as this one.

 

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Fair enough since the beautiful sound of your Wheatstone is even coming through an iPhone recording...

[yankeeclipper]

My first, last and only concertina is a metal-ended Wheatstone EC built in 1915. I bought it for 100 quid in 1981, had it re-tuned to concert pitch and new bellows by a Yorkshire chap in 1982, and had a few leaks attended to by Frank Edgley some time in the 1990s. I only play it a few times a week, but it stays in fine tune and continues to soothe my heart.

[Daniel Bradbury]

I began playing an Italian job on the early 1980's. Got my early Crabb in 1986 and have been playing it ever since.

[David Barnert]

It might be good advice in any event that we replace regularly over-used parts of our instrument(s) with stronger material if possible. In my case it's the thumb straps, more precisely the thumb strap screws, which I exchanged for machine screws and nuts.

 

With the bellows such reinforcement won't be available unfortunately...

My first concertina, a Bastari Hayden (46 button) developed bellows problems pretty quickly after I acquired it. When I pressed the ends toward each other some of the bellows folds popped out instead of folding in. After several attempts at trying to fix it the "right" way, I finally took a caulk gun and ran a bead of silicone around the inner aspect of the folds and let it harden with the bellows in the closed position. This was probably around 1990, and it's still holding up nicely. the exploding bellows has not been a problem all this time.

 

Of course, I would never do this to my Wheatstone (I hope I never have to).