Jeffries Crane Duet

[Lakeman]

I have acquired what I regard as " the holy grail" of Crane duet concertinas - a Jeffries !

I had been told they exist, but have never seen or heard one. Just to make clear - this is a Jeffries

Crane- fingering duet, NOT a Jeffries duet.(I know they are incredibly rare too, although I know of several able players).

I was able to get my hands on this instrument through the lovely Mary Humphries and Anahata - very gifted English and anglo players from East Anglia.I met them at Whitby and they told me they'd had this Jeffries for some time, but not really got around to learning how to play it. They wanted it to go to a good "playing home." and were very reasonable about passing it on to me. It will need work- I have the talented Nigel Sture ( who does much of Chris Algar's Barleycorn repairs/ refurbishments lined up . The bellows seem sounds, but the reeds sound just like the strident anglos that I know ITM players, both in Ireland and the USA, fight to get their hands on. At least I have saved another one from being turned into an anglo.It is quite a lumpy, heavy thing.. but I am used to playing 58 and 55 button Wheatstone and Lachenal models.Only downside is that the layout/curve of the buttons is slightly different to both the Wheatstone and Lachenals, but I hope that with practice " muscle memory" will facilitate easier playing. Can't wait to get it tweaked up for proper playing.

Anybody else out there who has got- or plays- a Jeffrius Crane duet ?

[JimLucas]

Anybody else out there who has got- or plays- a Jeffrius Crane duet ?

 

I have one that I play a bit, though I'm not to your standard. (The English is my main squeeze.)

 

How many buttons does yours have? Mine has 59, and I've seen one other with the same 59-button layout, but not the same notes under the "extra" LH buttons. (I've also heard of a couple more, with the comment that the 59-button layout is sort of "standard" for Cranes from Jeffries.)

 

As for the "arc" vs. the "chevron" button layout, my hands much prefer the chevron, which I believe is standard with Crabb as well as Jeffries. I once had a lovely Edeophone Crane, but gave it up because I found the bigger, heavier Jeffries more comfortable to play. The fact that I have short little fingers may have been a factor.

[Ken_Coles]

Duplicate topics merged, and posts adjusted.

 

Interesting story!

 

Ken

[ceemonster]

Don't have one, but a Jeffries Crane, with reeds that sound "just like the strident anglos that . . . ITM players, both in Ireland and the USA, fight to get their hands on" is my dream duet concertina.

 

And a Jeffries, Crabb, Edeo, or any other TT or Tenor EC, with reeds that sound "just like the strident anglos that . . . ITM players, both in Ireland and the USA, fight to get their hands one," is my dream EC as well.

Edited September 15, 2015 by ceemonster

[StuartEstell]

Excellent news Lakeman -- there's nothing like the sound of those reeds, and in a duet box they're particularly great I think. But then as a Jeffries (system) duet player I may be biased.

[frogspawn]

I have arc and chevron Cranes. You obviously have to make an adjustment between them particularly when making chord shapes, but I find that to be quite a minor issue.

[Kurt Braun]

"A difference, to be a difference, must make a difference." Do any of you have an opinion on what difference an arc over the cheveron (or vis versa) makes? I think the columns on the chevron layout are closer than on the arc.