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JEFFRIES STRAP SETUP


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I'm trying to find out what kind of strap arrangement Jeffries used for their metal palm rests.

 

This four row anglo has what appears to be an original set of straps which are fixed to the base of the palm rest with a small doubled screw plate.

 

The top of the strap is held by the standard knurled button screwing directly into the wood of the action box frame.

 

At the palm rest 'shoulder' where on a wooden version there would typically be a metal strap guide or buckle, this one has another screwed plate which fixes the strap at that point.

 

I'm attaching pictures to illustrate.

 

I suspect these screwed plates may not be original (though they seem pretty old) and would imagine there was a metal guide buckle which held the strap relatively snugly at the shoulder and allowed it to be adjusted using the brass button on top.

 

I've looked for pictures of similar Jeffries metal plam rests and found a couple that do have the metal buckle, but I cant see if (or how) it was held at this shoulder point.

 

Can anybody supply pictures showing the strap arrangement on these metal palm rests?

 

Many thanks,

Michael 

 

 

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Thanks for that...I'm surprised to see this may have been the original strap setup but it does explain the aged screw plates.  

 

That means players would have had to use a screwdriver to unscrew / rescrew the quite fiddly little plate each side in order to adjust the straps.

 

It seems a laborious arrangement for something which could surely have been simplified?

 

Has anybody got an instrument where this arrangement has been made easier to adjust?

 

 

 

 

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I believe it to be the original setup.  I replaced the straps on mine ( cut them myself) and the originals certainly looked all of 100 years old.  They seem a bit fiddly to be sure but have stood the test of time and are very functional.  My Wheatstone with the Ivory (or whatever) thumb docks is much less comfortable to play.  Looks great but poor ergonomic design ( in my opinion and for my style of play).  

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My Jeffries with metal hand rests has the same arrangement i.e. a double screw plate on the ends of the rests and a knurled button screwing into the action box end. I've had it for over 40 years and was like it when I acquired it so I have no doubt it is original. 

 

Tony Elphick

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Thanks for that.....so the screwed plates certainly are original.

 

Having looked again at the images online I see both examples with a buckle guide on the metal palm rest are fitted to Jeffries with perforated metal-edged action boxes.

 

I'm now wondering if anybody ever actually changed the screwed plate arrangement to fit a guide buckle on the wooden action box version?

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On 6/23/2019 at 8:36 PM, varney said:

That means players would have had to use a screwdriver to unscrew / rescrew the quite fiddly little plate each side in order to adjust the straps.

 

It seems a laborious arrangement for something which could surely have been simplified?

 

Has anybody got an instrument where this arrangement has been made easier to adjust?

 

To me, that suggests another question:  How often do you -- or others -- change the adjustment of your straps?

 

Most folks I know find their "best" adjustment and then leave it there "forever".

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8 hours ago, JimLucas said:

 

To me, that suggests another question:  How often do you -- or others -- change the adjustment of your straps?

 

Most folks I know find their "best" adjustment and then leave it there "forever".

 

It would be an issue only when passing the instrument to a fellow musician who wants to give it a try, or might be in need of a backup...

 

Edited by Wolf Molkentin
redo autocorrect
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With Dana Johnson’s wonderfully simple system for fixing the hand straps on his Kensington Concertinas it is a matter of seconds to adjust them. Consequently I often do adjust them, most frequently tightening them a notch if I have to play standing up.

 

Like many things, you don’t miss what you never had. With other concertinas it rarely seemed worth the time and effort, but now I’m used to being able to adjust the straps so quickly and simply I would definitely  miss it if I no longer could.

 

Martin

 

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It's a common thing for musicians in Ireland to try other players instruments - especially in a session gathering. 

 

With the current strap setup that would require several minutes of unscrewing / rescrewing to adapt to another player's hand size.  And the same in reverse to adjust it back....providing you don't drop one of the very small bolts in the process!

 

Having a simpler strap adjustment as on pretty much every other concertina is undoubtedly better, but still leaving the option to replace the fixed screw plate if so desired. 

 

I'm still hoping there's somebody with such a setup who could post a picture.

 

I've tried making a couple of close fitting brass buckles to replace the screwed plates and hold the strap at the shoulder of the palm rest.

 

The problem I'm finding is if the guide buckle is too loose the strap pulls away from the palm rest which makes it awkward to play.  Too tight and it prevents the strap being pulled through to adjust.

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