New Jeffries Duet

[saguaro_squeezer]

I did find a Jeffries Duet to add to the family.  It's a 58b centered on Bb with the same range as my 66b Crane ... actually it has F#2 which the 66b doesn't have!  I started playing around with it last night and it was interesting to find that it fingers a lot like the push on my Chemnitzer.  Though, I can see that if you were more entrenched in Anglo than I am, you would certainly be asking where the pull notes were.  The low end is quite amazing in its responsiveness (F2 - C3) and it and the Crabb 57b (1907) have a very similar voice.  I think this will be a fun addition!

[wunks]

That looks like a dandy!  I have a couple questions....  

I don't see an air button.  Is there a thumb key left side that would be E or something else?  what's the size across the flats?  Polly Clap shows a 58 b box in her article in concertina .com.   does your layout differ from hers correspondingly of course?

[saguaro_squeezer]

No, no air button but there is a blank spot on the RH in the reed pan, so I might put one in.  Its 7.6" across the flats and about 8.5 wide at the handles.  It has the raised metal handles.  The layout is what Polly shows only down a step.  So that left hand Thumb key is E3.

58 Jeffries Keyboard.doc

[wunks]

Thanks squeez.  my 53 button Wheatstone /Jeffries (C centered) has empty slots in the reed pan to make it a 58 but there are several ways to fill it out as per different makers.