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Rebuilding a dilapidated German Democratic Republic 20 key concertina.


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Hi guys,

 

I picked up a 20 key German Democratic Republic Concertina as a project to rebuild. This is quite a major rebuild as all the reed sets were just floating about inside along with all the wooden framework. Has anyone any layout plans or photographs and button values. It looks as though the push pull are different notes. I think that I have all the necessary accessories i.e. specialist glue, bellows tape and glue, beeswax to attach the reeds, valves. I presume using basic pine to replace the missing woodwork is okay. I have made a blower to test and adjust the notes. 
 

Any help would be gratefully received.

Thank you in advance.

 

Charlie.

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if you get a tuner - or a tuner app on your computer or phone and get some way of sounding the reeds you can work out what pitch each of the reeds are. Then look at this chart of a 30 key Wheatstone anglo, only looking at the bottom two rows: https://concertina.info/tina.faq/images/finger3.htm 

 

With that information you can work out what reed and reedblock is supposed to go where. Good luck with the project, I hope it goes well.

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This sounds like my first concertina.....an East German make that I got around 45 years ago. After a month or two one of the reeds broke. The local accordion shop tried but could not repair it. All the reed tongues were mounted on one frame for all reeds on each side. Not knowing where to get another concertina, at the time, I had to give up playing for a few years until I found a Bastari at Elderly Instruments in Lansing. It was not a great instrument, but much better than the East German one. I now use the East German one bellows for one of my tuning jigs. So good luck to you on this project.

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On 1/26/2022 at 11:04 AM, Jake Middleton-Metcalfe said:

if you get a tuner - or a tuner app on your computer or phone and get some way of sounding the reeds you can work out what pitch each of the reeds are. Then look at this chart of a 30 key Wheatstone anglo, only looking at the bottom two rows: https://concertina.info/tina.faq/images/finger3.htm 

 

With that information you can work out what reed and reedblock is supposed to go where. Good luck with the project, I hope it goes well.

Unfortunately it is a 20 key but thank you for your help.

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6 minutes ago, Peter Smith said:

Looks a good project.

I have not worked on one of your type of concertina - generally with Scholer anglos which have the reeds in beds of five reeds. Jake's layout & comments should help you sort out which reed goes where.

 

Peter

Unfortunately they are for 30 key concertinas. Key buttons positioning marked up would be really useful if you might have it.

 

Brian

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The key layout for a 20 Button Anglo in C/G is attached. It plays different notes pushing & pulling the bellows, which will make sorting out the reeds a bit more tricky.

The top row all the way across is in the key of C & the second row in the key of G.

There are a number of other tunings used for Anglo concertinas but C/G is the most common.

I hope this helps.

Peter

20 Button C-G Anglo.doc

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3 hours ago, Peter Smith said:

 

 

The key layout for a 20 Button Anglo in C/G is attached. It plays different notes pushing & pulling the bellows, which will make sorting out the reeds a bit more tricky.

The top row all the way across is in the key of C & the second row in the key of G.

There are a number of other tunings used for Anglo concertinas but C/G is the most common.

I hope this helps.

Peter

20 Button C-G Anglo.doc 122.5 kB · 5 downloads

Thank you Peter, that is a great help. My next search is for a book of songs/shantys for the 20 button concertina.

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On 1/26/2022 at 11:04 AM, Jake Middleton-Metcalfe said:

if you get a tuner - or a tuner app on your computer or phone and get some way of sounding the reeds you can work out what pitch each of the reeds are. Then look at this chart of a 30 key Wheatstone anglo, only looking at the bottom two rows: https://concertina.info/tina.faq/images/finger3.htm 

 

With that information you can work out what reed and reedblock is supposed to go where. Good luck with the project, I hope it goes well.

 

On 1/27/2022 at 6:48 PM, Peter Smith said:

Gary Coover has done a series of tune books for the Anglo. He has a book of sea shanties for the 20 button Anglo. Red Cow Music should have it in stock.

 

Thank you Peter found Gary’s books. At least once I have put it back together I will be able to learn a tune on it. Lol.

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don't know if you still need anything.

I have the same model. Unfortunately, it was not stored properly (not by me, the previous owner) and is moldy. Therefore, it is now lying around in pieces at my place. I do not know if I can help you further, because parts of mine are broken too, but let me know if any measurements, info, photos... could help.

 

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Oh that brought back sweet memories for me; it's exactly the same model as My first concertina, a photo of which I put earlier last month picture on this site during discussion; it was simply, but nicely made, with same stained wooden casing, and those brass decorative corner plates. I enjoyed using it, and it was very reliable as well! It was still playable years later ( until I upgraded to my other one) .. then curiosity lead me to opening it up to see how it worked, and I was surprised how nicely put together it was for its type of make!

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