WTB Jeffries B4 or C5 reed

[Bill N]

An incredibly generous friend recently gifted me with a lovely 38 button C. Jeffries Maker Bb/F concertina, which I am enjoying immensely.  The 3rd row is a little eccentric, and not what I'm used to playing- looks like there were a few reeds swapped around by a previous owner, and there was one reed missing.  I've swapped  things back to where I think they belong, but I'd like to get my hands on a spare reed- either a B4 ( ideally in old high pitch) or C5- so I can make it compatible with my Carroll and Kensington.  The box is in old pitch, about 38 cents sharp, so I can tune up or down as required.  I've put a brass Lachenal reed in the hole for now, but that just ain't right!

Edited February 8 by Bill N
typo

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

That is a very good friend you have there. If you can get the instrument to any concertina maker (the entire instrument, it's always best to do it that way, not just posting individual reeds or reed frames) they should be able to make you any reed you might need, so long as it fits the original chamber.

 

Once I was sent an individual reed frame to build a new reed into, which I did. Then when the owner put it into the instrument once it was sent back, some sort of problem emerged and it took him and his friend quite a while to sort it out and work out why it would not sound. For this reason and many like it it's always best to send the whole instrument when getting replacement reeds made.

 

Best of luck, the instrument looks very nice.

Edited February 9 by Jake Middleton-Metcalfe

[Bill N]

He is, and is largely responsible for me playing due to his mentorship over the years.

 

I should have perhaps specified that I'm looking for a reed in its shoe.  I can tune and set a reed, and use shims or a bit of filing on the shoe to make it fit without tampering with the slot.  I have an old, brass Lachenal reed and shoe in there at the moment, which I tuned up to old pitch, and lightly filed the sides of the shoe to make it slide in easily.  It's OK for now, but its sound quality and response are quite different than the rest of the reeds!

Edited February 10 by Bill N
typo