Tedrow Concertina Review

[Chris Allert]

my new tedrow concertina arrived a few days ago. i sent bob the order to start building it on september 19 and he shipped it to me about a week ago today. he said that this is unusual, but he occasionally has partly built instruments in the shop which he is able to finish sooner. my decision to place an order with bob was based partly on the fact that he could deliver a concertina to me sooner than any of the other makers. i contacted just about everybody:

 

frank edgley: 6 months

andrew norman: 14 months

harold herrington: 9 months

marcus music: 2 months

geuns-wakker: no response

 

i kind of had my heart set on a new norman, mainly because i used to own one and knew it for a fact to be a very good instrument in this range, but he is scaling back production.

 

my new instrument is bob's "black with brass 2005" model. (sorry, no pictures yet)

 

since it's a brand new instrument, it's still a little difficult to review. i've only played it for about 5 hours so far, and it already seems to be loosening up a little. i had trouble with one of the buttons when it first arrived, probably due to the climate change between the origin and destination, but bob was able to talk me through the adjustment over the phone.

 

the bellows is constructed in kind of an odd way. i'm not sure how it is made, it is very flexible and this part of the instrument doesn't really need to be broken in at all. there seems to be some extra little folds down at the base of the folds, that gives it added flexibility and greater range.

 

the reedpan and action are all one piece, and the reeds are mounted on the bellows-side of the reed-pan with screws. the action is permanently mounted to the other side. while the ends of the buttons are brass, their bases are delrin, which makes them a lot lighter than solid brass buttons would be. the end-plates have felt bushings for each button, and this is what holds them perpendicular to the reed-pan. while the instrument is extremely light-weight, it's very solidly built, and easy to make adjustments to. the only tools you need are a 3/32" hex driver for the screws that hold the action and end-plates, and a precision flat screwdriver for the screws that hold the reeds, and possibly a pair of pliers for bending the levers if buttons need re-aligning.

 

the reeds are still a little slow to respond, but i expect this to improve as i play it. right now the reeds are still to slow for most of the grace-notes, especially the low ones, but i can play the straight tunes quickly enough. the low notes sound a little reedy, but they'll probably mellow out after a few months. in any case, i'm already impressed with what a nice sound bob has been able to get out of these reeds.

 

the buttons and wrist straps are placed absolutely perfectly for me, but since everyone's hands are different, i'm not sure how helpful this comment is.

 

bob said to send the instrument back to him after six months for a free tune-up. he says that each of his instruments needs this much time to settle into their new climate and situation.

 

that's about all there is to report right now. i've got a good feeling about this instrument. it's very lovingly made, and i think anyone else with one of bob's instruments probably would say the same thing.

[Richard Morse]

Hmmm.... Our Morse waiting list time is about 2 months. We also make them finished in black as well (though that version isn't shown on the web site, you can see one of the Englishes in black there).

[Chris Allert]

Hmmm.... Our Morse waiting list time is about 2 months. We also make them finished in black as well (though that version isn't shown on the web site, you can see one of the Englishes in black there).

 

oops, sorry about the ommission. i didn't mean to leave anyone out...

[Frank Edgley]

Delivery time varies. It all depends on how many orders are on the list and how far we are along with the current batch. We have been working hard on a fairly large group of orders at the present, and these have started popping out at about one per week, and should continue to do so for the next 10-12 weeks. I hate to make too optimistic promises as these are all hand-crafted instruments, and quality is the prime consideration, but the delivery time should be shorter than what Chris's list shows, at least for the next while.

[klaus guhl]

I bought my Norman at www.diatonie.de He has some in stock. But I paid about 2.000 € for it, including transport, service (I had a tuning after 4 month, there was a minimal problem with th f#) and hard case.

Edited October 28, 2005 by klaus guhl

[bill_mchale]

One of the terrible ironies of the recent renissance of concertina making is that there are so many worthy makers that there is no practical way that I can ever give all of them some of my business. If I were to win the lotto I am pretty sure that I would probably order concertinas from Tedrow and Morse, maybe some of the European makers who use Accordion style reeds and definitely a Dipper and a Suttner. As it is.. well I am just going to have to be happy with my really solid Marcus, my excellent Edgley and my sturdy but sublime Kensington (which i really need to get around writing a review of); fortunately they are enough to keep me very happy indeed.

 

--

Bill

[Jim Besser]

my excellent Edgley and my sturdy but sublime Kensington (which i really need to get around writing a review of); fortunately they are enough to keep me very happy indeed.

 

I, for one, would be very interested in hearing more about the Kensington, since they're made just up the road from me a ways. I think I played one at the 2004 Squeeze-in and was impressed with its sound but distressed by its weight. But I'd like to hear more.

[bill_mchale]

my excellent Edgley and my sturdy but sublime Kensington (which i really need to get around writing a review of); fortunately they are enough to keep me very happy indeed.

 

I, for one, would be very interested in hearing more about the Kensington, since they're made just up the road from me a ways. I think I played one at the 2004 Squeeze-in and was impressed with its sound but distressed by its weight. But I'd like to hear more.

 

Jim,

Someone else started a different thread so I posted a mini-review there. I think your assesment of the Kensington is right on... The weight doesn't bother me.. but this instrument is definitely not for folks who decided to buy a Morse Concertina because it was the lightest instrument they tried . That said, I would guess it is a good pound heavier than most other concertinas I have tried, but I have found that the weight doesn't limit my playing ability (at least while sitting down and playing it off my knee).. but then again I also play button accordions that weigh 10-15 lbs.. so a 3.5-4 lb concertina is hardly a big deal as far as I am concerned.

 

BTW, do you ever get to any of the Irish Music Sessions around DC? I tend to spend most of my session time up at J. Patrick's in Baltimore but I live in Silver Spring.

 

--

Bill

Edited November 1, 2005 by bill_mchale

[Paul Read]

Bill,

 

Any chance of you posting a photograph?

[Jim Besser]

Someone else started a different thread so I posted a mini-review there. I think your assesment of the Kensington is right on... The weight doesn't bother me.. but this instrument is definitely not for folks who decided to buy a Morse Concertina because it was the lightest instrument they tried . That said, I would guess it is a good pound heavier than most other concertinas I have tried, but I have found that the weight doesn't limit my playing ability (at least while sitting down and playing it

 

Weight is a big issue for me because I'm a Morris player, mostly play standing up, sometimes walking, and I have bad tendons!

 

I don't do the Irish sessions, since I don't play much Irish, but periodically get a hankering to try the one in Bethesda (we did a Morris event there last year, drove most of the paying customers right out the door, and I sometimes go busking down the street)

 

If you're in SS, we should get together sometime!

[JimLucas]

I, for one, would be very interested in hearing more about the Kensington, .... I think I played one at the 2004 Squeeze-in and was impressed with its sound but distressed by its weight. But I'd like to hear more.

I think your assesment of the Kensington is right on... The weight doesn't bother me.. but this instrument is definitely not for folks who decided to buy a Morse Concertina because it was the lightest instrument they tried . That said, I would guess it is a good pound heavier than most other concertinas I have tried, but I have found that the weight doesn't limit my playing ability (at least while sitting down and playing it off my knee).. but then again I also play button accordions that weigh 10-15 lbs.. so a 3.5-4 lb concertina is hardly a big deal as far as I am concerned.

There are many factors in playing comfort that have never -- as far as I know -- been studied in depth... and which almost certainly vary from player to player. I love the Morse, and not only for its light weight. The first touring Tedrow I tried felt uncomfortable to me, apparently for the very reason that others loved it... slightly larger diameter buttons than my preference. This latest touring Tedrow felt wonderfully better, but I'm not sure of all the factors, because there have been a few years in between. Meanwhile, I find the 45-button Jeffries with raised ends and half-tubular metal hand rests to be the most comfortable to play of all I've tried, even though it's the heaviest. That's true even when I play standing... though not for hours on end.

[twisper]

Interesting timing on this post. I too am the owner of a new Tedrow concertina. I have been watching Bob's progress over the years from a repairer to a builder with interest. I remember playing one of his early ones, and remarking that it was a quite decent and affordable instrument at the time, and I was always very impressed by anyone who could build a concertina from scratch. After hosting Bob's '05 Tour model, I was convinced that I wanted to have him build one for me.

Last May I ordered a custom: Rosewood body, green leather bellows, metal bushed buttons,G/D tuning. After 14 weeks or so, it arrived. It was gorgeous......it played wonderfully.....it had a lovely tone, but....it was a C/G. Imagine my hesitancy to ring up Bob and ask him that well, er, uh, didn't I order a G/D? After some verbal head scratching, we realized that although we discussed the key, I neglected to note it in my written order, so he automatically made it a C/G

Bob said not to worry, just babysit the C/G and he would build another in G/D for me. With that, I settled back to wait another couple of months for the replacement. Bob informed me about 3 weeks later that my G/D was ready. Then I began to worry a bit as to whether the replacement would be as fine as the first one. Well of course it was, and in the low pitch I wanted. I returned the C/G to Bob.

So now Bob has this beautiful concertina on his shelf that is the twin to mine (save for key) that is ready to go, no waiting! (See pictures below of mine, and BTW, the bellows are a dark green, although in the photo they appear black)) I would recommend this one to any player. I am mentioning this for Bob not only because of the beautiful instrument he built for me, (two actually!) but for the unhesitating grace with which he offered to make another instrument for me.

I have owned a string of concertinas over the years, including two Lachenals and a late '40's Wheatstone, all of which I sold. Now my search is ended. This is the keeper for me. It's built for the long haul. I will be glad to answer any questions about my Tedrow.

I do not wish to downplay or dismiss the products of any other craftsman, rather, my hat is off to all of them for so vibrantly and diligently supplying us with quality instruments. Best to all....................................................Forrest <:{!!!!!):>

 

Edited November 4, 2005 by twisper