Question About Ordering Accordion Reeds?

[bill_mchale]

I have been toying with the idea of replacing the reeds in my Marcus concertina. Its not that there is anything wrong with the Marcus, indeed it plays as well or better than it did on the day I got it. The reason is that since I got Edgley and my Kensington I generally learn tunes using the Jefferies layout and generally I find that I prefer it. So I thought it might be nice to set the instrument up Jefferies style. Now I figure it should not be hard to order reeds in this configuration since just about every maker of accordion reeded instruments offers instruments in a Jefferies configuration. That being said though, there is a layout I have been playing with in my head that replaces the push D# on the right accidental row with a duplicate of the F# on the left side of the instrument. I was just wondreing if it would be hard to get an accordion reed with the low F# and the C#?

 

Thanks,

Bill

[Henrik Müller]

I have been toying with the idea of replacing the reeds in my Marcus concertina. Its not that there is anything wrong with the Marcus, indeed it plays as well or better than it did on the day I got it. The reason is that since I got Edgley and my Kensington I generally learn tunes using the Jefferies layout and generally I find that I prefer it. So I thought it might be nice to set the instrument up Jefferies style. Now I figure it should not be hard to order reeds in this configuration since just about every maker of accordion reeded instruments offers instruments in a Jefferies configuration. That being said though, there is a layout I have been playing with in my head that replaces the push D# on the right accidental row with a duplicate of the F# on the left side of the instrument. I was just wondreing if it would be hard to get an accordion reed with the low F# and the C#?

 

Thanks,

Bill

Hi, Bill -

Try Antonelli. When I finally came to thinking about getting the reeds, I sent them a mail with a list of what I needed: info@vociarmoniche.it, and got a fast and kind answer back.

/Henrik

[Richard Morse]

I have been toying with the idea of replacing the reeds in my Marcus concertina.... I was just wondreing if it would be hard to get an accordion reed with the low F# and the C#?

Easy. I would imagine that most accordion shops have them in stock... though the simplest and probably best way might be to contact Marcus and get that reed from *them*. That way it will the the same make, quality, scale, size, etc. You would be amazed at the range of different sizes and responses of reeds there are!

[Chris Allert]

I have been toying with the idea of replacing the reeds in my Marcus concertina. Its not that there is anything wrong with the Marcus, indeed it plays as well or better than it did on the day I got it. The reason is that since I got Edgley and my Kensington I generally learn tunes using the Jefferies layout and generally I find that I prefer it. So I thought it might be nice to set the instrument up Jefferies style. Now I figure it should not be hard to order reeds in this configuration since just about every maker of accordion reeded instruments offers instruments in a Jefferies configuration. That being said though, there is a layout I have been playing with in my head that replaces the push D# on the right accidental row with a duplicate of the F# on the left side of the instrument. I was just wondreing if it would be hard to get an accordion reed with the low F# and the C#?

 

Thanks,

Bill

 

i had this same problem back in 2001. i had bought a norman when i was in ireland, and then got a suttner a few weeks later. the suttner had jeffries layout and the norman had wheatstone layout, and it was a huge pain to switch between them. so i called up bob tedrow (who was selling norman and marcus concertinas back then) and asked if he could change the norman to have jeffries layout, which he thought he could do without too much trouble. it ended up being more work than expected, and he had to construct a new reed-pan to accomodate the new set of reeds. (and the worst part is that i had to sell the norman just a little later since i was trying to go back to school at the time and needed the money.)

 

maybe bob remembers this and will post here why just leaving it alone may be a better idea.

 

i don't think marcus has a long waiting list, so it may not end up being much more expensive to just order a new concertina from him with jeffries layout, unless you're planning to make the needed reedpan modifications yourself. then again, it may be a lot more expensive to order a new concertina from marcus if you don't have a currency trading favorably against the pound.

 

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one more thing i forgot to mention. when i was ordereing my most recent concertina from frank edgley in Ab/Eb, he said that the reed-maker he likes best will only sell him sets of reeds in batches of three or more. so i would ask him more about which reed-maker this is.

Edited July 7, 2006 by Chris Allert

[bill_mchale]

I have been toying with the idea of replacing the reeds in my Marcus concertina. Its not that there is anything wrong with the Marcus, indeed it plays as well or better than it did on the day I got it. The reason is that since I got Edgley and my Kensington I generally learn tunes using the Jefferies layout and generally I find that I prefer it. So I thought it might be nice to set the instrument up Jefferies style. Now I figure it should not be hard to order reeds in this configuration since just about every maker of accordion reeded instruments offers instruments in a Jefferies configuration. That being said though, there is a layout I have been playing with in my head that replaces the push D# on the right accidental row with a duplicate of the F# on the left side of the instrument. I was just wondreing if it would be hard to get an accordion reed with the low F# and the C#?

 

Thanks,

Bill

 

i had this same problem back in 2001. i had bought a norman when i was in ireland, and then got a suttner a few weeks later. the suttner had jeffries layout and the norman had wheatstone layout, and it was a huge pain to switch between them. so i called up bob tedrow (who was selling norman and marcus concertinas back then) and asked if he could change the norman to have jeffries layout, which he thought he could do without too much trouble. it ended up being more work than expected, and he had to construct a new reed-pan to accomodate the new set of reeds. (and the worst part is that i had to sell the norman just a little later since i was trying to go back to school at the time and needed the money.)

 

maybe bob remembers this and will post here why just leaving it alone may be a better idea.

 

i don't think marcus has a long waiting list, so it may not end up being much more expensive to just order a new concertina from him with jeffries layout, unless you're planning to make the needed reedpan modifications yourself. then again, it may be a lot more expensive to order a new concertina from marcus if you don't have a currency trading favorably against the pound.

 

----

 

one more thing i forgot to mention. when i was ordereing my most recent concertina from frank edgley in Ab/Eb, he said that the reed-maker he likes best will only sell him sets of reeds in batches of three or more. so i would ask him more about which reed-maker this is.

 

Thanks, and I appreciate the input, but I am definitely not planning on buying a new Marcus or any other concertina for that matter. I have two excellent instruments in addition to the Marcus.. I just figured while I had it, it might be nice to get the layout to be something closer to what I am planning the Suttner coming in 4 years to be.

 

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Bill

[JimLucas]

i don't think marcus has a long waiting list, so it may not end up being much more expensive to just order a new concertina from him with jeffries layout,....

Thanks, and I appreciate the input, but I am definitely not planning on buying a new Marcus or any other concertina for that matter.

I at first thought Chris was suggesting that you buy a new Marcus and sell your present one. That's certainly an option I think you might consider.

 

Or even ask Marcus about a trade? Either way, I don't think your present Marcus would be long in finding a new home.

[bill_mchale]

i don't think marcus has a long waiting list, so it may not end up being much more expensive to just order a new concertina from him with jeffries layout,....

Thanks, and I appreciate the input, but I am definitely not planning on buying a new Marcus or any other concertina for that matter.

I at first thought Chris was suggesting that you buy a new Marcus and sell your present one. That's certainly an option I think you might consider.

 

Or even ask Marcus about a trade? Either way, I don't think your present Marcus would be long in finding a new home.

 

Yeah, I have thought about selling the Marcus or trading it in.. but it was my first real concertina so it does have some sentimental value and I would like to keep it if I can. On the flip side though, I hate the idea of a musical instrument that doesn't get played as much as it should.. and ultimately that is the result of having a Wheatstone/Lachenal layout on the instrument. That is why I was considering replacing the reeds.. at the same time I was thinking of maybe upgrading the reeds. Ultimately it might make more sense to see about trading it for another instrument with a Jefferies layout.

 

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Bill