helenjayne Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 Hello I have recently discovered what used to be my great great grandfathers old corncertina, which he took away with him and played during World war 1. I have always played music and in the last year built a growing love of any instrument that is not widely learnt. in particular I have been devling into celtic and folk music. Irish in particular most likely due to my love of anything Irish. Anyway. I have begun to teach myself to play and have performed once publicaly at our church event. I am very poor at it, but will continue untill I have truely got the art. I treasure this instrment above all other things i own, and would love to know more about it. With it was a book unfortunately in very bad condition, but only through good use, not neglect I'm sure. The book entitled 'Roylances Self-Help Series' How to Learn the ANGLO-GERMAN CONCERTINA With 30 keys- suitable for the 28, 26, 24, 22&20 key'd instrument C.ROYLANCE ...... London C&S. Roylance 88 Seymour Street, Euston Square I guess from the book that my concertina is an Anglo-German but would like to know more than this and also perhaps know a bit about the book. under the block that the right hand strp is attatched to there is an inscription which i think will probably be the makers mark or model? I cant quite make it out. There are what look like the words.. SCREWED NOTTE and LOND AKE ( its very hard to make out there are bits i can't see and its very worn . These words are inside an elongated diamond shape with triangles at either end. in the centre is another diamond with I think, a C or G possible in the middle. Either side of this it appears to say DEPI ANGE I am likely to be utterly wrong with all of that and Im a complete novice so dont understadn it. If anyone can help me out with It's identity or anything to do with it. Please let me know. Or if you have any hints or tips. All comments/replies will be most welcome. Helen ( When I work out how to get pictures onto my computor I will try and post some pictures) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryo Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 Hello Helen and you are very welcome. The people who know loads about concertinas will be on shortly I am sure to help you.Between them there is not much they won't be able to help you with. I am not long playing myself so I don't know anyting about them really. Am from Ireland myself so I hope you will have many happy hours playing the jigs and reels and indeed airs. kind regards Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Woloschuk Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 (edited) Hello Helen, and welcome to c.net. There's certainly plenty of people on here who play the Anglo, so you'll not be without help and guidance. I'm pleased that you intend keeping hold of and learn to play your great, great, grandfather's instrument....good luck! Paul Edited November 19, 2006 by wolosp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 Hi and welcome, At the risk of blowing my own trumpet, try my site, The Concertina FAQ for lots of background info about concertinas. That will help you focus your future questions. Like Paul and Larry I am pleased that you have chosen to learn to play your great great grandfather's instrument. The thing that unites all of us on this forum is a love for this quircky, frustrating but ultimately very satisfying instrument, the concertina in all its forms and variants. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missing Song Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 HelloI have recently discovered what used to be my great great grandfathers old corncertina, which he took away with him and played during World war 1. Hello Helenjane, welcome. I hope you find everyone as warm as I have since I dropped by. How wonderful to inherit an instrument with so much family history. ... in particular I have been devling into celtic and folk music. Irish in particular most likely due to my love of anything Irish. Irish music is very popular and rightly so, it is a joy to listen to. I married into a strongly irish family, and I'm not going to say anything else except, come on in and what would you like to drink? I've heard some amazing scottish tunes (particularly the islands) and even one or two gaelic songs from cornwall. It's a rich vein of music. My love after english folk is welsh folk, which like the language is quite powerful when it comes to singing of land and quite lilting when singing of love. We have a few fascinating welsh instruments which can still be made by some amazing craftsmen but I've yet to find a free reed type instrument that developed in Wales, perhaps someone else knows of one, I'd certainly be interested to know. ( When I work out how to get pictures onto my computor I will try and post some pictures) Helen. If you don't have a digital camera most photo shops will put your negatives onto CD for a small fee. If you are taking new images it's often cheaper to ask for the CD when you have your pictures developed. Windows is quite helpful in uploading images and songs these days but you can buy photo software quite cheaply now as well. I advise you to sign up for a free image hosting account. You can google to find something, I've heard that photobucket is quite good but I'm sure fellow members could mention a few more. Most of the image hosting sites give clear and easy step by step instructions to uploading and also explain how to show other people the images you've uploaded. If you have any trouble I'm sure someone here will be happy to help! I look forward to seeing your concertina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 Hi and welcome, At the risk of blowing my own trumpet................. Chris I didn't know you played the trumpet Chris. If your going to the Radway reunion in Feb next year, perhaps you could bring it along? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Woloschuk Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 At the risk of blowing my own trumpet................. Chris I didn't know you played the trumpet Chris. If your going to the Radway reunion in Feb next year, perhaps you could bring it along? Chris He said he blew it...he said nothing about playing it! ......I'll get me coat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenjayne Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 Hi and welcome, At the risk of blowing my own trumpet, try my site, The Concertina FAQ for lots of background info about concertinas. That will help you focus your future questions. Chris thanks everyone for the kind and encourageing words. Chris your website is very useful thankyou very much. will keep popping back to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenjayne Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 ( When I work out how to get pictures onto my computor I will try and post some pictures) I look forward to seeing your concertina. thankyou for all the useful tips etc. have just taken some nice pics, but appear to have lost the lead thingy that gets them onto the computor. typical. Will post pictures soon, i hope. Hope you are well Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike byrne Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi Helen Without seeing the pictures of your concertina, I think it is made by George Jones. It will have an inscription -Screwed Notes Defi-G..J.-ance London make, stamped into the hand bar. I look forward to seeing the pictures. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenjayne Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi HelenWithout seeing the pictures of your concertina, I think it is made by George Jones. It will have an inscription -Screwed Notes Defi-G..J.-ance London make, stamped into the hand bar. I look forward to seeing the pictures. Mike that sound exactly it! unfortunately the mark is so worn that its hardly legible. what can you tell me about it? posting pics asap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenjayne Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 grrr i cant do technically stuff. found the camera lead thingy and got the pics onto the computor but when i trued uploading the image it said it couldnt deal with that sort of file. ' upload failed. you are not permitted to upload a file with that extension'. i dont understand. will persevere pictures coming soon i hope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenjayne Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 (edited) Edited November 23, 2006 by helenjayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 (edited) Helenjayne, My bet would be with Mike that your instrument is a George Jones. The style of fretwork, the riveted action arms and the mahogany button pan are consistant with his instruments. The clincher would be to look at the reed pans and if the shoes and reeds were broader than the typical Lachenal's you would be looking at the famous George Jones "broad steel reeds". The metal ended Jones have, in some quarters, a reputation for the best sounding of this makers instruments. Certainly an instrument worthy of your attention on its own merits and more so with its rich family connection. Thank you for sharing. I hope you make some beautiful music together. Greg Edited to agree with Mike, although Peter, I'm sure, would have gotten it right too. Edited November 22, 2006 by Greg Jowaisas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenjayne Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 Helenjayne, My bet would be with Peter that your instrument is a George Jones. The style of fretwork, the riveted action arms and the mahogany button pan are consistant with his instruments. The clincher would be to look at the reed pans and if the shoes and reeds were broader than the typical Lachenal's you would be looking at the famous George Jones "broad steel reeds". The metal ended Jones have, in some quarters, a reputation for the best sounding of this makers instruments. Certainly an instrument worthy of your attention on its own merits and more so with its rich family connection. Thank you for sharing. I hope you make some beautiful music together. Greg thank you! i've always wanted to know more about it. unfortunatley some of your first paragraph needs dumbing down before i can t understand it. i really am a novice. i know nothing. i read somwehere on the site that george jones company were around from 1853 - 1905 ( i think) is there any way of fixing a closer date to it. also most pics of jones's iv seen are wooden ended, are there less metal ended? im getting so excited by all this, want to play it now but theres a meeting downstarirs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 thank you! i've always wanted to know more about it. unfortunatley some of your first paragraph needs dumbing down before i can t understand it. i really am a novice. i know nothing.i read somwehere on the site that george jones company were around from 1853 - 1905 ( i think) is there any way of fixing a closer date to it. also most pics of jones's iv seen are wooden ended, are there less metal ended? im getting so excited by all this, want to play it now but theres a meeting downstarirs Hi helenjayne, Looks like a magnificent instrument. My friend, Ian Munro, plays one. Don't know whether you've found this site yet: http://www.concertina.com/ A search unfer "jones" will probably give you most of the information which you are looking for. Regards, Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Prebble Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Hi helenjayne , You have a lovely instrument there and so much personal history in it too I very much suspect that it is also significantly smaller than the 'standard' 6 or 6 1/4" across the flats of the hexagon. It may well be a Jones but if it is a smaller model, I would doubt it has broad steel reeds - mind you that is no bad thing. Anything smaller than this for a 30 key instrument is very hard to come by. Could you enlighten us as to the size please ? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Morse Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Nice photos - but ACK! I think you're putting it in the case the wrong way! They usually go in as if you were playing it, with the buttons to the sides. The photo does have me baffled though -- the corner blocks look more like empty sleeves. Are they empty and floppy? I've not seen a case innards quite like that before. Parking you concertina with weight on its buttons isn't good for the action and is terrible for half of the valves. -- Rich -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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