tinasqueezer:"But did you know that the English key arrangement has 14 notes to the Octave? In 1830's when Wheatstone invented it, scales were diferent - G sharp and A flat were different notes for instance."

RE:That is not entirely correct I'm afraid! It is true that the complete 48 key "treble english" keyboard has been used with mean tone temperament tuning and different pitches for D#/Eb and G#/Ab. This went on as an optional ( not standard!) tuning for new instruments until the 1860s. I have such a George Case instrument.
BUT - the original keyboard layout ( from the Symphonium and presented in the 1829 patent papers) was NOT intended for this special feature - the mean tone tuning.That however HAS been claimed by some authors but it is a misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

"Now-a-days the scales have been "harmonised" in the Euro-standard meaning of the word. That's why you will find two notes per octave duplicated."

RE: That was obviously the standard from the start but it is hard to evaluate the distribution of the tuning methods since to my knowlege is not specified for instance in the Wheatstone ledgers. Maybe is some similar documents turn up from other makers...

"On another point - never use the bellows to produce punch to your notes, the reason that bad Anglo (and melodion) players sound bad is that they use the bellows to modulate the reeds. Good players use the buttons to modulate the notes, that way they have control. The real trick to producing punchy music is to cut notes off short - it's the end of the note that produces punch, not the begining".

RE:Hmm... maybe some misunderstanding or different use of the words "punch", "emphasis", "bounce" or more...
One thing is technically clear : you can NOT influence the amplitude of a note but except than by the bellows.In principle and for didactic reasons it is easiest to differentiate between "Finger articulation" ( meaning that the sound is initiated by first activating the bellows, then hitting the button) or "Bellows articulation" ( meaning that the saound is initiated by first hitting the button, then activating the bellows)
What do you mean by "punch" in real? Playing staccatto vs legato??
"Emphasis" with a squeezebox can never be executed by the finger - only by the bellows since it normally means that the amplitude is increaseed.

"There is however some excuse for using the bellows to produce gentle tremelo effects".

RE:I don't see what you mean. Do you play at the same volume/level constantly? No "forte" - no "piano" - no crescendo/diminuendo..??