G'day Uncle Jaque,

I'm inclined to believe that the portable instruments used by sailors were pretty much in the same line as we see here in Australia for our 19th century settlers. Our settlers had to come in little ships and had the same restrictions for space as the sailors.

The concertina - mostly the cheap German models with brass reeds (don't rust) - were the most common and you needed to be well off to afford an English made instrument and to risk rust, rot and theft at sea. The German system - the push-pull, 2 key arrangement was fine for dance music, but could force you to choose between two equally uncomfortable keys (say, C or G ... or their related minor and Dorian modes).

In later years we see more of quite small button accordions (often illustrated with sailors in catalogues) and models like Kalbes 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' were as small as a concertina, but very few are made this small today (and those that are cosy inordinately large sums!).

The best compromise for a reasonable player is the Anglo-chromatic concertina, with its third row of accidentals allowing any key (with enough skill and practice). This is the favoured concertina for Irish playing and is consequently in high demand. I would suggest starting with a G/C Anglo-German (2-row), either a new European made Stagri or Hohner and looking about for an affordable example of and English made Lachenal, Wheatstone &c.

I play 3 Lachenals - a 22- key G/C and a 20-key that I have reorganised and made into a D/G. I have a set of Bb/F reeds and reed pans waiting to go into another 20-key body I should be restoring. I also have a couple of 'Bastaris' (now sensibly calling themselves 'Stagri' which I also play for their quite different tone. They are way short of the quality of the English instruments, but broaden the sound of a group well. I also play 1, 2 and 3-row button accordions for dance music.

As I mainly play Australian dance music, these suit me well. The Bb/F is for when I get really accurate about 19th century keys and rope in some woodwinds to play a more accurate 'German' influenced style of the day.

I don't personally go for the English tuning system - totally different instruments made for wonderful stage virtuoso work and concertina band playing. These were not the common person's instruments but can play marbellous music ... but not authentically for you type of sailors' music.

Regards,

Bob Bolton