Interested In Finding Concertina To Restore

[Joel Trenalone]

Greetings All,

I am new to this board and new to the concertina. I play piano, and several stringed instruments and have always been interested in playing the concertina.

 

I really enjoy owning and playing an old vintage or antique instrument, so I have been reading this board and gaining as much information as possible. Due to budget limitations, the only way I can probably own a nice old concertina is find one in bad shape and restore it myself. I am a full time watch/clockmaker, and have a repair/machine shop at my disposal. I am experienced in bring antique mechanics back to life again.

 

I do know that I only plan on playing solo music, and am interested in treble English or duet style. I would like it to be a mellow or quieter. I have read that brass reeds are softer sounding, but more susceptible to metal fatigue.

 

I have restored a 1920's tenor banjo. I found a reasonable one in poor condition With banjos, it seems that there were certain makers that were always in demand and priced high, but some lesser instruments that could be had for a good price, but were still very playable and good quality.

 

So initially I would like to know the names of makers that made good quality concertinas. I understand that instruments made by the likes of Wheatstone command a high price even in poor condition. But are there other quality instruments that one could find for a reasonable price in the "poor condition but restorable" classification that I could keep and eye out for?

 

Thanks in advance,

Joel

[David Barnert]

Wow. Have you listened to the "S-Town" podcast yet? The very first words are about antique clock restoration. But then it goes on (and on) from there.

When an antique clock breaks, a clock that's been telling time for 200 or 300 years, fixing it can be a real puzzle. An old clock like that was handmade by someone. It might tick away the time with a pendulum, with a spring, with a pulley system. It might have bells that are supposed to strike the hour, or a bird that's meant to pop out and cuckoo at you. There can be hundreds of tiny, individual pieces, each of which needs to interact with the others precisely.

To make the job even trickier, you often can't tell what's been done to a clock over hundreds of years. Maybe there's damage that was never fixed, or fixed badly. Sometimes, entire portions of the original clockwork are missing, but you can't know for sure because there are rarely diagrams of what the clock's supposed to look like. A clock that old doesn't come with a manual.

So instead, the few people left in the world who know how to do this kind of thing rely on what are often called witness marks to guide their way. A witness mark could be a small dent, a hole that once held a screw. These are actual impressions, and outlines, and discolorations left inside the clock of pieces that might have once been there. They're clues to what was in the clockmaker's mind when he first created the thing.

I'm told fixing an old clock can be maddening. You're constantly wondering if you've just spent hours going down a path that will likely take you nowhere, and all you've got are these vague witness marks, which might not even mean what you think they mean. So at every moment along the way, you have to decide if you're wasting your time or not.

Anyway, I only learned about all this because years ago an antique clock restorer contacted me, John B. McLemore, and asked me to help him solve a murder.

You may find yourself running into trouble with the fact that concertina reeds are expensive (said to be most of the price of the instrument), so a beat up 'tina with a decent set of reeds may be difficult to find for a low price, while without the reeds, you won't have anything to work with. Good luck with it.

[Mike Pierceall]

Antique, entry-level Lachenals and the like can sometimes be found at reasonable prices, though I haven't seen any lately. It can be a gamble. If the reeds are badly corroded or were improperly tuned in the past, the instrument can only be salvaged for parts. I suggest you post a wanted ad in the Buy and Sell Forum and deal with someone in the know. Best of luck.

[Joel Trenalone]

David:

Thanks for sharing that excerpt. I'll have to look at that podcast. The writer did their homework, as that describes the situation with many clocks to a T.

 

Mike: thanks for advice. I will be posting on the buy sell board once I know how to word it. That is always my fear buying sight unseen, as I like to know the condition of the important parts I.e reeds.

 

Also I have watched your videos and have enjoyed them. Thanks for your hard work on them.

[Ken_Coles]

You might also try contacting Chris Algar in England. He used to have more English-system concertinas than he could profitably restore and would sell some of them as-is. He is widely considered to have accurate descriptions and knows what going prices are.

 

Mike is right, however; the supply of unrestored Lachenals, etc. that can be had cheap is far smaller than it was 20 or more years ago.

 

Ken

[cboody]

Greg Jowaisas often has instruments that are unrestored and might be willing to sell something. He hangs out here so may respond.. Greg, did you get my email??

[Joel Trenalone]

Thanks cboody,

I actually did contact Greg, and he might have some for me.

 

I'm still studying the different types of duet and English to decide, and also pondering whether to buy restored or do the work my self.