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Louis Lachenal 30B Anglo - Numbered Keys, Black Accidentals


nkgibbs

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Many thanks for your replies. I haven't opened up the concertina yet so the serial number is still a mystery.

 

 

Takayuki, I can't see whether the white keys are numbered in your photo?

 

Best wishes,

Neil

Edited by nkgibbs
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Hello people,

 

I recently obtained a 26 button Lachenal C/G, number 18863 (or 18868, the number stamp is unclear), Rosewood ends (and the reed pan for a 30 key instrument) with steel reeds and five fold green bellows. Accidentals are black the white bone buttons numbered 1 - 10 on both sides ( 1 - 5 on the "C" row and 6 -10 on the "G" row). The accidentals are offset, as you can see in the photo. Unfortunately when I removed the Right Hand end, the Action Box and frame all collapsed into dust due to a catastrohic attack of worm.  I may be able to save the right reed pan and none of the rosewood is significantly damaged. The Left side is unaffected.

I also have a 24 button Lachenal labelled "Silber and Fleming", number 18273, with numbered bone buttons and brass reeds, the extra accidental buttons are engraved C/D Sharp and G/B sharp on both sides (I don't have a "hash" button on my keyboard).

 

Mike

 

WP_20181029_16_16_53_Pro.jpg

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Quite, and this is a picture of the Right hand action pan after I removed the end, it just crumbled to dust. Interestingly there is no A/G reversal on the LHS  you get G sharp/Bflat, C sharp /E flat and A/Bflat (according to the impressed marks on the reed shoes). I'm hopeful I will eventually restore/rebuild it and then see how/if having the C sharp/Bflat helps playing in F or Bflat in comparison to a "normal" 30 Key. I haven't looked yet but suspect a similar result on the right.

 

Mike

WP_20181029_16_39_26_Pro.jpg

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I once had sign of woodworm (nothing this drastic, just new holes and wood dust) in the frame of a newly-framed picture.  I hustled that thing out to the garage until it was good and freezing cold winter weather  to be sure all the worms were dead and gone - you don't want them anywhere near any wooden instruments of value!  Good luck with restoring it.

 

Ken

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2 hours ago, Mike Jones said:

Interestingly there is no A/G reversal on the LHS

 

interesting indeed - I found this reversal so desirable that I even applied it to my 20b instruments (to which my personal Anglo experience is limited as yet) - could be done here (in the C row) too of course ?

 

Best wishes for this restoration project anyway - ?

 

Edited by Wolf Molkentin
typo, then grammar, clarification
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Thanks Guys,

All woodworm is now dead! treated with killer direct into the holes in the other parts of the concertina that remain. Amongst the dust in the photo above were a few insect carcases and I think from the state of it that the 'tina has seen a few cold winters and hot dry summers before I got hold of it. Anyway it will remain in the (unheated) garage in a box of its own whilst I work on it and well away from all my other boxes. The brass has cleaned up well as have all the buttons and the LHS reed and action pans and the reeds look to be pretty well unmolested. the adhesive holding the pads onto the grommets was still flexible and just peeled off and the pads did pretty much the same so not too much cleaning off of glue required.

Mike

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17 hours ago, Ken_Coles said:

I once had sign of woodworm (nothing this drastic, just new holes and wood dust) in the frame of a newly-framed picture.  I hustled that thing out to the garage until it was good and freezing cold winter weather  to be sure all the worms were dead and gone - you don't want them anywhere near any wooden instruments of value!  Good luck with restoring it.

 

Freezing slowly is unlikely to kill woodworm because they are able to adapt to survive low temperatures. I've read that you need to rapidly freeze it to -20C for a few days, thaw it (so the bugs come out of hibernation), then rapidly freeze it a second time. Chemical pesticides may help prevent re-infestation but won't necessarily kill any larvae that are currently active under the surface, which can emerge several years later. The flight holes are where the beetles exited in the past. Another method is to heat the wood to over 50C (which risks over-drying and cracking the wood).

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I am reminded of the story I heard some years ago on how to tell if there is woodworm in the ends of a wooden ended concertina.

It seems you have to count the number of holes in the fretwork. If it is an odd number, there is a woodworm in there.

If it is an even number, it has left already! ?

  • Haha 1
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