W. Ramsden

[Daniel Hersh]

This concertina sold by Mannings Musicals was labeled "W. RAMSDEN – MANUFACTURER. Hx". I'd imagine that Ramsden didn't actually build it, but who did? It's got a non-riveted action, but the pivot posts don't look quite like the Lachenal posts I've seen, and the fretwork doesn't look quite right to me. Any ideas? Is it a Lachenal despite my doubts?

 

[Takayuki YAGI]

Hi Daniel,

 

I noticed that this end has blank area for extra button (same fretwork as 32 key). It is interesting to me because late Lachenal 30 key do not have such blank.

The fretwork looks somewhat alike very early Lachenal #8866 (32 key) on eBay in last December April 2007. I wasn't a bidder so I only have this small screenshot.

 

Cheers,

--

Taka

Edited June 2, 2011 by Takayuki YAGI

[Takayuki YAGI]

Hi again,

 

I dug up photos of a Lachenal with J.W. Moore label (serial unknown).

It has pierced slot on the side surfaces of the ends and doesn't have blank space for extra buttons, so at these points different from Ramsden's but overall design of the fretworks are quite similar.

I once saw a Lachenal with brass plate with slot style posts like Ramsden's.

But I feel serial #2496 of the Ramsden might be too small for Lachenal... (Earlier models have simpler fretworks ??)

 

 

Cheers,

--

Taka

Edited June 4, 2011 by Takayuki YAGI

[Daniel Hersh]

I dug up photos of a Lachenal with J.W. Moore label (serial unknown).

It has pierced slot on the side surfaces of the ends and doesn't have blank space for extra buttons, so at these points different from Ramsden's but overall design of the fretworks are quite similar.

I once saw a Lachenal with brass plate with slot style posts like Ramsden's.

But I feel serial #2496 of the Ramsden might be too small for Lachenal... (Earlier models have simpler fretworks ??

Thanks, Taka. Based on your info I'd say it's probably a Lachenal. I don't know about the serial number issue because I don't know when Lachenal started making their fancier-fretwork Anglos.

[Takayuki YAGI]

I don't know about the serial number issue because I don't know when Lachenal started making their fancier-fretwork Anglos.

I am not very certain about that either. Photos of some early Lachenal anglos with simpler fretwork came to my mind,

(ex. #1363, #1950 and #6412, #5465 in Wayne Collection and #7602 in Stephen Chambers collection)

but I also think not every anglos at this period had these simpler fretworks. I would like to hear opinion of experts.

--

Taka

[Fieldfare]

Hi Daniel. This is a bit late to your query on W. Ramsden. I have only just become a member today so that I may follow it up and perhaps throw some enlightenment on the instrument in question. I was searching the net for information on Ramsden and was amazed to see the actual instrument I bought last year on your post and also on Mannings website. It has been completely restored to a very high standard by Nigel Sture a concertina repairer in Devon . I have a receipt from him in which he attributes it to the maker TIDDER and was probably made around 1860. I paid £1900 for it. I am, about to sell it on as I think I prefer my old melodeon (sorry!) and it really deserves playing by someone who is more able than I am. Hope this is of some interest Best Wishes Brian

[Fieldfare]

Further to my last post, I have just discovered that W H TIdder had a workshop in the Mile End Road London in the late 1890s which later became Tidder and Son - I expect you know that already - so that date of 1860 looks much too early and the Halifax connection seems unlikely - so the mystery remains unless he was working for Ramsden as a young man before moving to London. Of course it could simply be a Ramsden but there doesn't seem to be many if any, others around! Brian

[Daniel Hersh]

Further to my last post, I have just discovered that W H TIdder had a workshop in the Mile End Road London in the late 1890s which later became Tidder and Son - I expect you know that already - so that date of 1860 looks much too early and the Halifax connection seems unlikely - so the mystery remains unless he was working for Ramsden as a young man before moving to London. Of course it could simply be a Ramsden but there doesn't seem to be many if any, others around! Brian

Brian, thanks for all the info. I agree that 1860 sounds early for Tidder, and I doubt that Ramsden was the maker. Not much is known about Tidder, and so far as is known he never marked any of his instruments with any sort of maker's mark.. I believe that the Tidder story is that Chris Algar and Stephen Chambers noticed over the years a number of instruments from an unknown maker that looked similar to each other. and Stephen eventually concluded that they could have been made by Tidder. They are Lachenal copies, with some subtle differences from true Lachenals (depth of gussets and type of wood used internally) that are too subtle for me to see. Stephen hasn't stopped by c.net in a while - I'll e-mail him to see if he wants to comment.