[Theo]

This brass-reeded 48 key English sold on ebay for £461. It is quite an early one serial number 5449, but apart from that it looks to me to a quite ordinary basic model. The final price was about double what I would have expected. Have I missed something?

[Greg Jowaisas]

Theo,
The large "button" rivet to fasten the reed tongue to the shoe is unusual to me. I've only seen them occasionally, I suppose as replacements. That is not to say they are rare in early instruments, just uncommon to my experience.

At $750. USD I don't find that a terribly outrageous price although once the reconditioning costs and tuning expenses are added....

The bidding was spirited at the last minute. Perhaps two fascinated competitors threw caution and good fiscal sense to the wind.

Greg

This post has been edited by Greg Jowaisas: 19 June 2009 - 02:28 PM

[Jack Bradshaw]

Theo, on Jun 19 2009, 02:52 PM, said:

This brass-reeded 48 key English sold on ebay for £461. It is quite an early one serial number 5449, but apart from that it looks to me to a quite ordinary basic model. The final price was about double what I would have expected. Have I missed something?

Brass reeds coming back into fashion ?

[Stephen Chambers]

It was an outrageous price for the cheapest model that Louis Lachenal built for Wheatstone's, there were plenty of much better quality ones made, with better brass reeds than those rivetted ones...

[Larry Stout]

Jack Bradshaw, on Jun 19 2009, 02:28 PM, said:

Brass reeds coming back into fashion ?

I think that's possible. On occasion this past week as I was playing my brass reeded very early Wheatstone (for my own enjoyment, but so as not to bother other people, so I had deliberately taken my quietest instrument) people commented on its beauty and the gentle music I was making with it. One or two asked where to get one and expressed interest in taking up EC.

[Theo]

Stephen Chambers, on Jun 19 2009, 09:25 PM, said:

It was an outrageous price for the cheapest model that Louis Lachenal built for Wheatstone's, there were plenty of much better quality ones made, with better brass reeds than those rivetted ones...

That's what I thought too. The price is about what I would expect to see for the same concertina fully restored with new pads and valves and tuned.

[marien]

it must be a crisis...

[Paul_Hardy]

Larry Stout, on Jun 20 2009, 12:00 AM, said:

Jack Bradshaw, on Jun 19 2009, 02:28 PM, said:

Brass reeds coming back into fashion ?

I think that's possible. On occasion this past week as I was playing my brass reeded very early Wheatstone (for my own enjoyment, but so as not to bother other people, so I had deliberately taken my quietest instrument) people commented on its beauty and the gentle music I was making with it. One or two asked where to get one and expressed interest in taking up EC.

I certainly play my brass-reeded wheatstone (8461) more than any of the steel reeded ones, as it's my main practice instrument around the house. It has a sweet tone.

[Stephen Chambers]

Paul_Hardy, on Jun 20 2009, 05:50 PM, said:

I certainly play my brass-reeded wheatstone (8461) more than any of the steel reeded ones, as it's my main practice instrument around the house. It has a sweet tone.

Paul,

Yes, but #8461 is of better quality than the one on eBay, which is a very basic model.