Peter Smith

I would suggest contacting Chris Algar at Barleycorn (01270 879958) - unless you have done so already! He has sold a few Cranes recently from his website but may have others in stock.

When I tried Andrew Norman's bass anglo I thought it was pretty resposive given the size of the reeds. If you are within striking distance of Shrewsbury it might be worth a visit.

I would recommend Andrew Norman (http://www.acnorman.co.uk/). He has recently developed a bass Anglo and I am sure would look at any ideas you have. He looked at making a Wheatstone Double Duett for me and came up with a plan (though I didn't follow it through, as I had other projects on the go). Andrew has repaired a few concertinas for me and has always done a very good job, so I would recommend him. Peter

I am selling a 20 button Lachenal Anglo (re-badged Thomas Guest). It has steel reeds but the concertina needs refurbishing and tuning to concert pitch. I thought I would put it on Concertin.net first, in case someone is looking for this less common tuning. If anyone is interested, please message me with your e-mail address and I will send you some pictures and a more detailed description. I am looking for £175-£200.

I would agree withe Steve Schulteis. Though my experience is not with concertinas I still think it is valid. I bought a car 4 years ago which had been owned by a smoker. The garage cleaned the car thoughly but even now, I occasionally get the smell of tobacco smoke when I get in the car. So I think the smell may reduce with use, but never fully go away.

On my Android phone, I have pull the 'bit on the right' further across to the left to be able to see the message box at the top. Hope this non-technical description makes sense!!

Many thanks for your comments. I have had a listen to the tuning again & agree with your comments, Paul & Nigel. I think you are right & I am wrong!! The reeds sound as it they are tuned just a few cents apart. I just made an assumption without checking it properly - so its not too 'honky-tonk'!! The restoration I undertook has been minimal - just to get it playing - hence the buttons. I made springs to match the existing & replaced the chamois leather seal one end. I am pretty sure all reeds are there & are untouched by me. I was just curious to try it out, especially as you can quieten the bass by playing single reeds. Thanks again. Peter

I have put this concertina up for sale on Ebay. I hope I got the description right and am happy to answer any questions. Peter

I agree. Peter

Thanks for posting some pictures. The internal condition looks pretty good, as you say. The reeds & bellows look very clean. Enjoy the restoration!

Thanks for your post. I’m glad I was wrong and sorry for raising unnecessary concerns.

Thanks for the correction, Daniel. I picked Andrew Norman's English Baritone video in error!

I visited Andrew Norman last week looking at anglo concertinas. I had the priviledge to try out his new baritone and bass concertinas briefly. Lovely looking and very responsive instruments. The baritone goes down to C2 and the bass to C1. Just thought I would mention them if anyone is looking for an anglo with a low range. Its not a sales pitch - no financial interest!! - just thought they were very good concertinas. YouTube video of the baritone: https://youtu.be/Lp-TOdKJCwk & the bass: https://youtu.be/uozSwaqUj2k

The concertina is a Wheatstone 48 button Crane duet concertina. I also have a Wheatstone 48 button Crane duet - number 34458 - so only 60 concertinas before yours! Mine has ebonised ends, is a great player and I love it! Its my 'go to' instrument, when I want to try out a new tune. I paid £1200 for it 1.5 years ago, which I think was a fair price then. Regards Peter

It looks like Red Cow Music in York has the Elise in stock at £415. Second hand would be cheaper but more difficult to get.

I have asked questions and not got a reply. I also put in a small offer to test the waters and it was rejected automatically. As you say, Stephen, not responding to questions and having so little information makes one suspicious. Could be a novice Ebayer (as joined at the start of June) but I’m not pursuing this any further.

Two concertinas listed by someone who has just joined Ebay & has no feedback score: Wheatstone English eBay item number: 313550988761 Lachenal English Bass?? eBay item number: 313551005461 Anyone know if these are real or fake listings? I have asked & question and received no answer. Peter

Just for information, I believe Andrew Norman also sells Baritone & Bass Anglos now (http://www.acnorman.co.uk/).

I have a metal ended concertina that goes down to C2 - 2 octaves below middle C. Its a Wheatstone 80 button Chidley and has a 5 octave range. I have attached the layout & a picture is here https://www.facebook.com/acnormanandco/photos/pcb.3503447339733307/3503446379733403/ Lovely bass notes! Peter

I had one of these a few years ago. I did quite a bit on it but was unable to get it into playing order, as the ends were warped. I sold it to someone in Munich, who was very happy with it. Unfortunately, I didn’t make a note of the tuning.

The layout of the Jones Piano concertina is attached. Its a bit like the Rust 'Piano' duet system (see the bottom of http://www.concertina.com/williams/hayden-chat/index.htm) I find I can reach the buttons alright but the split of the notes between the left & right hand is a bit strange. You can play a tune but I playing harmonies is much more difficult. The extra buttons may be there to help the transition between left & right hand and moving around the keyboard. As JimmyG suggests, movement along the rows is not all that fluid. I also have a Jedcertina, which I find easier to play (perhaps because its smaller) - though again its just limited to playing the tune, with few harmonies. (e.g. see http://manningsmusicals.co.uk/concertina/the-jedcertina-concertina-by-lachenal/) The range is 1.5 octaves from middle C to A (left hand) then B (& Bb) to G (right hand). Again, it has the swap over between hands at A to B. If I were building a piano duet, my preference would be - left hand G2-C4 & right hand B3-G5 - but that's getting rather large if you use a piano style layout! I find other duets better for playing, with a greater range of notes and some overlap between hands. Peter 35 key Jones Piano Concertina layout.xlsx

Is this the Jones Piano fingered concertina that you are copying? If so, I have one of these in excellent original condition and have a few thoughts about the layout. Regards Peter

In the past, I have used Calibri (light) 196655 - but that also does not look quite right! I would be interested to know what others suggest. Peter

I was not criticising your suggestion but urging caution. Milton is good stuff and it might work well e.g. in a diluted form. (Its certainly good for sore throats as my mother taught me 60 years ago!) Peter

I would be a bit wary of using Milton, as its diluted bleach (speaking as a chemist)! I would guess denture tablets should be OK, though I have not tried them. Peter