Mike Pierceall

Ultimately, a viable restoration depends on the condition of the reeds. Replacing all the missing buttons and repairing damaged fretwork is doable, but you might end up with an instrument that is still not worth much. I don't think it is German, unless it was marketed for the English-speaking market.

Keep it in a protective case, away from extremes of heat and humidity. Play it as often as possible. I've had more problems with instruments that have been lying idle than with instruments that are used regularly.

I see modifications such as the pivots for the lowest notes moved distally. I wonder if the left-hand side has similar changes. *Upon closer inspection I see that the pivots for the lowest notes seem to be in their original positions but fall outside the boundary of the disk, hence the extensions. Extra holes might indicate the springs were relocated? Very clean set of reeds and nice re-valving and padding. Yes, a Jeffries tenor English - a rarity twice over. I wonder why so few were made. Perhaps ahead of his time. I don't think Wheatstone tenors were made until the 1930s? Does anyone know? *Addendum

Might the ends be replacements? The badges?

Date of manufacturer January 31, 1954. Nickle plated ends. Anglo. No idea of value. I'm not an Anglo player, but someone will know.

I use 1/4 inch Baltic Birch from Rockler and used rabbet joints. This is my video from about 3 years ago. I've made about a half dozen of these cases. Video is here:

It seems to match up fairly closely with one way of estimating Lachenals: 17642 Divided by 769 = 23 + 1850 = 1873. Although from year to year production would vary, so always good to establish some milestones.

Sound files are useful, particularly something that demonstrates the responsiveness of the reeds. You might expand your market beyond a limited range of prospective buyers that live close by.

Placeholder for a missing badge?

Sometimes referred to as "The Harvest Anthem," "To Thee, O Lord, Our Hearts We Raise" was written by William Dix in 1863. This is my arrangement for English concertina here:

Thanks, Don. Here is the link to the video: Not Vivaldi, though. It's one of my own. Not sure who I was channeling.

I wonder if the possibility of error would not have been the reason for the design change. Maintaining the accuracy of the equipment and having experienced operators might have become problematic. A dwindling marketplace would have driven cost-cutting measures. Maybe the reject pile was just getting too high.

Thank you, Don. ET in standard pitch, i.e., A440.

Thank you, Eric. I appreciate the added information. Although your father likely did not re-tune the instrument, he undoubtedly would have known where to refer major work on his students' instruments. There were two labels on the instrument case - the name and address of the owner, and the name and location of your father's studio. Mike

Playing the Wheatstone 5A here: