Valentin Nnourdin

Yes that's the case, and the seller wasn't really attentive. Thanks !

Hello 👋 I just bought on auction three beautiful instruments, so I come here to show you and ask some advice. We don't see a lot of concertinas for sell here in France so when I saw an auction sale with three concertinas I didn't hesitate for a second ! In the end, I only bought two 'tinas, the last English had missing buttons. On the left is a Lachenal Anglo in G/D, number 176103. Quite good condition, the bellow have been repaired with black tape but it nicely done. The wood is used around main buttons but not cracked. Some reeds needs a cleaning and maybe tuning, but I already enjoy playing on it. On the right, a Lachenal English number 35055. There is air leaks, likely on buttons of the right hand rather than on the bellow. The bellow must be reinforced nevertheless. It's the first English concertina I met in person so I'm not really able to judge it's condition apart from that. And the last one is a nice diatonic Ernest Louis Arnold (ELA) Bandoneon. It's also the first one I touch, but nobody wanted it and it's really a beautiful instrument. It has every buttons, very few are sticking (probably springs to change) and some notes need tuning. Restoring this one won't be my priority. I bought each concertina 180€ and the bandoneon 64€, it seemed an awesome deal on the moment, is it for you ? I'm interested by restoration but I'm hesitant on such instruments, old and hard to find here. Any thought about this, mainly reeds cleaning, should I try or is it best to go see an expert (hard to find in France too) ? Thanks, Valentin 👋

Hi, The first number wasn't clear but in fact my Anglo has id 176103, could you date it ? Thanks a lot, Valentin

Hi, I just bought two Lachenal in an auction sale, could you try to date them ? The first is an Anglo number 76103. The second is an English number 35066. I don't have more details until I fetch them. Thanks !

So this is it, the end of my first restoration 😢 I tried to push with a 1mm drill, which went surprisedly well (the wood didn't break too soon) but the axle doesn't move, and another bit broke. If I found a fablab with appropriate tools, I may create a new concertina using this one as a model, I like the size of it. Thanks for your great help and advises, I hope to come back soon with another, better made, concertina to restore 😁

I went to the local accordion repairman to show him, but he have no idea to fix that. The big problem is to remove the broken axle. We tried with his tools but he don't have any with such thinness and strong enough to push the corroded axle... He told me to see if a shoemaker could have such tool. And we couldn't find a way to separate the comb and the levers without breaking the levers and probably the wood plate. He told me to keep the 'tina as decoration because it's far too much work for an unpredictable result 🫠

I must indeed first figure out how to remove the existing comb without destroying everything... I'll try to find a similar rod to push the old one away, it could save me some efforts. It definitely seems easier to create something from scratch, but I haven't any tools right now, so I'll try to find a fablab near.

Bad news, one axle broke... I connected a 9V battery to each ends for some hours (could have wait more) and as the axle seemed to move more than before, I tried to gently pull it turning anti clockwise. It moved a bit and then broke. So I have one side with just the hole (first lever is released) and the opposite is really too short to do anything (tried to pull with pliers but no way to pull). The picture shows the broken bit and the opposed side. Any idea ? At this point I'm really thinking of reproducing the whole wooden part, which seems simpler with right tools...

I removed one plate, it's easy to unscrew, nice. Thanks for the details about the IPA bath ! I'm not stingy with time, if I restore this instrument, i should do it well and not forger one part which would need restoration again in few years... I achieved to change one spring without dismounting everything, and that comforted me in the idea that I need to dismount everything 😅 Wooden levers are fragile and I don't want to break any when I put the new spring in place. I'll try to heat the axle as you advised me. Indeed one reed is broken and I'll need to change it, big challenge but I'll deal with that in the end, lot of work to do before !

I hadn't even thought of changing the springs without removing everything ! As there is already 4 broken one, I'll try to change them all, easier to set them to the same tension too. Given the condition of the wood and metal parts, it seems indeed more feasible to change them from under than removing the lever system, but I must prepare to be really patient with those jumping springs 😅 Nice tip mChavez for heating the axle, I keep that in mind if I don't succeed with the other method ! Thanks for your clarification about the reeds plates, I'll try to unscrew them. Some rods are just next to a reed, I hope unscrewing them won't damage the reed. Are the pieces of string used as gasket or what you talk about is some glue that need heating ?

After searching a bit, it does look like it is, as you stated, a German concertina. The reeds plates with pieces of string and the brown leather seems quite common in those. As does the wooden levers, but I couldn't find how to dismount the mechanism to change some springs and them reassemble. I tried to pull with a pliers the piece of metal on the bottom of my second picture, but that doesn't move at all. I'm running out of ideas 😔

There is no screws on the reeds plate, reeds are nailed. I suppose I can twist the 4 metal rods that maintain the plates, but the wooden part doesn't seems really strong...

Hi everyone, I just bought a really tiny anglo concertina (on the right of my Hohner on the picture) and I have few questions for you. Firstly, I have no idea of the quality, brand, year, so any identification could help me. (Edit: the reeds plates and wooden levers seems common in German-made anglos, so it's probably one) My main problem is to fix the springs. I already replaced a spring on my Hohner, so I have the right equipment to create new ones, but I don't know how to access springs. I suppose I need to remove the horizontal metal rod to release all the buttons, but I don't dare pull on it too hard, and I can't see how to put it back on afterward. Any thoughts or experience with similar systems ? Then comes the reeds. Some are oxidized (not sure if that's the right term) and could probably be cleaned, but for the pull notes, reeds are well hidden. It seems glued and thus quite hard to open, I don't know if it's worth a try... (Edit: not sure it's glued, probably just hold by the 4 metal bits, but I'm afraid of breaking the wood part if I try to twist them) If you have any tutorial to share, or other topics I missed, don't hesitate ! Thanks a lot for your help, Valentin