Craig Wagner

I've updated the orginal post with links to two more pictures (reeds on the 2nd side and one picture of the action)... Any further ideas on what we have here would be appreciated! Thanks, Craig

Now that's what I like to see, some community sleuthing here! I'll get some additional pics that may be of value. My guess is that the handles are not original to the instrument. Note that the top of the concertina has the thumb screws for tightening the strap (like a Jeffries), but the handles have the tightening screw for the strap on the bottom... More ideas welcomed! Thanks, Craig

I've added more pics to the original listing and have set a $2500 price. Thanks, Craig

Andrew, I've looked and there is no C&S number stamped into the bar on either strap. The bars have worn, and at one point repainted. I can't say for certain if they are the original bars, but I suspect they are since they seem to be fairly well fitted to the raised wooden ends and I can't see the point of ever replacing them. The serial number #3889 on the metal insert on the outside, is also stamped onto reed pan and the bellows frame. Hope this helps. Thanks, Craig

ocd, I updated the original posting with a page reference to a pdf on the site with the exact layout. Please let me know if you need anything else. Thanks, Craig

Note: posting recently updated with more pics... Greetings. I am selling a 60b MacCann duet (32 treble + 28 bass). The instrument was fully refurbished in 2006 by the button box (new bellows, pads, valves) and I haven't played it since then. To accommodate the large number of buttons the concertina is a bit bigger than a standard box, measuring 7 inches across the end. The steel reeds give a nice sweet tone. Normal wear for a vintage instrument. The straps are original C. Wheatstone & Co. I've looked inside the concertina but there are no markings to indicate Wheatstone or otherwise. I'm selling this because I've never invested the time to learn the MacCann system. I gravitated toward the Jeffries Duet system and didn't want to get my brain wrapped around another duet button scheme. It has been sitting in it's box unplayed in my living room for the last six years since the refurbishment and I wanted to get it out to someone who would play it. For a button layout, see page 23 here. This 60 button concertina is exactly like that layout of the 62 button on this page except does not have the G#2 and the G2 shown in the dashed circles above the first two columns of buttons on the treble side. For a couple of more pics look here and here. Please see pics attached and let me know if you have any questions. I'm asking $2500 for the box. Thanks, Craig

Greetings... I just posted for sale a 55b Crane Duet... Please let me know if you are interested... I'm in the states but can ship safe & insured... Thanks, Craig

Lachenal “Triumph” Duet concertina. Completely refurbished in mechanics, cosmetics and tuning in October, 2006 by the Button Box, and hasn't been played since. A somewhat rare larger version with 55 keys (30 in right and 25 on left) plus air button. Gorgeous raised wooden ends, 7 fold-bellows, steel reeds. Instrument # 3889 is clearly marked on a metal plate on the left side of the concertina. In looking for concertina dating information, a rough cut estimation yields 1921 as the manufacturing date. The same number is stamped on the reed pans. There are minor scratches and scuffs as would be expected from of an instrument of this age, but it is in amazingly quite good cosmetic shape. The bellows are air tight. When I buy concertinas, I always look for mellow and rich tones – and that is why I got this one. I also really like the feel of the buttons on this instrument – smooth and solid. A wonderful instrument for solo play and for ensembles – it won’t blow-out the other players in your group. In excellent shape, ready to play. In perfect tune, A=440. It is a Crane tuning system can was adopted by the Salvation Army under the name “Triumph” from 1912, and eventually Wheatstone was claiming it was because of “the disposition of the keys being more suited to the playing of sacred music”. For background on Triumph duets, see http://www.concertina.com/crane-duet/. For the button layout, look at the “55 stud” diagram in here. It has been outside of it's box about 5 times since I had it refurbished. Price is $3150 plus insurance and shipping. If sold through Concertina Net, I’ll make a donation to Paul for his great work on our collective behalf. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Craig Wagner

I'm glad you have the Custom #2. I've tried them all and really like this one. Let the war continue. Craig

wood one? Metal or Wood...

OK, its just our secret... What shouldn't I tell him?

All, I'm looking for an Ab/Eb Jeffries (I've seen the one at the Button Box, but it seems like a very steep price). Any leads? I'm connecting with Chris Algar as well. Thanks, Craig

Thanks for the heads-up... I have an Edgley that I really love. Great instrument, solidly built, fast action, and at a good price. Let them proliferate! Onward, Craig

Brad, I keep one of my concertinas next to the bed and will play it laying down before I go to bed. It is an anglo and it is quite easy to do (that is if you play anglo!)... In fact, I've fallen asleep a few times while playing... Those are VERY restful nights! You can't go as fast, perhaps as when sitting, but it is still very doable. Onward, Craig

All, I wanted to share with you a delightful concertina experience that I had today. But, before I do that, let me digress. In addition to a standard CG, I've played a Baritone Anglo CG for about 3 years now, made by Colin Dipper. The depth of the low tones are fairly stunning to my ears, and for those familiar with Colin's work, you probably appreciate that it is an incredible instrument. My standards for the sounds of Baritone are probably fairly high. With a Dipper as a standard, Frank Edgley handed me a concertina today and asked me to take it for a test drive. It was a concertina that he was ready to box up and send off to a customer. I first looked at it and it had his typical fine craftsmanship. This one had highly polished metal ends, deep amber wood sides and his standard great bellows. It was the standard CG size and weight. Imagine my surprise, when I pulled my first chord, and out jumped a Baritone! Yes, a full octave below a standard CG in the size of a standard CG concertina. If you would have asked me in advance, I would have told you that I would have been skeptical about sound quality. I've had the ends off of my Dipper Baritone and there are some mighty big reed chambers. I would have thought those big chambers were needed to capture a big fat sound. But, the sound was warm, deep and buttery! I think the best chord on a CG Baritone is a G chord built on the foundation of the kick-butt low G. I pulled on that chord and out came a chord that was not a lot different from my Dipper. I was surprised in that the low accordion reeds sound a lot like the steel concertina reeds - the lower you went, the more, at least to my ears, it sounded like the reeds of my Dipper. After playing if for a while, I noticed that it was easier to manage than my Dipper because it was a standard size and weight. Normally, playing a Baritone is a bit more labor intensive than a standard CG - the more labor intensive the faster you try to play. I also noticed that the box required a playing style very close to the style demanded by my Dipper. Basically, what I mean is that you have to coax the very lowest reeds a bit, starting with a small volume of air through the reed to get it going, and once it is vibrating, you can then get more aggressive and rip off a nice chord. So, it played like my Dipper. If anything, Frank's concertina reeds perhaps spoke a tad faster than the Dipper. And, for those of you who have played Frank's standard CG, I think you might agree that there probably isn't a faster action anywhere. To my knowledge, this is the first Baritone in a standard CG size. I asked him how he did it, and basically he went back to his reed maker and had them specifically design reeds that would fit into a standard size. My recommendation: A very strong instrument - and the only one on the planet that I've seen at that size. Have you seen others? I forgot to ask him what he is charging for it, but suspect it isn't much more than his standard concertinas. Am I going to sell my Dipper? No. But, its hard for me to imagine a nicer Baritone in that price range, well crafted and available in 6 months. For those of you who have a bad case of concertina envy, this is a wonderful 2nd concertina. When I go to sessions, I typically bring two concertinas. My main squeeze CG and the Baritone. The Baritone offers the ability to add great depth to a session (all the whistles, fiddles, concertinas and pipes in the high range need some good balance!). Perhaps you want to try chord vamping as your next thing to try at your sessions. Enjoy! Craig Wagner

Joachim, Thanks for your interest, but retuning an Ab/Eb isn't really a good idea. There are so few Ab/Eb out there, that they really should be preserved. Plus, trying to get it all the way up to a C/G would butcher the reeds pretty severely... May I recommend a good Edgley (or other similar, but I really like the Edgley) .... It would be cheaper, has faster action and comes ready to play in C/G... Thanks, Craig

Well, I hope your son is thoroughly grateful. Has he any idea what you're giving up for him? I bet the thought of selling him instead briefly crossed your rebellious mind! Chris Chris, don't get me reconsidering! Craig

All, I'm making some sound files for the concertinas I have for sale... Currently I have some for the Ab/Eb Lachenal... If you want me to make some for this Suttner G/D, please let me know. Send me your email address so I can send them along to you. Thanks, Craig

All, I'm making some sound files for the concertinas I have for sale... Currently I have some for the Ab/Eb Lachenal... If you want me to make some for this Suttner G/D, please let me know. Send me your email address so I can send them along to you. Thanks, Craig

I have some sound files I can send you.... Please let me know if you want real audio or Microsoft format... Please send me your email addrses.. Thanks, Craig

Dom, its been years since I've played a metal ended Suttner, but both Colin ad Juergen indicate that wooden ended instruments give a more mellow tone... I think that is true. Thanks, Craig

My apologies, this is a Suttner A5, not an A4! Thanks for catching my mix-up, I posted 5 concertinas for sale at the same time and mislabeled this one. I have updated the text of the original message to reflect that this is an A5. I have also reduced the price $200 since the A5 is less expensive than the A4. The pictures in the posting are accurate. Thanks again for catching the mistake. Craig

Rare Mccann Duet concertina. My best estimated is that it is by Shakespeare, though the reed pan layout and the strap configuration is like a Jeffries – though I’ve never seen a Jeffries Duet like this. Completely refurbished in mechanics, cosmetics and tuning in October, 2006 by the Button Box. A larger version with 60 keys (32 in right and 28 on left) plus air button. Very nice nickel ends, 7 fold-bellows, steel reeds in C tuning. No visible instrument number, but available information on Shakespeare suggests it was created at the end of the 19th century or early 20th century. The bellows are air tight. No case. There are scratches and scuffs as would be expected from a 100 year old instrument, but the instrument is completely sound. Some of the plating has worn off the metal ends. The handles are not original – someone had replaced the original handles with ones that didn’t fit properly, so Bob at the Button Box replace them handles with the present ones. They feel comfortable. The original handles were of the “Jeffries variety”, with the circular screw-downs on the top of the concertina (visible in the photos). In excellent shape, ready to play. In perfect tune, A=440. The instrument is somewhat larger than a standard Anglo, standing xx inches high, but still quite comfortable on the hands to hold and play. See see http://www.concertina.com/maccann-duet for information on MacCann systems. For the button layout, look at the 67 key diagram on page 4 at http://www.concertina.com/gaskins/chords/G...-3.pdfTutor.pdf. It is the same except that there are some keys closest to the hands not present in the 60 key that are in the 67 key. I’m selling it to help finance my son’s college education. Also, I’ve learned the Jeffries duet system in addition to Anglo layout, and it is too hard to get my brain around yet another button layout. Price is $3450 plus insurance and shipping. If sold through Concertina Net, I’ll make a donation to Paul for his great work on our collective behalf. Thanks, Craig Wagner

Lachenal “Triumph” Duet concertina. Completely refurbished in mechanics, cosmetics and tuning in October, 2006 by the Button Box. A somewhat rare larger version with 55 keys (30 in right and 25 on left) plus air button. Gorgeous raised wooden ends, 7 fold-bellows, steel reeds. Instrument # 3889 is clearly marked on a metal plate on the left side of the concertina. In looking for concertina dating information, a rough cut estimation yields 1921 as the manufacturing date. The same number is stamped on the reed pans. There are minor scratches and scuffs as would be expected from of an instrument of this age, but it is in amazingly quite good cosmetic shape. The bellows are air tight. When I buy concertinas, I always look for mellow and rich tones – and that is why I got this one. I also really like the feel of the buttons on this instrument – smooth and solid. A wonderful instrument for solo play and for ensembles – it won’t blow-out the other players in your group. In excellent shape, ready to play. In perfect tune, A=440. It is a Crane tuning system can was adopted by the Salvation Army under the name “Triumph” from 1912, and eventually Wheatstone was claiming it was because of “the disposition of the keys being more suited to the playing of sacred music”. For background on Triumph duets, see http://www.concertina.com/crane-duet/. For the button layout, look at the “55 stud” diagram in http://www.concertina.com/crane-duet/Wilto...Crane-Tutor.pdf (reproduced here as a picture). It comes with a leather case (broken strap). I’m selling it to help finance my son’s college education. Also, I’ve learned the Jeffries duet system in addition to Anglo layout, and it is too hard to get my brain around yet another button layout. Price is $3150 plus insurance and shipping. If sold through Concertina Net, I’ll make a donation to Paul for his great work on our collective behalf. Thanks, Craig Wagner

Lachenal 30-button Anglo concertina pitched in Ab/Eb. This is a rare instrument – very few are pitched in this key. 7-fold bellows and metal ends. I fell in love with this instrument when I heard it played at a Noel Hill class in Oregon. To my delight, it came up for sale within the next 12 months or so. Like other lower pitched instruments, it has a deep and rich tone. The bellows are air tight. It comes with a case purchased from the Button Box. In excellent shape, ready to play. In tune, A=440. It is in a Jeffries tuning format. Completely refurbished by the Button Box in 2000 with pads, valves and strap. A really solid and golden-toned instrument. The box shows surprisingly little wear given its age – the metal ends are in very good shape. The serial Number 199103 is on the reed pan (and reproduced by someone on paper affixed to the grillwork on the left side). This seems to peg perhaps in the late 1920s. I’m selling it to help finance my son’s college education. I’m sad to part with this one, since in my 15 years of following concertinas, I’ve not seen another one like it. But, it’s time to let someone else enjoy this great instrument. Price is $2750 plus insurance and shipping. If sold through Concertina Net, I’ll make a donation to Paul for his great work on our collective behalf. Thanks, Craig Wagner