Rose

Just a little note to let everyone know that I've decided to sell this instrument as is, without doing the restoration work... I'd really like this beautiful instrument to go to someone who can appreciate it and care for it properly. I'm selling it for two reasons: 1. I have tiny hands and this is a difficult instrument for me to play. 2. family circumstances are preventing me from committing to the restoration work. It saddens me to have to sell it, but I can't bear to see it sitting unused and unrestored... it should go to a collector, or a serious musician who can play it. If you're interested, you can find the listing here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW Thanks very much again, to those of you who gave me assistance with this concertina! I haven't forgotten about your sheet music, Brian.... it's coming. I just need to get it to the post office . Rose

Thanks very much for your replies everyone! Brian I did read your recommendations and I thank you very much! I'm astonished that you've been looking for "The Blue Skirt Waltz" for 25 years! I'd be very happy to send that copy of the Blue Skirt Waltz to you, if you'd like to have it... just drop me an email. I live in southwest Michigan as well, psychopepper, up near Grand Rapids. I'm a house musician for a terrific Irish pub in Conklin... a legendary little pub that hosts some of the finest names in traditional Irish music from both the United States and abroad. I've been very pleased to meet a lot of fine artists over the years (Tommy Makem, Paddy Reilly, and Liam Tiernan are just a few of the gents that come through our door on a regular basis). We have traditional seisiun every Wednesday, and we typically have between 20 and 35 musicans (some of whom drive hours to get there). We have quite a few accordion/concertina players and there are two of us who play the English system... the English system works beautifully for most of the seisiun music that we play, and we have a considerable repetoire. I do plan to purchase a vintage Anglo in the near future, I'm in the market for one... I'd like to become proficient with that system because I'm also an Irish dancer (ceili and set), and the Anglo is really preferred over the English for dance music. Anyway, back to the Chemnitzer: I was privileged this week to have a couple of emails from a wonderful gentleman, Mr. Ken Yagelski, "The Polish Fireball" (concertinamusic.com). Ken was kind enough to come over and take a peek at my photographs and provide me with the following information about this beautiful instrument (thank you, Ken!). I am sharing the information here, with his kind permission. "Henry Silberhorn was in the chemnitzer concertina business for many years. He started when he emigrated from Bavaria in 1885 by arranging music, teaching students and importing instruments from Germany. These imported concertinas were manufactured by Fredrich Lange, Carl Uhlig's son-in-law. "Later, around 1902, Otto Schlicht and his associates began to manufacture chemnitzers for a retailer named Georgi & Vitak, sold under the name Pearl Queen. In 1917, Schlicht also began making instruments for retailer Rudy Patek, sold under the Patek brand name. These instruments were almost identical except for the name badge. "When world war activity made importing from Germany difficult, Silberhorn turned to manufacturers located in the United States to provide concertinas. He contracted with Otto Schlicht and other companies to manufacture chemnitzers for him. "Your concertina is identical to instruments Schlicht made for Pearl Queen and Patek. Check out this link from our web site... http://www.concertinamusic.com/sbox/images/patekcatalog8.jpg "This image is from a Patek catalog dated 1930. Your instrument was likely made by Otto Schlicht and his associates very close to the same date. Earlier models were rarely ornamented with abalone or any other material. "A plain wood finish was most common. Some had silver wire and small "pearl" pieces inlaid, but the abalone finish was later (1930 - 1940) and only for the better instruments. "Later models (post World War II) were covered with plastic laminate, first plain and later emblazoned with rhinestones and fancy engraving." So the mystery of this beautiful instrument has been solved, and I thank Ken and Jim and all of you good folks here at Concertina.net for your kind assistance! Rose

Oops... I forgot to add, that this is a double reed instrument. I don't know a lot about tuning but it does sound as though it is dry-tuned, no tremolo.

It makes me very nervous to open these things up, I admit... but I did a better breakdown on this instrument tonight and I've found the following information: Henry Silberhorn Concertinas 339 S. Wabash Av., Room 306 CHICAGO, ILLS. Repaired by International Accordion & Concertina Mfg.Co. 1511 Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, Illinois I'm looking at the Concertina History page and I am seeing that Chemnitzers with the 23/24 button layout, like this one, were first designed in Germany in the mid 1800's. I'm finding these notes in the Concertina History page: 1917 The International Accordion Company opens in Chicago, Illinois, founded by Walter Kadlubowski Sr. and Walter Mojsewicz. They manufacture several models of accordions and chemnitzer concertinas under the brand names of International, Schukert, Sitak, and Silberhorn. and this.... 1926 The International Accordion Company begins producing chemnitzer concertinas under the brand name of Star, and eventually renames the company Star Concertina. 1930 Henry Silberhorn begins selling the Clarion Concertina, an instrument built according to his own design. It bears mention again that this is a very elaborate full abalone inlay with many small inset pieces... real abalone, not celluloid. This is my best uneducated guess, based on the information that I have at hand: I suspect that this may be one of one of the very earliest of the Silberhorn concertinas, manufactured around 1917. Yes, no, maybe? I'd like to send this off for restoration... can anyone point me in the right direction? Slainte~! Rose P.S. a little side note here: Two original peices of Concertina music were found in the case along with this instrument: both from the Vitak/Elsnic Company, Chicago. The titles are : "Happy Hour Waltz" (1946) and "Blue Skirt Waltz" (1944), both arranged by Elsnic and with the Silberhorn notations. And on the concertina history page, I find this note: 1925 Louis Vitak and his nephew, Joseph P. Elsnic, partner (Vitak & Elsnic) to sell concertinas and sheet music arranged for the chemnitzer from their store in Chicago, Illinois.

I saw the first listing for this concertina on E-Bay (I even placed a couple of low bids on it). Can you give me the information behind this scam? What happened to the original purchaser? Rose

As much as I agree with you all re: the smell of old concertinas, this particular smell is more unpleasant than pleasant, and I'd like to get rid of it. Thanks for the suggestions, I'll be trying them out. If you'd like to see pictures of this instrument I have them posted in this thread: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1433 Thank you everyone! Rose

Thanks very much for your kind reply, my PC has been out of commission and I apologize for the delayed response. Research on this instrument has been a little difficult but I have been able to confirm that this is an old Chemnitzer, and not a Bandoneon as I had previously thought. I believe that this concertina may have been produced prior to 1925, but I could be wrong... at any rate it is a beautiful old vintage instrument in wonderful overall condition and with an excellent voice, and I'd like to have it refurbished and properly tuned. One reed needs a bit of work, and there are three small pieces of trimwork on the exterior that need repair (I plan to do this myself), and it does need a new set of straps. I've examined the bellows on this Concertina very closely, and I've opened it up a couple of times now as well, to inspect the interior. The interior of this instrument is very clean and dry, and the leather and wood appear to be quite sound... no damage or decay in the leather or wood as far as I can see. It does smell a bit musty from long term storage, however (I estimate that this instrument has been in storage and untouched for forty years or longer), and removing a musty odor from leather is quite a trick... I'd appreciate any advice I can get in that department (my three teenagers, who have had to endure their mothers' musty huffing and puffing on this old beast in silent embarassment, would also be appreciative). I snapped a few shots of it this afternoon and I'm posting the photographs here, on the chance that some of you who are more knowledgeable about the Chemnitzers can give me a little more information than I already have. Here they are: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/pipp...t1/IMG_0262.jpg (front) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/pipp...t1/IMG_0263.jpg (front, closer image) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/pipp...t1/IMG_0266.jpg (top) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/pipp...t1/IMG_0268.jpg (side one) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/pipp...t1/IMG_0267.jpg (side two) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/pipp...t1/IMG_0264.jpg (the bellows) When fully closed, the body of this instrument measures 12-13 inches long, 8 inches wide and 8 inches tall. I'm a new member of this community, by the by... an Irish traditional musician from the great state of Michigan. I admit to having a particular passion for the free reeds, and I play an 1895 Lachenal English concertina and the piano accordion. I'd like to learn the anglo system as well, and I'm currently in the market (and I have been for some time now) for a quality vintage anglo. I may also be purchasing an Irish buttonbox in the near future. Thanks very much for the warm welcome! Rose

Would anyone happen to have an old barrel key for a hexagonal wooden concertina case that I can purchase? I play a Lachenal 1895; the key to my case has been misplaced, and I do not want to attempt opening the box without one. Thanks very much.

And as you can obviously discern from the title of this thread,... I also have a spelling problem .

I have a very old concertina with a musty odor... a professional in restoration has examined this instrument and it is quite sound. The musty smell comes from very extended storage. Can anyone offer a remedy for this? Thank you, Rose

Hello everyone. I'm fairly new to the world of concertinas, and I purchased a beautiful vintage Bandoneon a couple of weeks ago. I'm attempting to research... can anyone give me some direction regarding the make/type/date? This is a rosewood concertina with a full abalone inlay in green (this is real abalone). The word "concertina" is featured in metal fretwork on the front. All of the buttons have matching abalone caps (none missing). 23/24 button layout. Any information that you could give me regarding the value of this instrument would be very much appreciated. Thank you, Rose