Rikki

I may be in line to purchase a Crabb Tenor that was previously sold through Concertina Connection. They still have it on their web site. http://www.concertinaconnection.com/crabb%20tenor.htm . I've seen a similar one that was previously on ebay starting at £2,000, but closed early; presumably sold elsewhere. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crabb-48-Key-Aeola-TENOR-English-Concertina-Extremely-Rare-Restored-/251708832496?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item3a9b03faf0&nma=true&si=OEl2aLP3eZnS%252BEnrhJOWQglBisI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 I'm told it's a F Tenor, and that you can play it like a normal treble only just adjust your fingering up one row. It looks great to me and I believe it may be ideal for normal melodies plus occasional accompaniment. I have little doubt that it is a fine instrument. The only thing I am unsure of is what would be the market price for such an instrument in recently restored condition?

Now sold through ebay.

I have a nice Lachenal metal ended 48 button concertina that I recently purchased through the Music Room website. The more observant of you may have seen their ad when they were selling it for £1,200 after they had it on ebay for £1,500. I bought it as a temporary measure whilst my Wheatstone Model 22 is being refurbished, but I have now purchased another Wheatstone (through this site!) so it is surplus to requirements. It has recently had new pads and valves, and it has steel reeds. The 5 fold bellows are in a good order. It plays fairly well, but in my opinion it could be so much better if the chamois was refurbished so that the reeds could sound a little faster and louder than they currently do. This is just my personal opinion, and bear in mind I am comparing it to my Model 22 which is a fairly top end box. I am only looking for around £600 if not sold through ebay. I live in Glasgow, so if you are close then you are welcome to come and try. I can accept Paypal if you would like it shipped, but UK & EU (Euro) countries only please. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeQndFY04wWlRxMkE/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmebDZwWjRXbUUzZjg/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeTEV5WUFSd2lKdGM/view?usp=sharing

I have just purchased this concertina and I am very pleased with it. It has been tuned to concert pitch and I have been able to deal with the non-sounding notes. Many thanks to Tim Harding, and to Tim's friend Margaret who brought the concertina up to Glasgow.

Just went to a phone bidder for £2,300.

I would be inclined to agree with Robert. At the very least have a go at restoring a cheaper concertina first.

I went along to see it yesterday. It is 8" across and starts at low G on the left hand side. In my opinion it is a Model 14 per the ledgers, but I am certainly no expert. It has been tuned to concert pitch in the past and is now overdue a good tuning. I suspect that it has been stored in someone's loft for a long time as it smells of mould. I'd probably want to replace the bellows just to help lose the smell, but if you could deal with the smell in another way then they may be repairable as I didn't identify any significant leaks. I wouldn't pretend to have reasonable knowledge of restoration, but I believe that the case is probably not something you would want to keep. I had the opportunity to try a friend's 64 button BT on Monday, and it was in a significantly better condition than the one on offer. For the limited times that I would use the Baritone notes for song accompaniment I think I would be better off buying a separate baritone so that I don't need to stretch for the treble notes the remainder of the time. I could also then transfer the muscle memory to another baritone in due course.

Don't forget to also add VAT and customs duty which will be payable before you can collect it from the courier in the UK. See https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty . Probably be around 22.5%.

I've sent you a pm. I'm looking for a backup whilst mine is being refurbished and this could be ideal.

Wow. Thanks for the excellent answer Geoff. I can perhaps see why these models were not so popular; as anyone familiar with playing a baritone may struggle to adapt to the change. Personally I believe I would rather own separate baritone and treble instruments and live with the fact that I can't get both ranges at the same time. That said, I have little doubt that there are players out there who will have no problem adapting.

Presumably a BT is a treble extended down rather than a baritone extended up? Therefore different fingering than a normal baritone as the lowest note is on the opposite side, or am I just confusing myself again?

Another one of these BTs has come up at our local auction. http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/great-western-auctions-ltd/catalogue-id-srgreat10010/lot-6370f031-4f7c-45df-a48e-a45a010239df .Looks like a definite model 14. I'm currently in the process of buying a TT and I would have otherwise been tempted, but I'm going to pop along to the viewing out of pure curiosity; having never seen or tried one before.

The seller lives within 45 minutes drive of where I will be tomorrow. Almost tempted to pop along out of pure curiosity.

It was certainly not my intention to suggest any underhand dealing David. Perhaps my words may have been a little ambigiuous. There're maybe some previous comments that I am not aware of. I was just suggesting that in general terms telephone bidders seem to win these auctions, and I never meant to imply anything beyond that. I've bid online at a few auctions where James Lewis was the auctioneer, and he tends to criticise the valuers for quoting such low guide prices. It occurs to me that they are what they describe as 'come and get me' guide prices that are designed to give people the unrealistic hope that they may get a bargain. The reality is that some will develop auction fever and end up bidding far higher than their budgets would have allowed.

I see that David has done another excellent job.

I assume it went to the usual telephone bidder?

Did the Peacock ever sell?

The ability to bid is not really the issue as I am registered with The Saleroom. The issue is knowing precisely what you are buying.

Well, as it went for £340 (opening bid), it does appear that the estimate was a little optimistic.

A C Norman currently has a 22 month turnoaround time for a tenor. I contacted Marcus Music and they do not make Tenors. They kindly sent me some more details regading the treble, as below: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmea2ljUC1hbUt0Z1l3RDZXeEdxZGZhQ3N0SDVn/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeUFJ4d2hQMVNDMWRWcWhJZWZHNFZyTl9YdmtN/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeMThELVFtUkNzLUt5bThtX3k0MUtJa3B4dnN3/view?usp=sharing Nice looking instruments and great value.

A very nice and playable, albeit rather worn (the bellows had been patched up on numerous occasions) Wheatstone Tenor Treble Aeola recently sold at our local auction for just £1,150. Unfortunately I couldn't afford to bid any higher at the time and lost out. At least with that one I knew what I was trying to buy. Through various experiences I find myself less inclined to buy a pig in a poke. Although my financial situation has improved, Bath is unfortunately a little too far to travel just for the possibility of securing the purchase of what may or may not be a tenor treble in a playable or economically restoreable condition.

Our posts crossed Geoff - see the links I posted one minute before your post.

Please try these https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeRnZ2UFd0YXVSV2pjRjZ6RzlMRUhVU0xwVlFV/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmebmNpMW5wUlkxTG53Mi1KTDQ3NHdGTDV0MUIw/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeY0x5RDZxazVCNVUwVkIzZklOdmpNbnEyT2JB/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeZG80d09Va3FNelo5NXhqT2lOeHVxMGxaVGVj/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QbCk6nSbmeWnRxbEVTVWI2T21Pd0ZIc3RaNmtDanNMZlpn/view?usp=sharing

I have now received more photographs of the 60 button Lachenal, but I don't seem to be able to post them. It does have 7 fold bellows and appears to be 7" across. There's a fair bit of wear on the ends, and it looks like it's long overdue a good service . If anybody knows a way I can post the photos I'll be happy to do so.

Somebody else got there first(!)