Search the Community

What is the top row note-to-button assignment on a 28-button Anglo concertina (assuming C/G)?

Are any of the relatively less costly vintage instruments available in a 56 key tenor-treble? I am getting mixed reports on what tenor-treble models I should be searching for on a limited budget. Did Wheatstone or Lachenal make a simple rosewood ended, bone buttoned, steel reed in a TT compass for example? Please give me some suggestions so I can focus on some specific models. This could cause some debate (valid discussion but not here please) but I am not interested in instruments with accordion reeds. I also much prefer a vintage Lachenal or Wheatstone as they will keep their value which is very important to me as this instrument wil have to be sold when I have the extra to trade up. Right now, I have a treble tthat is very basic with bone buttons, rosewood ends, steel reeds and could easily get by with a similar TT while I save up. Please advise.

Rare H Boyd Concertina with case for sale. Purchased in 1999 from Chris Algar of Barleycorn Concertinas. Have handwritten invoices and notes from Chris to Gene. Concertina has metal ends with H Boyd in the metal work on the end. Label says Lechenal & Co, Patent Concertina, Manufacturers, London. 48 metal buttons, metal ends, 5 folds. No professional work done on the concertina since purchase in 1999. Concertina played by Gene, my late husband until 2006. Serial # 45843 pictured. Gene understood it was made in 1890. Kept in case, in heated and airconditioned home. Listed on http://www.ebay.com/itm/191654066174?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649 PayPal payment only. See Post #48 for detailed description of instrument by Cnet member Lawrence Reeves.

Wanted - 48 Button English To Learn On - West Coast Canada Or PNW, Seattle area. Edit: I am now actively searching for a Lachenal Edeophone 48 key with the large reed pan hole from the late 1920s. I am really enjoying the English concertina but my bone button instrument is in terrible condition and not worth getting professionally restored. I have been told that the Edeophone has the best balance of all the vintage concertinas for the type of music I want to play. It is very important to me that the steel reeds have never been tuned, that it is in old high pitch. The rest of the instrument can be rough as long as it is able to be restored. Please let me know if anyone has something like this or knows of one for sale. I prefer to buy locally in Canada but would certainly be open to getting the right instrument shipped from the UK or the USA. Thanks, John Message me through this forum please.

My anglo is back from its brief holiday to Marcus Music to have its sticky keys fixed! I had a couple of keys lifting clean out of the board due to the high action, so they bushed all the keys and repadded everything so the action is lower. Haven't managed to get anything stuck yet so it looks like it's all solved Finally got around to recording a tune I started learning a couple of months ago, the very lovely Floating From Skerry by Lynn Tocker. I haven't quite got the hang of getting the low reeds to sound at the same time as the higher ones, but I'm pretty pleased with this recording for once! https://soundcloud.com/robotmay/floating-from-skerry I'd normally post recordings in the tune/theme of the month but don't think this one fitted with any recent topics

I recently acquired a Bb/F 20-button Lachenal, serial No. 106253 (~1904?). This is 'badged' as having been manufactured for a dealer called John C Murdoch. I can't find anything about this dealer. Anyone have any information? Thank you. Roger Later - Ah! I should have done a search in these forums first! I have now found a lot of information including an obit. I didn't mention it, but the instrument is a 'Peerless' model. The references I found mention metal ends. Mine has wooden ends (mahogany, I think - the wood is certainly a typical reddish colour). Most of the references to Murdoch instruments seem to be to 30-button instruments, so presumably Murdochs were quite a large operation.

Bb/F Lachenal 106253 dating from around 1903 for sale . This is a Bb/F 21 key Lachenal Concertina dating from around 1903, serial number 106253. Medium coloured wooden fretwork which is complete but with a partial hairline crack to each side - commensurate with age - which is stable and does not in anyway move or compromise the structure of the concertina. I had this concertina restored a few years ago and bellows reconditioned so it is ready to use and plays very nicely, a lovely little concertina. This instrument also has the 'Trade Mark - English Mark' with reed imprint on the right side strap mount. PM me if you are interested.

I am selling my father's Lachenal Edeophone 48 button treble concertina, which he used in the Salvation Army. It is a twelve sided instrument with wooden fretwork ends and 6 fold bellows, complete with original case. This is an opportunity to buy a top of range English concertina. It has a serial number 58850, which means it was made in about 1922. It is being sold as is, and has three buttons without sound, a re-attached right finger slide and a broken lock on the case. I am located in Australia and am looking for a fair offer. If you are local you could come and try it out, but I can't play it to do a demo! Please contact me for any further information. Sallyann

I have just dug out my father's concertina which he owned and played as a Salvation Army officer from the 1940's. I don't know anything about concertinas but have become interested as I realise that his is in good condition. It is a Lachenal Edeophone with 48 buttons and has a serial number of 58850. The leather box looks original too. Can someone tell me approximately when it may have been made and if it is valuable now?

Hi, I am starting to search for a high quality g-d anglo. Looking for: 30 buttons or more, plays very well, true concertina reeds. I normally play c-g, am interested in expanding into a lower register. Thank you! Janet Have found a lovely instrument - calling off the search. Thanks! J.

I put this instrument up ten years ago. It's still sitting in my cupboard. I don't know what it is and I don't know what to do with it. It's a rosewood-ended Lachenal, serial number 72000-odd. 28 buttons, all on one end, only a flat wooded panel on the other. 12-fold bellows, about 7 3/4" across the flats. Most likely a one-off instrument, I can only surmise what it may have been made for ... perhaps an amputee soldier returning after the Boer (?) War, or perhaps a vaudevillian who could play concertina with one hand while doing something else with the other? Dating this one could be an important clue, because it might add weight to the returning soldier theory, but when does 72000 date from?

Today, I visited with Mr. Greg Jowaisas. Immediately walking in there was almost a dozen instruments set out for me to try, amongst them, Lachenal's and Jones'. Due to a bit of overwhelm and sensory overload, I was only able to take notes on a few. The first instrument I looked at was a Lachenal Anglo 20 button C/G with brass reeds. It had a sharp sound and was a bit dissonant, but not enough to be unbearably off putting. The one thing that gave me a hard time was gripping the instrument. A bit into the visit, Greg talked about the different parts of the instrument and mentioned the strap screw and then I realized "gripping" was more a trivial matter than a legitimate one. All in all, it was really simple to pick out a few tunes on, but the lack of a C# immediately turned me off. The second instrument I tried was a Lachenal Anglo 22 button C/G. I have no idea what changed in between the two systems, but I couldn't figure out the diatonic scale structure. Out of frustration, I moved on to the Anglo 30 buttons C/G's. The Rochelle was pretty sharp, and sometimes ringy, so tonally it was a little on the harsh side. But like the Lachenal, it wasn't so bad that it hurt. I was quite impressed with it. To answer my own question, no it did not sound like a toy. What I didn't like was how the buttons didn't really have a stopping point when pushing them, like the springs didn't have enough tension. Given it's an entry level instrument it's shortcomings were obvious and expected. There wasn't enough wrong with it to turn me off so I will officially be starting on the Rochelle. The steel reeded Jones's were really nice. They had a very warm and mellow tone compared to the brass reeded boxes. I liked them a lot. I also got to try a Carroll. It was absolutely lovely. It was very comfortable and smooth to the touch. I loved the feel of the metal buttons and it's bellows were very light. It's tone was bright but very controlled. It is a wonderful instrument. I walked in not expecting to learn a single tune, but I picked up this system very quickly. It was much simpler than I expected. I'm no longer intimidated by the Anglo being bisonoric and I'm actually quite fond of it now. Over the time I was there I managed to pick out a jig and a reel: Joe Cooley's Jig(The Bohola) and The Little Bag of Spuds. I didn't get them down-pat, but I was impressed with what I could work out in such a short time. I also tried out an English, just to give it a fair chance and to experience for myself it's "apparent" intuitiveness... First off, I have no idea why it's the recommended concertina for pianists. It's alternating pitch structure wasn't very logical to me and it's unisonoricness didn't help it's case at all. As embarrassing as it is, I admit I couldn't manage to even figure out the D scale. I couldn't find the F#! It was so frustrating and humbling, Greg brought out a fiddle for me to play so I could recover. I say all this in good humor but the English is not for me. He also showed us a baritone Duet concertina, which was enormous and made even less sense than the English. Goodness... On the English, I couldn't find the 3rd scale degree, and on the Duet I couldn't find the 2nd! xD. It was really neat sounding though. Overall, the concertinas were all wonderful. They do small acoustic instruments proud with their loudness, but they weren't too loud. Those that were bright weren't too sharp. Those that were warm weren't too muted or stale. A few did have a clarinet thing going on with their tone, and that baritone duet could've passed for a... well... Baritone(brass). But the rest of them did have a special and distinct tone. I'm so glad I got to feel and hear them live on my own knee. In between the concertinas, we were able to share a few tunes, a few stories, and a few laughs. He told me about different events in the area and talked about his experiences with Noel Hill. He also answered all the questions my very inquisitive friends had to ask. I would've learned a lot more if I wasn't so focused on assessing the boxes. One of my friends said, "I think I know more about the concertina than any other instrument now!" Definitely worth the trip and I look forward to continuing things with the Concertina. Thanks everyone for the recommendation and thank you very much Greg for the opportunity. You're a gentleman and a scholar! Cheers! -Jerone

Hi. Lachenal 28 Button C/G - circa 1881-1887 - which has new 6F bellows (D.Leese) Tuned and padded (C.Algar) £1100 ONO Lots of pics available Kind regards Mike

I know that you may have seen this already in another thread on this forum but I thought that I would post it here too, as this is where it really belongs... My Lachenal Anglo with the serial number 87119 has just been dated to circa 1885 by Randall Merris, which I'm really pleased about...

This is one of the early Edeophones, as you can see by its retention of the Oval and Diamond cartouches from the New Model range, rather than the scrolls you normally find. It also has aluminium reed shoes which, as far as I can tell, make no difference at all to the sound (loud and sweet as you would expect of a wooden-ended Eddie) but do make it surprisingly light. Restoration has included new pads, valves, bushings and dampers. Woodwork has been repaired and re-finished, bellows re-bound, new straps fitted, and it has been tuned to modern concert pitch. It also comes with its original case, still serviceable after about 120 years. I'm looking for £1900, but will always consider interesting trade-ins.

I'm regretfully selling my Lachenal Edeophone treble EC. It dates back to the late 1920s and was beautifully restored in 2013 by Bill Crossland who mentioned that it had belonged to the wife of a Salvation Army missionary working in Cuba in the 20s and 30s. I've had it exactly a year during which time it has been played regularly but cosseted and has never left the house. It has a beautiful tone, is in tune (modern tuning) and looks wonderful with no issues. It has ebonised, French polished ends with no cracks. The bellows have 6 folds and are airtight. It has the original leather case, in poor condition and held together by black tape. I've kept it in a hard case which is not for sale. I'm selling purely to raise money for other projects and also because I feel it needs a better player than me to get the best out of it. I have a second concertina of inferior quality which meets my needs and can't justify keeping 2 excellent instruments. The asking price is £1,600 or the equivalent in euros, which includes postage within Europe. I'm not looking to make a profit and this just covers what I have put into it. Anyone interested who lives near La Rochelle in Western France, or is here on holiday, is welcome to visit to try it out. I can also send more photos and a basic soundfile. Dean

Hi! I´m looking for a MacCann Sytem Duet Concertina. 46 buttons would be great but I´m open to your suggestions. Lachenal or Wheatstone (I guess those are the only MacCann system Makers) Please contact me if you have something to offer. Shipping would be to Miami, FL. Thanks a lot! Gaspar

Hello All, I have for sale two 20 Button Anglo Concertina's, one recently restored, the other just back, from Greg Jowaisas's workshop in Kentucky. They are: 20 button Lachenal concertina in C/G , steel reeds, modern concert pitch, in very good shape, serial number 178625. It was in very nice original shape, (the nicest and cleanest reeds I have ever seen on an old concertina) but I sent it to do some tuning, and has since come back from North America’s premier concertina repair man not only tuned, but with a very nice five fold JEFFRIES bellows(much nicer and sturdier that the original Lach. Bellows), with black and gold Wheatstone papers, which are very striking. It also has all new pads, valves, and hand straps. It is a nice player and is very airtight. And of course, that traditional concertina sound! $600.00 post paid in the USA, $50.00 to ship overseas. Comes with an economy gigbag. If interested, send me a PM, thanks, 20 button Crabbconcertina in C/G , steel reeds, modern concert pitch, in very good shape, serial number 37xxx(built 1937). It has bushed metal buttons, Lachenal Style fretwork, five fold bellows(airtight)Recently back from America’s premier concertina repairman ,not only tuned, but with all new pads, valves, and handstraps. Riveted action, a very fast and nice player. Though not as loud as a Lachenal, it lacks the clattering typical of many Lachenals. And of course, it has that traditional concertina sound! $650.00 USD, Postpaid in the USA, $50.00 to ship overseas. Comes with an economy gigbag. If interested, send me a PM, thanks, Don And of course, should a sale occur, the appropriate donation to this site will be made.

Here we have a typical 20 key brass reeded Lachenal from around the turn of the century in original condition. You will, of course, spot the slightly unusual thing about it that occured to me after a second or third look?

Does anyone know how Lachenal did the twiddly decorative bits in the corners of their ends? I'm making new ends for a rosewood English treble (#21718, believed to be an Inimitable) and I don't have the original ends to work from. From the photos I have seen they look like they were cut from nickel-silver or perhaps even real silver. Were they simply sawn or stamped from very thin sheet metal and glued straight onto the surface, or were they inlaid? Any idea how the dark lines were made on the surface of the metal? Here are a couple of posts that show instruments with the decorations I'm talking about: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=12628 http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10794

My dad has asked me to sell his 48 key Lachenal English concertina for him so here it is. Not really sure how much it's worth if I'm honest so perhaps someone can give me a bit of guidance? All the notes play cleanly and the bellows seem air tight enough. One or two valves on lower notes have a very slight flap to them. I will post a video of me playing it very badly on YouTube in the next few days (I play chromatic button boxes so don't expect too much!). The box I believe is original but has been relined - the concertina slides slowly into the box with a gentle "phfffffft" of air so it's a really really good fit. I think that's all - oh it's number 60190 and it's currently located in Bristol, UK Probably best to email me on craptiger@hotmail.com for more details.

Hi folks, hopefully I am in the right area to advertise a concertina. I’m not actually a musician but the grandson of one! Following my grandfather’s and now, grandmother’s death, we are beginning to part with some of his possessions. I believe he played it for open air services when he was a minister, and this site seems to have members genuinely interested in the instruments and their music. It is a Lachenal Concertina. I believe it's a 56 button ‘duet'? possibly a baritone? with metal fret ends, metal buttons and it looks in nice cosmetic condition and it’s in its original case. (serial number 58874) My ignorance means I don’t know if it makes a good sound (it certainly doesn’t in my hands) - every button creates a sound although one of the buttons sticks a bit and one of the finger straps has broken. I don't know it's value so I'd be pleased to get members' input on this, or make me an offer. I have attached photos and will endeavour to answer any questions to the best of my ability.