Search the Community

Sorry, I am new, and this is my first time advertising here. I have a very rare (I hope!) and beautiful concertina for sale, and I was told this was the place I needed to advertise it... So, if I am making a mistake I am not aware of, like advertising in the wrong place, kindly let me know. Thank you! SUPER RARE VINTAGE 40 KEY L. LACHENAL AND CO ANGLO CONCERTINA IN WHEATSTONE LAYOUT IN AMAZING SHAPE! $3995.00 This is a part of history, and I hope it would find its way to a museum someday, where it would be preserved in this condition, and displayed for generations to see. It is by far the most interesting, and the rarest musical instrument I've ever laid hands on! It's a very cool, and beautiful piece of the past, in pristine condition (for its age!); and it is estimated to be over 110 years old! First; I want to disclose that I know absolutely NOTHING about concertinas, and all the information shared in here is gathered from hours of research online and talking to experts around the country. So, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of the information gathered in this ad. Finding the information about this beauty has proved to be the most difficult gathering of information for me, as there is very little information available (mainly because of the age, and how rare it is). And being that I am not an expert at all, I cannot tell if what I have found was fact or not. So, please forgive me, and ONLY rely on your own research and the many pictures I have provided. Also, feel free to ask for more pictures! 🙂 Even though I know nothing about this wonderful instrument, I still want this ad to be as accurate as possible, and do not wish to mislead anyone. That is why I have spent 10s of hours gathering all that I could... I took it in as a straight across trade on an expensive synth, because I fell in love with it. So, I rolled the dice... 🙂 According to my research, it was built in London, back in the late 19th - early 20th century, by a company who a Swiss (watch maker) immigrant started, after immigrating to England. This is an Anglo concertina in Wheatstone (ish!) layout, and was made by L. Lachenal and Co. It is a 40-key (very rare!), and it's presumed to have been built/sold sometime around or before 1913. I have spent a lot of time online, and with the instrument, and have mapped out the note of each key (in and out) on both sides, using a tuning app (please see it in the pictures). It appears to be a GD, with a drone key of A3 (in and out). I have also recorded a video (very poorly played...please accept my apologies!), which I will upload to YouTube, and will make available in here. Inside you can see the quality of the reeds from its bellow entrances, and they are still in great condition (for its age); which means it had been kept away from dust and dirt all its life. The wood surrounding the bellows has achieved a peak resonance over the many years, and makes a heavenly sound, that only a 100-year-old violin could match. This amazing wonder plays beautifully, and has a massive sound that fills the entire home; despite being old, and not at all big!?? All parts and pieces are believed to be original (not a guarantee!), and not replaced. It seems to have been built/repaired/serviced (?), back in 1913 (according to the writing inside, which seems to be authentic). Please keep in mind that you may need to have it serviced by a professional, prior to making beautiful (and accurate?) music with this lovely instrument. This gorgeous piece of art still functions wonderfully, as it did over 100 years ago, when it sang the songs of the exotic from faraway lands, across the Atlantic, across the Continental US, and through other passages unknown... Who knows what mysteries it holds, and what adventures it has been a part of... (The above information is gathered from many sources, including the web, so I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the statements, but believe them to be accurate, to the best of my very limited knowledge on this instrument. But one thing is for sure, this is an amazing and enchanting piece of history...) THIS WOULD MAKE AN AMAZING GIFT FOR ALL OCCASIONS, INCLUDING CHRISTMAS, BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY... 😉 Please feel free to ask me any questions; I will try my best to find the answers for you. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day. Cheers, Kevin P.s. I PACK SAFE and SHIP FAST! A VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1o-n9Wnw5U  SUPER RARE VINTAGE 40 KEY L. LACHENAL AND CO ANGLO CONCERTINA MADE IN LONDON UK IN AMAZING SHAPE! www.youtube.com A LITTLE ABOUT ME: I am a 46-year-old, with a degree in electronic engineering, who LOVES Synthesizers, Music, and Electronics in general. Even though I do not work in the electronic field; I have always loved it, never separated; and as a hobby, I collect and fix them (if broken); and sometimes sell them to make room for others... And, to make sure the next owner would not have any issues, I test them, open them(if necessary), and serviced them. YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES, AND PURCHASE, ON REVERB: https://rvrb.io/l-lachenal-and-co-1wdoe8 FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING, PLEASE MESSAGE ME!

I got this old German-made 5 fold impulsively and cheaply as my entry into concertinas. I want to have a go getting this more playable, changing as little as possible and preserving what I can. I have time, skills and tools but seem to be low on money as always. So far I gather it was made sometime between 1850 and 1940 which isn't greatly precise but enough for me to consider this as something from "the olden days". I don't want to unwittingly ruin anything historical and I plan to keep anything I remove or change because at the very least its interesting. And also write a note about what I do to leave in the case. It is what I would consider playable. Notes seem to be relatively in tune and most all working. Some notes don't sound as easily as others unless the air is pushed harder, I could describe as maybe a bit wheezy and breathy? I've been able to play some basic little tunes (and had a lot of fun so far ) and I'm planning to carefully clean the reeds with something akin to a Q-tip and isopropyl. The bellows seem okay but if you hold one end up and let the other drop without holding any buttons, It will slowly expand over about 16s. I plan to shine a bright light through from the inside of the bellows and patch any holes with a suitable glue and paper or very thin leather. Any recommended glues and kind of paper? (Is PVA wood glue okay?) - Some notes buzz in an old-timey alarm fashion, I figure the pin holding the reed to the plate is loose, do you think this is a nail/ screw/ rivet? - Does each reed need a leather flap? (brown reed flaps as pictured below) Is this potentially the cause of the harder to sound notes that are wheezy? I want to fix the box with new hinges and latches. I don't think I can get the lock working despite having an old key that I ground the tooth on so it fits well and turns but hits a dead end both ways at about 140 degrees. I think I'm best to add some new low profile latches on the outside. I will try make any new brass look old, I love the old look of the case. As I've been told in my previous post, I will store this on its side. I'm thinking some kind of matt Mod Podge or varnish to seal the outside of the case and protect the cool old label. Also may add some old wood splines to some of the loose corner joins. I think it would be cool to keep the splines visible, is this a crime? For the handles, will find some old aged leather that looks the part. I think the thumb button may need fixing too under the bone cap. I can figure these things out! Overall, I don't mind if its a little out of tune and scratchy, as long as its just playable enough. I think the roughness and patchy repairs is charming and suitable for this instrument. Maybe one day I can get (or make...) a better one Any advice is greatly appreciated, and thanks for taking the time to check out this post Even just pointing out any red flag in my approach would help! Happy to take more pics and do progress updates if people are interested. ❤️

This is such an unusual and gorgeous sounding traditional tune, with a fascinating history. Makes for a fun time exploring what can be done on the anglo with it! For once this isn’t a tune of my own, but I couldn’t resist adding plenty of new stuff inspired by it in there! If you watch to the end there’s a little dance tune based on it that’d do well on its own, too.

Near new condition. Asking $1750 OBO Specifications: Jeffries layout accordion reeds riveted brass action Delrin domed buttons bushed key holes and action Wakker bellows (high end traditional concertina bellows) Hardshell case with red felt liner.

Carroll Concertina #278, C/G 30-button. lt is the standard size in all black with a celtic tree endplate design and adjustable handlebars. I am the original owner of this instrument, I had it built towards the end of 2019. No leaks, holes, scratches, or damage of any kind. Occasionally the endplate screws need re-tightening, but when I asked the repair folks at the Button Box they told me it was nothing to worry about and is fairly normal with new instruments. Good volume, bright tone, and fast action, if I played more I would keep her, but I don't and she's too lovely to sit around and collect dust! Asking $5800 $5500 (+shipping), comes with hard case.

Hay everyone, i just bought a Wren from McNeela Music and im hoping that it’ll fulfill my needs. I searched and skavenged the internet for some answers. Maybe you guys can help. I mostly want to back up my singing with the concertina. I come from Ukulele playing and the playing sheets I have are with guitar chords. I’d also like to play some soundtracks from Games and Movies. And I like the style of playing chords an melody at the same time it just sounds more complete to me. I tried to get a Duet at a reasonable price but couldn’t find one for shipping to Germany. Would you guys say if I learn from scratch I’ll be able to do want I want with an Anglo? Or should I try to get a duet for my purposes? thanks for y’all’s advice in advance!

Wally Carroll #150 is currently for sale. I recently acquired a Jeffries and can’t keep both. $5500 or best reasonable offer. This is crossposted but 2% will be given to cnet should it sell here. Absolutely no issues with it. Right hand accidental row has C#/C# and C#/D# I’m at least the third owner that I know of. Has the adjustable bars with the Celtic Tree end plate thanks for looking

Check this little 20 button beauty out. Not quite 4" flat to flat. She is right in between Eb/Bb and E/B, and beautifully in tune with herself, but not as airtight as I would like. Serial number 48556 by one source appears to have been made 1876 ish? Is this a rare specimen or pretty common? It has amazing sound for such a small thing...

This is a warm and wistful waltz for 20 button anglo. It came about after a walk into the sun through trees on farmland just west of Worcester. I'm not quite sure why it came out like this, but it all got just a teeny bit Sound of Music somehow! I shall probably whirl around in a meadow come the late spring! The first section of this tune uses the melody in the left hand, accompanied in the right. The middle section swaps roles. It feels good to play and just dances along.

Many years ago, bought a fully reconditioned Anglo concertina from The Button Box. I've always been within day-trippable distance of the store since then, so I hadn't had much reason to shop elsewhere. Unfortunately they closed down in 2021. And I just had a spring fail. (With, of course, an informal performance scheduled for this weekend. Murphy was an optimist.) So who *are* the most reputable concertina repair shops these days? I'm currently in the Greater Boston area, but Im willing to consider traveling. And, while I'm asking: Should I take this as a warning that it's worth doing a full overhaul again? If E fails, C and G are presumably not too far behind, and the only maintenance in the past decade has been my occasionally recentering a reed or removing dust. Tnx in advance!

https://schoolofmusicaltraditions.square.site/product/introduction-to-the-concertina-with-randy-stein-and-jim-besser/130

There's a fun bit at the end of this one! This is a bit of a spooky sounding tune. I wrote it after coming back from yet another failed drive around tiny rural lanes to get to Woolhope in Herefordshire*. I think it channels the frustration and turned-about feeling we had! Unusually for me this isn't about harmonies but instead about unexpected bellows directions and ambiguity offered by having two B/C buttons on the instrument (one on the left bottom side, the other on the right top) in different directions and playing around with that. Also a bit of pinky finger twisting in the middle section where things are largely on the lower end of the instrument. Ooh, and in the intro bit. It's a nice one to play with others because you can just alternate Em and F chords and it works - that has lead to some jazzy stuff! At the end of the video I get a bit syncopated and enjoy myself! *Now I'm a great navigator usually, but this one beat me (and I am relieved that I'm not alone in finding it hard to find the car-park!) We have been trying to go and walk on the Marcle ridge for a while now, with its gorgeous views east back to the Malvern Hills and views to the west towards Hereford and Wales. Turns out that there was a road signpost that had got turned about! Now, you could say the locals just didn't want any folk from Worcestershire coming over and touristing in their area. But actually the very landscape and underlying geology is well confusing too! Rings of ridges encircle Woolhope, providing a feeling of enclosed protection. There's a direct route in from the west!

Full details at http://angloconcertinaplaygroup.org 4th / 5th February at The Folk 99 Westgate St Gloucester. Thats Gloucester UK not MASSACHUSETTS! Concert by Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne on the Saturday evening. The tuition and workshops for absolute beginners and improvers will be for the harmonic or 'native' style rather than the Irish discipline. All information is on the website or email me philwill73@gmail.com for more info.

I've a lovely Morse Anglo for sale in North Wales, reduced to £1700. It's a GD and plays beautifully, all in tune and very nice. It's in excellent condition without wear to the underside of the bellows or anything. It has an extra option of a G drone on the left hand. I don't seem to be able to upload photos to this post so I've listed it on Facebook as well and you can see here: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/713422979655509/

Have just bought a copy of Gary Coover's Anglo concertina in the harmonic style to further my understating of chord playing- My concertina is a G/D and the book is written with a C/G in mind. Are there abc notation versions of the tunes as written in the book anywhere, to save me having to create my own abc files to transpose. Or am I missing a trick here?

Thanks to help from people in this forum, I was able to locate and make contact with the owner of Concertine Italia. Last Thursday, I visited the factory and spent a couple of hours talking with the two women who make pretty much every part of their instruments, with the exception of the reeds and reed blocks. A lot of people helped me along the way. I'm especially thankful to my new friend Enrico, who thought a visit to a concertina factory would be a good adventure and offered to drive me there, and to serve as translator. I can speak a little Italian but quickly got lost in the specifics. The owner, Mrs. Simona, is an awesome person as is her only full time employee Rosalia. Together they make a range of instruments including an adorable tiny 18 button chromatic, and the Italian organetto. They say that their most popular model is the Hayden. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I think you will like these awesome makers as much as I do. You can find the video at

Posted on YouTube just yesterday, John Watcham playing Longborough versions of "Hey Diddle Dis" and "Swaggering Boney" with Taylor's Morris, for the birthday of Harry Taylor's great granddaughter. Gary

Seth Hamon professional C/G Anglo, jeffries system. Tuned and modded from Wheatsone to Jeffries by Karel van der Leeuw. As new state. Fast responding and loud instrument, i played a few Anglo and English brands and this would be quite a fav for gigs. Only selling because of the wife complaining that it's too loud and i want to keep her happy .... PS EU import duties have been paid for, 2100 Euros, VAT invoice possible, or deducted for EU based VAT registered buyers. 21% less if sold outside the European Union, like the UK or USA. UK price 1550 GBP, USA 1970 U$D, shipping excluded. Shipping to UK and USA can be expensive; for safety i would recommend UPS or FedEx-TNT. Case included ...

Thank you Concertina.net. I made a donation through PayPal. I have a practically brand new Swan concertina that I recently bought from McNeela Music in Dublin. I have decided that the concertina is not the instrument for me so I am selling this concertina. It comes in a nice hard case. In case you don’t know the Swan is a 30 button C/G Anglo concertina with Wheatstone layout.

Hi folks! Hope this is interesting/of use! I've used the well-loved tune Brighton Camp (The Girl I Left Behind Me) to show how I approach playing both melody and accompaniments in various ways on the 20b C/G anglo. The video starts with me playing and then it goes on to a discussion/demo. Brighton Camp is used for a dance we do with my local side Bow Brook Border in Worcestershire, so when I’m not dancing I’ve been jamming along with melodeons/accordion/fiddle and a lot of their tunes are in G major. Some seem to lie easily on the anglo and immediately can be accompanied whilst playing melody. Others require a bit more thought and experimentation. Interesting though!

Hello. Edgley C/G heritage; handmade reeds. Jeffries layout. Serial 431, recently tuned, with a sweet sound and in quite mint condition. Flightcase included 2500 GBP (2900 Euros) excl shipping. Bellows perfect, no damages, see last pic for bottom view. Located Netherlands, so maybe too expensive for UK imports due Brexit?

New here. Just wondering if there's a set of plans or drawings available for a 30 key Anglo. I'm planning making one sometime soon. John

Composed by James F. Hanley in 1917. Jim Besser - Baritone Anglo Concertina Randy Stein - English Concertina *originally performed in the Eastern North America Online Concertina Concert for World Concertina Day) https://youtu.be/hCSUlaf4DR4

Morning! I have a Welsh folk tale inspired new tune Im discovering there are so many different ways you can accompany a tune on a 20button - and sustained chords (which are found at the end of this tune) are my latest enthusiasm! But they sure take some thought and bellows planning They really make me think of choral stuff and chapel organs which is lovely because I started playing as a wee dot on a reed organ. Are there names for all these types of accompaniments beyond being harmonic in nature? So far I can think of octaves (on all or some notes), countermelodies (imitations, inversions, in parallel 6ths of 3rds, equal written so the countermelody is a nice tune in itself), bass and chord (rhythmic, oom pah etc), countermelody + rhythmic chords, sustained chords, accompaniment of all the above types on r hand..and of course many styles and combinations of the above

This is now available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYXTbhERw18 See attached pdf announcement! Note: this concert will happen on Saturday February 5, the day before World Concertina Day. 1-27-22 My Eclectic Repertoire.pdf