Any clue about this one....?

[larosdad]

Hello experts and collectors.I purchased last week this misterious concertina and I dont know who made it.Has anyone any idea about its maker. I suspect that it could be a jones but the position of the buttons on the right side confuses me a little. It has rosewood ends and brass reeds.I dont know the serial numer but I have a tiny bit of the label. The reed pans are not radial, they are paralel and the reeds are a little wider at the base than lachenal ones. Thanks

[Greg Jowaisas]

From the "G" shaped lever arm pivot I'd venture that your concertina is a Nickolds. The smoking gun for identification would be reed shoe clamps that do not completely encircle the clamp screws but are notched from the outside to the screw hole.

 

Nickolds concertinas often had shared similarities of Jones fretwork with the "flowers" around the air valve or drone buttons being wilder or at least less refined. The reeds often have a broader tongue similar to Jones and similar shoes that are thicker than Lachenal or Wheatstone.

 

My experience is that the Nickolds have a warm tone, again similar to Jones.

 

Greg

[larosdad]

Thanks for your replay Greg, or should I call you detective Jowaisas since you where also right about the reeds. I wasn't able to upload the other pictures,but one of them has evidence of your ''hunch''.would you know how old is this instrument? I know that the serial number will help but I did not see any on the right side and I did not atempt to open the left side yet because some of the screws are in very bad shape and wont be an easy job. would you know when Nickolds stopped production?

[Greg Jowaisas]

Concertina aficionado and repairman is a much better description of me than "detective". The real detectives are folks like Wes Williams who have plowed through census data and collected dates of verified instrument ages. Some of wes' work is in cnet's Buyers Guide with a link on the home page. Here is a link to his "Dating Your Concertina: A Summary Guide":

 

http://www.concertina.net/wes_williams_dating.html

 

Not much about specific Nickold's instruments. Stephen Chambers or a few of the cnet members who have Nickolds instruments may be able to supply some instrument #s with verifiable dates.

 

Stephen has a bit more information on Nickolds instruments here:

 

http://www.concertina.com/chambers/michaelstein/index.htm

 

Your serial # should be stamped into one or both reed pans.

 

Yes, freeing end bolts takes time, patience and care. Carefully heating a stubborn bolt with the tip of a soldering iron can work wonders (Thank you Theo Gibb).

 

Greg

[chris]

Hi

Thomas Nickolds was listed in 1881 census (aged 58) as a concertina maker

Frederick Nickolds was listed in 1871 census as a Concertina Maker

Frederick Nickolds was listed in 1891 (aged 64) as a Musical Instrument Maker (employed)

 

So one or more of the Nickolds family were still making, at least to 1891 (tho' given that he is listed as 'employed' he may not have been working for the Nickolds Bros')

a quick skim thru' 1901 doesn't show Frederick still around

 

there is at least one Nickolds concertina with a serial number in the 9000's

 

not sure whether you can extrapolate a possible date from this info -( ie 1848 - 1891) assuming that you do find anything stamped into the woodwork

best of luck

chris

[Greg Jowaisas]

Hi

Thomas Nickolds was listed in 1881 census (aged 58) as a concertina maker

Frederick Nickolds was listed in 1871 census as a Concertina Maker

Frederick Nickolds was listed in 1891 (aged 64) as a Musical Instrument Maker (employed)

 

So one or more of the Nickolds family were still making, at least to 1891 (tho' given that he is listed as 'employed' he may not have been working for the Nickolds Bros')

a quick skim thru' 1901 doesn't show Frederick still around

 

there is at least one Nickolds concertina with a serial number in the 9000's

 

not sure whether you can extrapolate a possible date from this info -( ie 1848 - 1891) assuming that you do find anything stamped into the woodwork

best of luck

chris

 

Chris is another concertina detective and has been working on the history of Scates instruments. "The game is afoot!" Keep up the good work.

 

Greg

[Stephen Chambers]

Stephen Chambers ... has a bit more information on Nickolds instruments here:

 

http://www.concertina.com/chambers/michaelstein/index.htm

 

And more here: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=811&st=0&p=7452