SteveS Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Nice looking Aeola TT here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Nice looking Aeola TT here Thanks for the nod Steve, it certainly looks very interesting. If I hadn't splashed out recently on 2 Jeffries, which were owned by the late Chris Chipchase, I might have been sorely tempted to check this one out, especially given it's history & Scottish connections. Mind you, my present wooden ended Aeola TT probably suits me better for our Ballad Sessions, but I'll certainly be following this sale with interest. Anyway, I've posted links on the Scottish Concertina site & Footstompin too, so it might be interesting to see if Simon has any comments to make on this one. Cheers Dick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 A lovely looking concertina, indeed, complete with its original leather case, which looks to be in good condition also. It's a model 19 with NP ends and my guess is it dates from about 1924. I have an identical one which was made in 1927 and they are nice instruments, although the bellows don't last on them. My bellows look sound and it plays well but Colin D examined it last year and said they will need replacing at some point. The seller says his relative (hard to believe it could be his gt gt grandfather) played professionally and recorded 78 rpm records, so I have written to him to ask the name of his relative to see if it is anyone we have previously heard of on C.net, out of interest. His starting price is a very fair one, in my opinion, as C Algar is asking £3000 for standard 48 key wooden-ended Aeolas. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveS Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) A lovely looking concertina, indeed, complete with its original leather case, which looks to be in good condition also. It's a model 19 with NP ends and my guess is it dates from about 1924. I have an identical one which was made in 1927 and they are nice instruments, although the bellows don't last on them. My bellows look sound and it plays well but Colin D examined it last year and said they will need replacing at some point. The seller says his relative (hard to believe it could be his gt gt grandfather) played professionally and recorded 78 rpm records, so I have written to him to ask the name of his relative to see if it is anyone we have previously heard of on C.net, out of interest. His starting price is a very fair one, in my opinion, as C Algar is asking £3000 for standard 48 key wooden-ended Aeolas. Chris Chris I too have one; mine is also almost identical to this one (my current main squeeze - the TT in my avatar is the one I rebuilt and which I use for song accompaniment). Mine is also from 1927 and as a key valve and not a slide valve. I agree they are terrific instruments, and the one in the ad has a reasonable starting price and is consistent with what I've seen them go for at auction, although it will probably need all the usual repairs doing to it. The one I have I believe to be a former salvationist box because of the wear on back of the bellows where I fancy it has rubbed against a uniform, and little wear underneath from resting on a knee. The bellows in general are reasonable otherwise, currently nice and tight, but showing their age around the folds, and also will need to be replaced at some point fairly soon. It was very dirty and scruffy when I got it, but I fettled it, tuned it, and now it plays wonderfully. I'll be playing this box for dancing & sessions next week at a festival. Steve Edited February 15, 2011 by SteveS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I emailed the seller for more information on his relative who originally owned and played it. Here is his reply. His name, was Alex (sometimes Alec) Dickson Reid. He played music Halls, cruises, recorded 78RPM thing called Down The Clyde, or similar? Used to have about 20 concertinas - some tiny stage gimmick ones, duet models - I just kept the Aeolas that seemed to be the main serious instruments he played. So, now you know! I wonder what he did with all the other concertinas. I hope he didn't throw them in a skip!! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Well, there were only two bidders & it sold for - £3,501.! I wonder if Simon's pockets are just a little lighter up there, today! Cheers Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Well, there were only two bidders & it sold for - £3,501.! I wonder if Simon's pockets are just a little lighter up there, today! Cheers Dick Simon who? The winning bidder/lucky purchaser, was none other than Chris Algar, so if anyone still wants it, give him a ring but expect to pay more than £3,501 for it. And if he was prepared to pay that sort of money for it as a dealer, expecting to make a profit, where does that take the prices of English concertinas? To a new high, it seems. I had the opportunity to buy a a metal-ended Aeola TT, 2 years ago for £2,500 but as I already have one, though I thought it might be a good investment at that price, I couldn't afford to buy it. And anyway, I don't like to have concertinas just sitting around unplayed. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) I sold one of these ten years ago for £2300 for the very reason that you say Chris (too many Concertinas), it needed no restorative work though. I also do not like to have Concertinas sitting around unplayed. At the moment I have two that I play every day, both quite different, but I have one other that is redundant ( a spare so to speak) being almost the same as one of those in constant use. I feel bad about this and will endeavour to prepare myself, and it,for sale. I would imagine that this Aeola TT will be quite a bit more money when it has been through the Barleycorn restoration system ! Edited February 21, 2011 by Geoff Wooff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 This Aeola TT will be quite a bit more money when it has been through the Barleycorn restoration system ! Yes, and sadly, possibly all the worse for it, as certain people who have purchased concertinas from him have told me that some of the restoration work he has had done on his concertinas by various restorers, is not always of a very high standard and I can also speak from personal experience, having had to pay someone else to put things right on a concertina I bought from him, some years ago. e.g., wrong sized pads and valves and wrong adhesive used; file marks visible on the reed tonques, where a file was roughly used to tune the reeds. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Simon who? Chris Chris, the seller said that he had sold the sister Concertina to this one, to Simon Thoumire a few years ago. I wasn't being serious though, as I'm sure he wouldn't need both of them. In any case, I heard back from Simon today, on Footstompin & he had this to say: I wish Dick! I only play one concertina as the effort to keep that in trim is hard enough. I have always wanted a back up Aeola but apart from the cash I would never have the time to play it and therefore I don't think it would be up to scratch when I needed it most. Cheers Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Simon who? Chris Chris, the seller said that he had sold the sister Concertina to this one, to Simon Thoumire a few years ago. I wasn't being serious though, as I'm sure he wouldn't need both of them. In any case, I heard back from Simon today, on Footstompin & he had this to say: I wish Dick! I only play one concertina as the effort to keep that in trim is hard enough. I have always wanted a back up Aeola but apart from the cash I would never have the time to play it and therefore I don't think it would be up to scratch when I needed it most. Cheers Dick Oh, you mean that Simon, Dick. Well, like he says and you can only play one concertina at a time, though I gather Alistair Anderson is in the process of sorting out a back-up instrument. And, remember, Simon had his first instrument stolen, some years ago. And, if you are a professional performer, what do you do? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.e5ef9a111c1064c0bbea848f22aab7fe.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now