Almost As New 67 Mccann For Sale

[pete_morrison]

HI all you players!

 

I really did not want to have to write this, but I am out of cash.

 

I have a 67 Wheatstone McCann for sale. The number is 20290, which puts her about 1920's. Here is her story.

 

In the 1970's I was mad into concertinas, and used to spend many hours talking to Harry, Neville, and his brother about them up at Liverpool Road, Islington, London.

 

I had no money at the time but in the end Neville said to me "this is the best you will find". So I went to the bank and they lent me the money. The first thing I ever owned!.

 

I believe that I am only the second owner. I think that for the first 40 years of her life she sat on a shelf somewhere in London.

 

Since then she has been played constantly. Neville said "get her tuned every 15 years". I did not; she is still in tune today (one or two of the top notes need tweaking but I will leave that to an expert. From here in Donegal that means I would have to take it down to yer man in Ennis who is the only one I would trust - and is probably reading this).

 

The thing is that after 40 years together I want her to find a good home. She needs to be played. OK so Tommy Williams said that a 72 is "ideal", but it is rare that I have the need to 'cross over' for a lower chord.

 

Any flaws? Yes, two. 20 years ago one of the thumb screws sheared off and I have not been brave enough to drill it out and find another one; so it has been taped up since then. Next as I said one or two higher notes (in 'D') need tweeking. And the hasp on the original thick leather case needs replacing.

 

Otherwise she is the same as she was when she came out of the Strand. The straps are as new. I bought them from Steve Dickinson at a folk festival in Oxfordshire back in the 1980's.

 

If there is any interest I will take her apart and do the photos etc. otherwise not. BTW I will NOT trust a courier; only hand delivery. And I have a large reserve price.

 

Keep Playing guys

 

Peter Morrison

Ballyshannon, Donegal

 

 

 

[Geoff Wooff]

Should that serial number be 29290, Pete ?

Edited January 31, 2013 by Geoff Wooff

[ceemonster]

by "reserve," do you mean this concertina is on ebay? i do not see it anywhere. are there photos of at least the exterior up somewhere? is it metal-ended or wood-ended?

Edited February 1, 2013 by ceemonster

[pete_morrison]

Hi Geoff,

 

You absolutely correct, the number is 29290, by copy '...Box', No pics yet as I rarely take the thing apart. I want to avoid the ebay crooks cattlemarket, so I am offering it to the players first. To me it is useless to leave it in someones trophy cabinet. Metal buttons, Raised metal ends, Red gauze under the fretwork (keeps the moths out :-)). Perfect inside.

Edited February 2, 2013 by pete_morrison

[Chris Drinkwater]

Guide price? Two years ago at the Whitby Folk Festival, Chris Algar had a 67 key metal-ended Aeola Macccann duet, dated about 1916, for sale. It had a set of new bellows and was overall in v.g.c. The asking price was around £2,500, which I thought was a quite reasonable price for such an instrument at the time. I can't imagine they have gone up much in value since.

 

Chris

[Geoff Wooff]

Chris,

I think your suggested market value is about right, at least for this side of the Atlantic. Mr Algar offered me a similar 67 Aeola last year for £2600 but I obtained another in a private sale and ended up paying a fair bit less. The Barleycorn prices have to take in to consideration the repair/service costs and some form of Garantee, if not a trade-in allowance.

 

I also do not think that values have escalated, however, a 67k Aeola MaCann is a very usefull instrument with its Four and a Half Octave range in a (still) reasonably sized package and much cheaper than a 64k Aeola Baritone EC!