I'm Going To Sell My Wheatstone

[Susanne]

Hello concertina players!
I have a nice Wheatstone end of 1800-ish 56-button (but one of the higher notes is missing) English concertina that I'm going to sell, preferably during the Scandinavian squeeze-in next week.
I bought it in 2005 used, knowing nothing about concertinas (and the owner obviuosly didn't either), learned to play some, but later the strap screws broke, and during the time it was away being repaired, I lost the few English concertina skills I had, and bought an anglo instead. Now I only play the anglo and have no plans or patience to learn to play the EC again.

My Wheatstone is gathering dust and I want to sell it to someone who will actually play it and give it some love and care.
I'm a novice with concertina types and subtypes, or technical specifics, but Jim Lucas will be able to describe it more. He has even seen it on the inside.

If you're coming to the Scandinavian squeeze-in you can have a look at it. If you're not coming but are very interested in it, let me know and if I don't sell it at the SSI I'll contact you.

Edited October 9, 2016 by Susanne

[gcoover]

I don't know about this particular one, but I've got a 56-button Wheatstone extended treble that looks almost identical to this, and it's one of the finest playing EC's I've ever seen, and I wouldn't sell it for any amount of $$$ or ever trade up for anything supposedly better. Someone in the distant past added some cork bits to shorten the reed chambers which I'm guessing really helped make it so responsive.

 

Of course, it's always best to play a particular instrument before you buy it since there is so much variation, but this could be a really good one.

 

G

[s2maur]

Love the denim thumb holds. Good Job.

[JimLucas]

... Jim Lucas will be able to describe it more.

 

Here's an early thread about this particular instrument. It has since had some minor work done (including new thumb straps), but really deserves a proper general overhaul. Once that's done, it promises to be an exceptional instrument. (And in general, riveted-reed Wheatstones from that period seem to be highly regarded.)

 

He has even seen it on the inside.

It's been a few (four?) years since I saw it last, and I no longer have detailed mental images. But the above-linked thread mentions photos, including internal ones. The links in that thread no longer work, but if you still have the photos, could you post them again somewhere visible? Otherwise, we should take new photos when you bring it to the SSI.

[Susanne]

It's been a few (four?) years since I saw it last, and I no longer have detailed mental images. But the above-linked thread mentions photos, including internal ones. The links in that thread no longer work, but if you still have the photos, could you post them again somewhere visible? Otherwise, we should take new photos when you bring it to the SSI.

But you opened it up last year at the maintenance workshop. I even have a photo of you doing it .

I don't have any photos left. But we can take new ones. Now I also have a better camera, and a macro lens, so we can get rather good details on photo for anyone who is interested.

 

Also, I really want to sell the baby to someone who will actually play it. If you're interested in buying it for a fine collection, it can gather dust in my house too.... it really deserves to be played.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Susi aka Sinead

[Dieppe]

I can't see any of the pictures, and for that I weep! Then again I probably don't need another instrument.

 

Patrick

[Stephen Chambers]

... one of the higher notes is missing ...

 

Isn't it that the top C reeds have been removed, to allow that button to work as a wind key? That's not unheard of...

[Susanne]

That's possible (meaning I have no idea because as previously stated I'm a novice with these things). Haven't you seen it on the inside as well, by the way? I remember you were there in 2009.

 

I can't see any of the pictures, and for that I weep! Then again I probably don't need another instrument.

 

Patrick

 

Patrick, I'm sorry that I always forget where I store certain photos before I remove things. I uploaded the photo here instead. However, I'm sad to say the concertina is now sold, and I'm happy to say it found a new home with a brilliant person and I know he will give it love and care and play it often.

But, you always need another instrument, don't you?

[Dieppe]

I don't need another instrument, actually just got rid of two of them that I never play! Beautiful instrument, thanks!

 

Patrick

[Stephen Chambers]

Haven't you seen it on the inside as well, by the way? I remember you were there in 2009.

 

Yes, that's why I made my suggestion - though I've probably seen the insides of a few hundred other concertinas in the meantime...

[Susanne]

I don't need another instrument, actually just got rid of two of them that I never play! Beautiful instrument, thanks!

 

Patrick

 

Oh, that's well done. But good for the instruments. Instrument aren't happy when they aren't played.

 

By the way, Stephen, it would be nice to visit your music shop some time. I actually bought my new anglo in Clare but I don't know if we ever went to Miltown Malbay that time. Mine is bought at Custy's in Ennis.

[Stephen Chambers]

By the way, Stephen, it would be nice to visit your music shop some time. I actually bought my new anglo in Clare but I don't know if we ever went to Miltown Malbay that time.

 

You should have! (We're only 20 minutes away.)

 

So what did you get? (Your picture link in the What our concertinas look like? thread doesn't seem to work... )

[JimLucas]

So what did you get? (Your picture link in the What our concertinas look like? thread doesn't seem to work... )

An all too common result of storing images, etc. on services which limit your capacity, then erasing files to make room for other files. This happens not only with external services, but with the capacity on concertina.net itself. Many old but (IMO) important images have disappeared from old posts, often rendering those posts meaningless. (Note also that moving a file to a new location -- including and especially a new service -- will also make them disappear.)

 

My solution is to pay for space (in fact, my own domain) on a commercial server. It's not free, but it's not expensive, and for the small cost I get enough space that I can afford to leave things there indefinitely. There no ads to annoy others. I can also organize the folders and files in a way that makes sense to me, rather than having to follow someone else's (e.g., Google's) organizational pattern. In particular, I have a folder named "cnet", which contains all the files I've linked to here on concertina.net, and so I know never to erase those files... nor change the path to where they are.

Edited April 29, 2014 by JimLucas

[Susanne]

I use my own domains but I've been too inconsistent with them lately, regarding what to use them for, and tend to move files around. I'll try to do better from now on though.

My new concertina is a rather unknown one (at least that's my impression when I try to search info on Google), the builder seems to be a Jim Shiels, or at least that is the name of the e-mail address. The company name seems to be A.P James. It was a medium priced but nice concertina, I think he had a Jeffries (or maybe that was in Killarney, at least it was a rather well-known brand in concertina contexts) or something like that, but I really didn't want to pay 3300 euros just like that. I'm very glad for this concertina, and the difference wasn't that big really. I think it may be too quiet for certain situations, but for now it's just perfect, and so much better than the Scarlatti I had...

 

Here's a link where there's a photo of my concertina: http://diddleydiddley.net/concertina-links/

And, I'll go and change the link on the post you mentioned.

[Stephen Chambers]

My new concertina is a rather unknown one (at least that's my impression when I try to search info on Google), the builder seems to be a Jim Shiels, or at least that is the name of the e-mail address. The company name seems to be A.P James. It was a medium priced but nice concertina,

 

Here's a link where there's a photo of my concertina: http://diddleydiddley.net/concertina-links/

 

OK, it's a "Limerickman" then, only now they're called "The Claddagh" and we sell them too. Jim Shiels used to get concertinas called "The Clareman" made for him by Andrew Norman, and they got a very good reputation as an "improver's instrument" here in Ireland, but these have since replaced them

 

I think he had a Jeffries (or maybe that was in Killarney, at least it was a rather well-known brand in concertina contexts) or something like that, but I really didn't want to pay 3300 euros just like that.

 

If it was a Jeffries, that sounds like a bargain price, wherever it was...

[Susanne]

Hahaha, I guess! I'm actually quite sure the Jeffries was in Killarney. It was a rather well known brand however. And by the way, the next time we'll stop by in Miltown Malbay. Actually my husband wants another B/C box and to trade in the one he has. He has a nice box now but think it's a bit too chubby and wants to try some different types (but only Castagnari). But that's a discussion for somewhere else, I guess.