Strange Keyboard Layout

[conband]

On Ebay at the moment Shiresantiques have a Wheatstone incorrectly stated as No., 20877 (should be 20377), but what intrigues me is the keyboard layout. What was the purpose of this most unusual configuration, there is no reference in Horniman why this is non-standard. It knocks me flat, if you'll excuse the pun.

 

Les Branchett

[alex_holden]

Link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wheatstone-48-Button-Rosewood-Concertina-20877-Made-1888-Original-Box-Working-/282355562334

[JimLucas]

On Ebay at the moment Shiresantiques have a Wheatstone incorrectly stated as No., 20877 (should be 20377), but what intrigues me is the keyboard layout. What was the purpose of this most unusual configuration, there is no reference in Horniman why this is non-standard. It knocks me flat, if you'll excuse the pun.

 

Unusual? Looks like a standard 48-button, treble English-system concertina to me. What am I missing?

[Tradewinds Ted]

Look at the last picture, showing a handwritten page with the note layout. The inner rows are nearly full of flats, and the "accidentals" are not.

 

With a quick glance, this looks to me like just a half tone higher than standard. I'm thinking it likely that the note layout of the instrument is actually standard, simply not in modern pitch. So what is written down is someone's attempt to find the closest equivalent for each button in modern pitch.

[JimLucas]

Look at the last picture, showing a handwritten page with the note layout. The inner rows are nearly full of flats, and the "accidentals" are not.

 

With a quick glance, this looks to me like just a half tone higher than standard. I'm thinking it likely that the note layout of the instrument is actually standard, simply not in modern pitch. So what is written down is someone's attempt to find the closest equivalent for each button in modern pitch.

 

Thanks, Ted. I didn't see the written layout, though I thought I had scrolled through all the photos. This time I found it.

 

And I agree with you, it looks to be a standard layout, but pitched in C#=Db. So as you say, it's probably in an old "high" pitch, which the seller felt was closer to C# than C for the "central" key, though not in tune with A=440 in either case.