Really a Crabb?

[nkgibbs]

Dear C.netters,

I would be interested in your thoughts on this offering on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H-Crabb-Son-Concertina-musical-instrument/254001470012?hash=item3b23aada3c:g:AMAAAOSwKphb~XxL

Yours, confused,

Neil

[Wolf Molkentin]

What is confusing you here? My guess would be a post war Crabb - the label is looking o.k.

 

But maybe I‘m just missing the point.....

[saguaro_squeezer]

Get the S/N and ping Geoff.  How good is it to have the source at hand?

[mdarnton]

Looks a lot like a bottom end Lachanel student model with a Crabb label attached. Did Crabb ever make this kind of junk?

Edited November 28, 2018 by mdarnton

[Bill N]

I've seen a few Crabb anglos from this period which were, to paraphrase Geoff from a previous thread, made to a price point.  Not junk though.  The finish and furnishings are basic, but excellent reeds and playability.

[alex_holden]

I seem to recall Geoff mentioned that when Lachenal closed down, Crabb obtained some left over parts including action boxes. Maybe this is one of the instruments they built using those boxes?

[Wolf Molkentin]

4 hours ago, Bill N said:

I've seen a few Crabb anglos from this period which were, to paraphrase Geoff from a previous thread, made to a price point.  Not junk though.  The finish and furnishings are basic, but excellent reeds and playability.

 

see the left one...

[Wolf Molkentin]

6 hours ago, mdarnton said:

Did Crabb ever make this kind of junk?

 

Even basic Lachenals (Mahogany Anglos) don‘t necessarily deserve this disparaging label, and fellow concertinists with just one of these (not me, as I own TOTL instruments as well) shouldn’t be told they’re playing with „junk“ IMO. It‘s simply not true either...

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by Wolf Molkentin
typo

[Wolf Molkentin]

another thread re a post-war Crabb (again Anglo)

[Roger Hare]

On 11/28/2018 at 6:45 AM, Wolf Molkentin said:

 

Even basic Lachenals (Mahogany Anglos) don‘t necessarily deserve this disparaging label, and fellow concertinists with just one of these (not me, as I own TOTL instruments as well) shouldn’t be told they’re playing with „junk“ IMO. It‘s simply not true either...

 

 

You beat me to it - absolutely - I won't be paying any attention to Darnton's posts in the future - they

are clearly garbage - I have at least 2 Lachenals which are very, very good indeed.

 

Roger

[mdarnton]

Uh, for the record here, I did NOT say Lachenals are garbage. That's what I play, myself.

[Wolf Molkentin]

23 minutes ago, mdarnton said:

Uh, for the record here, I did NOT say Lachenals are garbage. That's what I play, myself.

 

I'm aware of that, you hadn't been talking about higher-end Lachenals (such as my Excelsior, or an Edeo, or New Model), but of

 

On 11/28/2018 at 1:35 AM, mdarnton said:

a bottom end Lachanel student model

 

- and admittedly I'm not even familiar with these "student" ECs.

 

This is why I referred to the "bottom-end" Anglos. I have and play a typical 20b Anglo (and funnily a very similar Crabb too, see link above), and they're clearly not junk, or crap, or garbage, or toys, but musical instruments. However, I would extend this experience or statement to the EC (or Duet) learner instruments as well, and I have frequently been taking offense at these pejorative ways of talking, it's not just you - but your post jumped out at me.

 

Best wishes - ?

[Ken_Coles]

Folks, let's discuss concertinas here rather than each other, and in civil terms. Your administrators thank you for helping us with this.

 

Ken

[Geoffrey Crabb]

Probably Lachenal but could be Wheatstone as that style of routed fretwork pattern and the coloured, lettered buttons can be found on English models of a both makers at various earlier times. An internal serial number, if present, may indicate the origin.

The H Crabb & Son label indicates that the instrument would have been refurbished/supplied at some time after 1936 and would have been used where the original makers/dealers label was missing or beyond re-use (mutilated). The ever important  wording on the Crabb label, 'Concertina Makers', does not imply the subject instrument as being made in the Crabb workshop.

It is expected that instruments of Crabb manufacture will have a Crabb four (8*** on) or five (10*** on) digit ID number present internally and/or externally.

Exceptions, however, may be found i.e. 1. No number.   2. Some 'odd' external number.

 1. Early instruments supplied to C Jeffries pre-1895 only had numbers pencilled internally and these were often erased between collection and final delivery to a customer. After 1895 all Crabb numbers were impressed into the internal woodwork.

 2. While some dealers/wholesalers would request there own name/numbers to be applied externally, a Crabb stamp & number would always be impressed internally.

 

Geoff.

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Geoffrey Crabb

[nkgibbs]

Dear Geoff,

Your sage comments on this concertina explain the Crabb labelling.

Many thanks,

Neil