Frank Nocera Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Has anyone heard of a concertina maker J. Riley? If so, were they good instruments? I have searched (I think) thoroughly and can find nothing. There is one for sale on Ebay and I am wondering if it would be a good one to purchase and have restored. Stamped into the frame in the photos is "J. Riley", and what appears to be "Birms". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Best to give a link to the ebay advert and people can see what you are looking at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Here's a link to the concertina https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Concertina-In-Wood-Case-J-Riley-Birne-Button-Accordion/143228896136?hash=item21591b8388:g:MGcAAOSwM7Fcwk91&frcectupt=true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Frank, that J. Riley could be a dealer, not a maker, though the 1879 Post Office Directory of Birmngham does list a John Riley & Sons. https://books.google.com/books?id=dO8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA546&lpg=RA1-PA546&dq=j.+riley+%26+sons+birmingham+musical+instrument+dealer&source=bl&ots=_f36MQvhy3&sig=ACfU3U0Fo33hMcLr2n_gwC7kz5rc8UoNEA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjn58yO1_rhAhWlg-AKHWy-DkkQ6AEwBnoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=j. riley %26 sons birmingham musical instrument dealer&f=false Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Nocera Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 So, looking at the photos on the Ebay post, it appears it once had a label. My guess is that it is a Lachenal Anglo c/g. So here's my question. Assuming my guess is correct, what would a ball-park estimate to have it fully restored and tuned? Ground-up restoration: bellows, felts, springs, end-pieces restored, valves. Everything except the reeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Well Frank, you have answered your own question ... a Lachenal for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saguaro_squeezer Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Frank, you should contact Greg Jowaisas who is on this list. In the US, he's your best bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Nocera Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 I emailed Greg. I also called the folks at the Button Box. The serial number appears to be 79001. If I did the math right, it dates to 1868. That's a lotta miles on this instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 (edited) I ended up getting this concertina knowing it was a Lachenal but not sure of the date. I bought it as another project as I’m learning to build concertinas and am in the process of making my first set now. I’m wondering about the estimated age myself. 1868? That’s interesting. Cheers, Seth Edited May 3, 2019 by Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Nocera Posted May 3, 2019 Author Share Posted May 3, 2019 Congratulations on getting the Lachenal. In the end I decided not to bid on it, as I really want a 30 button Anglo and believe I will be better off to find one that has already been restored by a well-known restorer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowright Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 (edited) There sems to have been several Rileys from Birmingham, probably from more then one generation, involved in some aspect of the nusical instrument trade. I have seen Lachenal concertinass labeled "W C Riley" and "W S Riley & Son". Then there are also Post Office Directory listings for "Joseph Ripley" and "John Ripley & Sons". What strikes me as unusual is the exterior stampings of "79001" and the "J Ripley". Dating of 1868 is way off the mark. The 79000 range came long after the "Louis Lachenal" era (up to 1873), well into the "Lachenal & Co" era thereafter. My best estimaate for the year of manufacture is circa 1884. Edited May 3, 2019 by Dowright correct spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 55 minutes ago, Frank Nocera said: Congratulations on getting the Lachenal. In the end I decided not to bid on it, as I really want a 30 button Anglo and believe I will be better off to find one that has already been restored by a well-known restorer. A few people bid at the last minute as it went up a little. I’m building a 30 button right now, my first attempt, but a Hybrid. Just finished he bellows yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 16 minutes ago, Dowright said: There sems to have been several Rileys from Birmingham, probably from more then one generation, involved in some aspect of the nusical instrument trade. I have seen Lachenal concertinass labeled "W C Riley" and "W S Riley & Son". Then there are also Post Office Directory listings for "Joseph Ripley" and "John Ripley & Sons". What strikes me as unusual is the exterior stampings of "79001" and the "J Ripley". Dating of 1868 is way off the mark. The 79000 range came long after the "Louis Lachenal" era (up to 1873), well into the "Lachenal & Co" era thereafter. My best estimaate for the year of manufacture is circa 1884. Thank you for that, I appreciate it. I’ll take it apart and double check the number inside when I get it hand. I have another Lachenal too. I’ll check and see what the number is on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 (edited) Im restoring this Concertina here Edited July 4, 2019 by Seth To correct link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 On 5/1/2019 at 10:52 AM, saguaro_squeezer said: Frank, that J. Riley could be a dealer, not a maker, though the 1879 Post Office Directory of Birmngham does list a John Riley & Sons. https://books.google.com/books?id=dO8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA546&lpg=RA1-PA546&dq=j.+riley+%26+sons+birmingham+musical+instrument+dealer&source=bl&ots=_f36MQvhy3&sig=ACfU3U0Fo33hMcLr2n_gwC7kz5rc8UoNEA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjn58yO1_rhAhWlg-AKHWy-DkkQ6AEwBnoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=j. riley %26 sons birmingham musical instrument dealer&f=false There is also Joseph Riley, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 On 5/3/2019 at 6:55 AM, Frank Nocera said: Congratulations on getting the Lachenal. In the end I decided not to bid on it, as I really want a 30 button Anglo and believe I will be better off to find one that has already been restored by a well-known restorer. The Riley / Lachenal is restored. You might be glad you didn’t get it if you were set on a C/G instrument as it’s tuned to A/E. The Riley stamp is barely visible after restoration and I just stripped the finish, no sanding, so it mustn’t have been stamped after the instrument was made and finished. Anyways, it’s a nice little box and was fun to restore. The tuning was a complete surprise too which threw me off for a bit when I started tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Nocera Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share Posted September 28, 2019 Nicely done, Seth. And you are correct, as a total newbie I would have not liked finding out it was A/E. I opted to buy a new Swan by Paraic McNeela. As a learning instrument it will be fine for me for a couple years. My only wish is that the buttons were larger, as on the Lachenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 I have several Lachenals and you would be surprised at how the bottoms size varies from one to the next. The English ones have even smaller buttons. This Riley Lachenal has the largest buttons I’ve seen on a Lachenal comparable with a Jones set I have which also has 20 buttons. That Swan looks nice, are the bellows all leather? Cheers, Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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