Roy H Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) Hi. I recently decided I wanted to learn to play the anglo concertina so I set about looking for one to buy. I ended up buying a secondhand Stagi. It's great fun and not a bad instrument but I yearned after a vintage instrument, especially one that maybe needs some work so I could fix it up whilst playing the Stagi. So, I took a punt on a 32 button Lachenal anglo that was being sold in a local auction, serial number 57377. It was a gamble as I didn't get a chance to see it before the sale. It has fretted rosewood ends that have some significant cracks and there are a couple of marks that look like a rodent has been gnawing at it. I think the gamble paid off though as it definitely in repairable condition. The bellows look salvageable, the reeds are mostly free from rust, I've already mostly fixed the fretwork. The worst problem being a more-than-slightly warped reed pad from two failed support blocks but this is not beyond saving. However, the most interesting thing about this instrument is the fact that it is in B/F#. The reed shoes are all stamped with note names consistent with this. The F reeds are even labelled E#. Has anyone else got or seen a Lachenal anglo in B/F#? I've searched through this forum and on Google. There are references to Jeffries and Crabb instruments with this tuning but no mention of any Lachenals. Edited October 25, 2020 by Roy H Misnamed part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Coles Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 A very old survey, by yours truly, from the days of static pages on concertina.net: Known keys survey I should add that since I wrote that article, reports of German diatonic concertinas in E/B have turned up. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy H Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 Thanks Ken. Yes I saw your survey. Very interesting. I note though that the Lachenal you mention in the B/F# section 'seems to be Bb/F' whereas mine has reed stamps that are consistent with being a true B/F# anglo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lachenal74693 Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Ken_Coles said: A very old survey, by yours truly, from the days of static pages on concertina.net: Known keys survey Drifting OT slightly, that keys survey has a link to an article on Pitch by Wes Wiilliams (https://www.concertina.net/ww_pitch.html). That link is broken. Any idea where the pitch article might be lurking? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Coles Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 Many of the old articles were removed years ago. You could try a wayback machine search. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lachenal74693 Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 7 hours ago, Ken_Coles said: Many of the old articles were removed years ago. You could try a wayback machine search. Pity. I'll try the wayback machine - I always forget that... Ta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paaudio Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Hi Roy, I have a 27 key Lachenal (60792 ) (apparently originally a 26 key with a 27th added retrospectively) in B/F# which is its original key..... looks just like yours.... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy H Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 Hi paaudio. That's interesting - there's at least one other out there then! Thanks for that. I've been busy working on mine. There is still some work to do but it's mostly airtight now and apart from a couple of buzzy and slow starting reeds it seems to be playing well and mostly perfectly in tune (in B/F#). It sounds beautiful. I'll post some pics soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paaudio Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 Roy, Dave Elliot (miraculously) fettled mine into playable condition.... it was in its original old (Philharmonic?) tuning and he retuned it to A=440, replaced valves, pads, .......• "The valves are all but original, replace all • The pads are totally unserviceable, replace all • The cross bushes are some missing other a bit tatty, change all • The long structural screws are wrong, they need possibly drilling out and replacing (one per end) • The innards need a good clean • The pad board has shrunk and needs packing/ gluing • There are a number of missing/ loose reedpan support blocks to replace/ re-fix • The reeds have corrosion on the steel tongues which needs removal • The reeds need tuning to A=440Hz standard." some missing fretwork was also rebuilt..... a great job!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paaudio Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 Roy, This is my B/F# Lachenal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.