Bill N Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 This is currently listed on a local on-line auction. The only description is "Civil War era Squeeze Box". Maybe a bodged Lachenal? But 11 fold bellows? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JimR Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 It looks like an Anglo concertina with a loooooong bellows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiposx Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 A home brewed bitza. I supect that a spare set of bellows has been spliced into the original ones. This would be to accommodate leaks rather than fixing them. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Hersh Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 I am not sure, but the ends look a bit like the ones on lower-end Crabbs made from about the 1930s through 1950s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alex_holden Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 8 hours ago, Daniel Hersh said: I am not sure, but the ends look a bit like the ones on lower-end Crabbs made from about the 1930s through 1950s. I disagree; the low-end Crabb end plates are simple but elegant and crisply cut, obviously the work of a skilled professional. This one has a very crude amateur feel. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Little John Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 I'm no expert, but I was under the impression South African instruments often have ten or so folds. Could that be its origin? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill N Posted April 8 Author Share Posted April 8 (edited) 3 hours ago, Little John said: I'm no expert, but I was under the impression South African instruments often have ten or so folds. Could that be its origin? I wondered about that. I was under the impression that the "English" (i.e. not German) instruments there were all Wheatstones, but found an earlier thread here that talks about Lachenals pre-1900. Those bellows look like original factory equipment- was Lachenal doing this sort of custom/export work? Had the Boer style of playing evolved to the degree that there would have been a market for extended bellows? Edited April 8 by Bill N Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Hersh Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 15 hours ago, alex_holden said: I disagree; the low-end Crabb end plates are simple but elegant and crisply cut, obviously the work of a skilled professional. This one has a very crude amateur feel. Ok - I stand corrected. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stephen Chambers Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 9 hours ago, Bill N said: I was under the impression that the "English" (i.e. not German) instruments there were all Wheatstones, but found an earlier thread here that talks about Lachenals pre-1900. Lachenal's were probably sending them to South Africa until they closed down in 1933 (and were taken over by Wheatstone's), thereafter there was only Crabb's and Wheatstone's (on a much bigger scale) to supply the market. Quote Those bellows look like original factory equipment- was Lachenal doing this sort of custom/export work? Had the Boer style of playing evolved to the degree that there would have been a market for extended bellows? The extended bellows were replacements that were made later in South Africa, the concertinas would have left their makers, in England, with only 5-, or 6-fold, bellows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wunks Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 Whatever, whenever, where ever, crude maybe but I'd love to hear the music it's made... Lumber camps? Whaler? Gold rush saloon?.......😀 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sohcahtoa Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 Its beautiful in a crude kinda folk-art way. I'd buy it for its decorative value at least. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pgidley Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 I like it Bill, its cool. Would look great on the mantelpiece. Doubt its a player though, obviously. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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