Pete Fletcher Posted November 18, 2021 Share Posted November 18, 2021 (edited) Hi All, I'm hoping someone can help. I have had a concertina passed to me from a guy in the village who's wife sadly passed away. I can't see any makers marks so i don't know what I have. I am tasked with selling it but as a melodeon player I'm a bit out of my depth. The strap adjusters are a bit different to others I've seen so that may be a clue. It all works apart from a couple of wheezy notes which I guess will just be valves. Thanks Edited November 18, 2021 by Pete Fletcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lachenal74693 Posted November 18, 2021 Share Posted November 18, 2021 (edited) 21 minutes ago, Pete Fletcher said: ...The strap adjusters are a bit different to others I've seen so that may be a clue... It looks like an English, rather than an Anglo, which I suspect is what you have seen before. Possibly made by Lachenal or Wheatstone? Fear not, unless I'm much mistaken, some-one with far more knowledge of English than myself will be dropping by 'real soon now'. Edited November 18, 2021 by lachenal74693 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted November 18, 2021 Share Posted November 18, 2021 Yes its a 48 key treble English concertina. Metal buttons mean that was better than the basic quality versions which have bone buttons. Completely flat wooden ends suggest it's of an early date, later models usually have some moulding to the wood round the edges. It's probably a Lachenal, or a Wheatstone from the period when Louis Lachenal made many of the parts for Wheatstone. If you visit Tyneside I can have a look at it and advise you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4to5to6 Posted November 18, 2021 Share Posted November 18, 2021 (edited) You will have to look inside. Remove an end and pull out one if the reed pans. Be careful not to mix up the end bolts. There will be a paper maker’s label on the inside surface of the reed pan. It will most likely say Lachenal or Wheatstone on it although sometimes I’ve seen the Lachenal scraped off to make it look like a Wheatstone. You then have to go by the serial number. Serial number is usually stamped into every individual part. It looks like a standard 48 button treble English…. Probably 1850 to 1870 or so. Box looks like a Wheatstone. I’ve seen this brown felt used with 1860s Wheatstones. Edited November 18, 2021 by 4to5to6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fletcher Posted November 19, 2021 Author Share Posted November 19, 2021 Thanks people, I'll have a look inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 The removal of the 'Lachenal' part of the note identification disc, if one is fitted, was usually to accommodate the needs of dealers who were re-badging instruments with their own brand mark. Whilst you are looking, check if the reed tongues are steel or brass. Can you also clarify if the keys are metal or bone? You will also find, stamped inside, a serial number. This will probably help with identifying manufacturer and age. The easiest to reed number is usually found stamped inside the woodwork of the bellows frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fletcher Posted November 20, 2021 Author Share Posted November 20, 2021 1 hour ago, d.elliott said: The removal of the 'Lachenal' part of the note identification disc, if one is fitted, was usually to accommodate the needs of dealers who were re-badging instruments with their own brand mark. Whilst you are looking, check if the reed tongues are steel or brass. Can you also clarify if the keys are metal or bone? You will also find, stamped inside, a serial number. This will probably help with identifying manufacturer and age. The easiest to reed number is usually found stamped inside the woodwork of the bellows frame. Thanks for that. Metal buttons and will check the rest later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 What you seem to have got is one very much like this Louis Lachenal, #8488: Only it has evidently been reworked/upgraded in the 20th century, with replacement metal buttons, plated finger rests, and quite likely the original brass reeds will have been replaced with steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fletcher Posted November 22, 2021 Author Share Posted November 22, 2021 Thanks all. Took the ends off and it is a Lachenal #18359 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 8 hours ago, Pete Fletcher said: Thanks all. Took the ends off and it is a Lachenal #18359 It was made about 1873 then, around the time the firm's name changed from Louis Lachenal to Lachenal & Co. - so I'd be very interested to learn which formulation of the Lachenal name it is, if you'd like to share that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fletcher Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share Posted November 23, 2021 19 hours ago, Stephen Chambers said: It was made about 1873 then, around the time the firm's name changed from Louis Lachenal to Lachenal & Co. - so I'd be very interested to learn which formulation of the Lachenal name it is, if you'd like to share that... Here you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 2 hours ago, Pete Fletcher said: Here you are. Thanks, I thought it would still be Louis Lachenal. Only it's an additional point of reference for the Lachenal dating project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 Dowright sent me this observation on the change between Louis Lachenal and Lachenal & Co: No 19070 is the first English for which we have a Lachenal & Co. label. But No. 22717 is the highest one for which we have a Louis Lachenal label. Clearly, Lachenal & Co. owners had a stock of leftover Louis Lachenal circular pan labels. In some cases, they cut the "Louis Lachenal" off of the pan label (for example, No. 21644), but it was not cut off on others. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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