Wheatstone 7520

[Ed Rennie]

Just bought a Wheatstone English concertina, which appears to have the serial number 7520.

 

It has wooden ends with metal buttons and inlay in the corners. Seems sound in wind and limb, but I think the 6 fold bellows are a modern replacement.

 

Can anyone tell me more about it please?

 

Cheers

 

Ed

[Stephen Chambers]

6 minutes ago, Ed Rennie said:

Just bought a Wheatstone English concertina, which appears to have the serial number 7520.

 

It has wooden ends with metal buttons and inlay in the corners. Seems sound in wind and limb, but I think the 6 fold bellows are a modern replacement.

 

Can anyone tell me more about it please?

 

It was sold by Wheatstone's to Messrs Paterson & Co., for 8 guineas, on 17thJanuary 1856.

 

The inlay suggests it was their concert, 12-guinea, model (at a wholesale price) - "as used by Signor Regondi and Mr. Richard Blagrove" - and that it would have been manufactured for them by Louis Lachenal.

 

They usually had 5-fold bellows.

[Ed Rennie]

Hi Stephen

 

12 guineas sounds a lot, so presumably better quality? (I'm such a greenhorn to all this!)
Thank you! I'm intrigued by the Louis Lachenal connection. Clearly this is going to be a very deep rabbit hole of which I'm teetering on the edge. Down I go!

 

Ed

[Stephen Chambers]

1 hour ago, Ed Rennie said:

Hi Stephen

 

12 guineas sounds a lot, so presumably better quality? (I'm such a greenhorn to all this!)
Thank you! I'm intrigued by the Louis Lachenal connection. Clearly this is going to be a very deep rabbit hole of which I'm teetering on the edge. Down I go!

 

Ed

 

Hi Ed,

 

The 12-guinea model was the most expensive one in it's day, but greatly surpassed by early 20th century. models

 

You happen to be asking the right person about the Louis Lachenal connection, since it is a subject that I've researched and published papers about. See Louis Lachenal: “Engineer and Concertina Manufacturer” (Part 1) and Some Notes on Lachenal Concertina Production and Serial Numbers!

 

Stephen

[Stephen Chambers]

Presumably the Messrs Paterson & Co. firm that bought the concertina from Wheatstone's, and resold it, was this one:  http://www.glasgowwestaddress.co.uk/1888_Book/Paterson_Sons_&_Co.htm 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Stephen Chambers

[4to5to6]

Hi Ed, Thanks for sharing about 7520.  It sounds very similar to one I stumbled across a few years ago…
 

I am the proud owner of 7573 (25 June 1856) which is presumed to have been owned by Emily Bulteel.  I purchased it on Vancouver Island Canada where her husband British banker Edward Baring (Lord Revelstoke) was connected with securing the financing to complete the Canadian pacific Railway and the city Revelstoke was named after him in appreciation.  Emily Bulteel was well known for her concertina playing and R. Blagrove dedicated a piece to her in his tutor.  She had connections with Regondi as well.  Interesting enough: 7572 Regondi, 7573 Bulteel, 7574 Blagrove.  
 

It hadn’t been played for many years and some debris had fouled a few reeds.  I conditioned the stiff bellows with some Connolly, cleaned it up and wow!  What a find!  It is super clean, all original in vintage but near mint condition with even a near mint condition original case.  It has very deep folds, 4 fold green bellows so I don’t run out of air.  Rosewood ends, metal buttons, with brass inserts as you described, green leather bellows.  It is a 12.12 (12 guinea) presentation model as stated above.

As a review… this is an absolutely amazing instrument!  I love it and play it almost daily choosing it over many top end Aeolas.

 

It is quiet and slightly muted with its leather baffles but still bright and expressive with its steel reeds. Perfect for playing at home in the evening.  It has “life” that is hard to put into words. Very expressive and musical. It is very balanced from top to bottom, very quick with a fast response. I play the beeswing on it at full speed!  I never could understand how Regondi could play such amazing and complex music with the early instruments until I experienced this one.  It is one of those concertinas that I will never part with.  It is untouched except for being tuned to A440 and must have been very well stored and taken care as it is so clean and near perfect except for a little bit of normal playing wear.

 

I have had many other early Wheatstones and Lachenals and all unique in their own ways but generally quite poor players no matter how much work I did to them but 7573 gave me a new deep appreciation for the early instruments that I never had before.

 

Congratulations on finding 7520.  I hope you are enjoying as much as I am 7573.

.

Edited July 22, 2023 by 4to5to6