Wheatstone 48 button

[pgraves]

I will do that but I'm about 350 mi away from it right now so it's going to be a couple of weeks.

Based on the visual appearance, lack of wear. And the sound, sounds even and normal and good to me it's probably going to be in at a minimum very good condition requiring not much work. I could be wrong as I don't really know what goes into an overhaul on these things. I will follow up thank you

[David Barnert]

On 9/28/2022 at 7:15 PM, pgraves said:

I just play tested this and to my ear it sounds perfect. I am a musician and no what intonation is.

 

You may know that it sounds like it is reasonably in tune with itself, but unless you have perfect pitch (and most don’t), you don’t know if it is tuned to A=440 or some other standard. So in addition to pictures of the inside, it would be valuable to really assess the tuning. Tuner apps for smartphones can be had for free and are generally reliable. Check every note (both pushing and pulling) and keep a list of what you find. Are all the notes in tune with A=440 equal temperament? Are they all sharp or all flat? By roughly the same amount? If the amounts vary, do they vary in a pattern that suggests it was tuned to some mean-tone temperament? As pointed out earlier, a considerable part of the value will depend on what it will cost to retune it.

[Stephen Chambers]

On 10/8/2022 at 7:46 AM, David Barnert said:

Are all the notes in tune with A=440 equal temperament? Are they all sharp or all flat? By roughly the same amount? If the amounts vary, do they vary in a pattern that suggests it was tuned to some mean-tone temperament? 

 

Though by the time this one was made Wheatstone's were "Unless otherwise instructed" only tuning to "Standard International Pitch i.e. A.440" and hadn't been tuning to meantone for a very long time - it had been railed against as barbaric as early as 1855 by no-less than Hector Berlioz, and the revival of it is a relatively recent thing.

 

[pgraves]

Okay, I will check it against a tuner. I had not read this posting, But I had taken it out of the box and checked every note They all spoke with the same intensity and clarity and to my ear they were very in tune.

I was reluctant to dismantle it. If I remove the outer screws does it simply slip off with no complex refitting of parts?

And I said I will check it against a tuner. I have pretty good pitch and I would be quite surprised if it is not dead on across the board. It really is seems to be in mint condition.

Thanks and I hope somebody weighs in with a value on this thing. We'd like to sell it.

 

[pgraves]

Ok, sounds like  opening it up is easy.

I don't have it here so I'll have to get to it in a few weeks

[pgraves]

[pgraves]

[pgraves]

[pgraves]

Looks clean inside. It looks to me as if there is some minor crack, or flaw in what I guessing is the soundboard?

Perhaps of some minor interest is the music in the case.

So there are the pictures as requested. Hoping to get some feedback from you know eligible concertina-ists.

 

Thanks!

[pgraves]

This was owned, and likely not played a lot by Jennifer Lehmann 

https://mms.americanrecorder.org/members/store_product.php?orgcode=ARSO&pid=83591811

 

Jennifer W. Lehmann founded the Members’ Library Editions in 1987, after having held various editorial music positions on the ARS Board since the late 1970’s. In her memoir “ARS and Me,” former Members’ Library Editor Martha Bixler writes, “Jennifer was a very talented woman, a mathematician and musician possessed of a fine musical hand, who loved to browse in the Princeton Library, make transcriptions of unpublished early music arranged for recorders, and give them away to her friends.” Her Members’ Library Editions 01 Elizabethan Delights, 02 Vintage Burgundy, and 06 Bruckner’s Ave Maria are still available to members on the ARS website, www.americanrecorder.org.

[seanc]

Not to steer this way off topic…

 

but based on my (admitted) limited experience. I don’t understand the hate for the late period 50-60s Wheatstones. The one I owned and the few I have tried have been really nice.

 

[pgraves]

I checked every note using "Tuner T1" on an iPad.

The settings for showing green indicating in tune were plus or minus 10 cents.

Every note registered  green, but all were a few cents sharp. Ranging from one to 9 average 4-6

I don't know enough to say this is from a tempered tuning or not. I did notice that The volume that it was being played as well as whether it the was instrument was contracting or expanding would give slightly different tuning responses.

C# 4 was right on the edge, 9 point something to going just over 10 at extreme volume. (I forget low or high), at some volumes would settle at 7 or 8

 

We'd like to sell it.

Fair value opinions would be appreciated!

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by pgraves
Typos

[d.elliott]

The Cracks between the pad holes will form an air leak and will require some attention. As to tuning precision, I tune customer, and my own, instruments to +/- 1.5 cents from nominal, but only after re-valving. It looks as if the concertina is ready for re-valving anyway. Other than that, a potentially handy instrument.

[pgraves]

overhaul price?

Value before and after overhaul?

Thanks

[pgraves]

Any help here appreciated.

Maybe good reserve for ebay or a fair buy now

[seanc]

I am not a dealer and not a broker. So, My valuation may be way off. I have seen the late era 48s going for @ 2k.

 

I can't comment on repairs, cracks or anything else that may effect the value.

[Theo]

Late model Wheatstones vary greatly in playing quality, a few are excellent, many are just ok.  A reliable valuation can only come from inspection in person to assess the repairs needed and the underlying quality. You can get an idea of value when restored by searching dealers websites for similar examples,  but this doesn’t help to put a figure on renovation costs.  For me, as someone in the business, it would be unethical to give a valuation based on photos alone.  
 

 

[pgraves]

Thanks for the replies.

Can you recommend a repair person or a dealer or someone knowledgeable in Northern California?

Thanks