Does anyone know what model this concertina is?

[Sam Dennis]

Hi everyone!

 

I've been looking to buy my first concertina for awhile now and I just bit the bullet and bought this really interesting one second hand online from goodwill. It was listed as "Vintage Scholer German Concertina Accordion No. 517" but I've never seen a Scholer (or any other brand for that matter) that looks like this one or has tan plastic button boards. Albeit I am very new to concertinas so my knowledge is very limited. It came in a red box with a label that looks like what Scholers are originally packaged in, which I included a picture of. It also has a stamp on one of the button boards which says "GERMANY USSR OCCUPIED". There are no other maker's marks or symbols anywhere I can see. It's a 20 button Anglo and all the buttons/reeds work fine, although the high notes are a bit soft and quiet. Does anyone recognize or know what model or make this concertina is? I have a feeling that it's not a Scholer and was just packaged in a Scholer's box, but I'm just really curious as to what kind this concertina is! Thank you!

[malcolm clapp]

Unable to answer your question, but there is one with identical ends currently on Gumtree Australia, with a pretty confused description. No useful information, and the seller knows nothing much about it. It has a label "EBOR", most likely a shop, wholesaler or auctioneer's tag, so not much help.

[Stephen Chambers]

28 minutes ago, malcolm clapp said:

Unable to answer your question, but there is one with identical ends currently on Gumtree Australia, with a pretty confused description. No useful information, and the seller knows nothing much about it. It has a label "EBOR", most likely a shop, wholesaler or auctioneer's tag, so not much help.

 

FWIW, here's a link to that: https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/broken-hill-central/other-musical-instruments/unusual-concertinas-vintage-antique/1299817895

 

 

[Stephen Chambers]

There seem to have been quite a few attempts to produce rationalised, streamlined (like an accordion), inexpensive German-type 20-key concertina in the years immediately after WW2, both in Germany and Italy.

 

Indeed the "GERMANY USSR OCCUPIED" stamping on this one would indicate that it was made in the Soviet Occupation Zone, a part of Germany occupied by the Soviet Union as a communist area from 1st August 1945 until 7th October 1949, when it became the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).