SUPER RARE VINTAGE 40 KEY L. LACHENAL AND CO ANGLO CONCERTINA IN WHEATSTONE LAYOUT IN AMAZING SHAPE!

[Kevin Ryann]

 

Sorry, I am new, and this is my first time advertising here. I have a very rare (I hope!) and beautiful concertina for sale, and I was told this was the place I needed to advertise it...

So, if I am making a mistake I am not aware of, like advertising in the wrong place, kindly let me know. Thank you!

 

SUPER RARE VINTAGE 40 KEY L. LACHENAL AND CO ANGLO CONCERTINA IN WHEATSTONE LAYOUT IN AMAZING SHAPE! $3995.00

 

 

This is a part of history, and I hope it would find its way to a museum someday, where it would be preserved in this condition, and displayed for generations to see. 

It is by far the most interesting, and the rarest musical instrument I've ever laid hands on! It's a very cool, and beautiful piece of the past, in pristine condition (for its age!); and it is estimated to be over 110 years old!

 

First; I want to disclose that I know absolutely NOTHING about concertinas, and all the information shared in here is gathered from hours of research online and talking to experts around the country. So, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of the information gathered in this ad. Finding the information about this beauty has proved to be the most difficult gathering of information for me, as there is very little information available (mainly because of the age, and how rare it is). And being that I am not an expert at all, I cannot tell if what I have found was fact or not. So, please forgive me, and ONLY rely on your own research and the many pictures I have provided. Also, feel free to ask for more pictures!  🙂

Even though I know nothing about this wonderful instrument, I still want this ad to be as accurate as possible, and do not wish to mislead anyone. That is why I have spent 10s of hours gathering all that I could...

I took it in as a straight across trade on an expensive synth, because I fell in love with it. So, I rolled the dice...  🙂 

 

 According to my research, it was built in London, back in the late 19^th - early 20^th century, by a company who a Swiss (watch maker) immigrant started, after immigrating to England.

This is an Anglo concertina in Wheatstone (ish!) layout, and was made by L. Lachenal and Co. It is a 40-key (very rare!), and it's presumed to have been built/sold sometime around or before 1913. 

 

I have spent a lot of time online, and with the instrument, and have mapped out the note of each key (in and out) on both sides, using a tuning app (please see it in the pictures). It appears to be a GD, with a drone key of A3 (in and out).

 

 

I have also recorded a video (very poorly played...please accept my apologies!), which I will upload to YouTube, and will make available in here.

Inside you can see the quality of the reeds from its bellow entrances, and they are still in great condition (for its age); which means it had been kept away from dust and dirt all its life. The wood surrounding the bellows has achieved a peak resonance over the many years, and makes a heavenly sound, that only a 100-year-old violin could match. This amazing wonder plays beautifully, and has a massive sound that fills the entire home; despite being old, and not at all big!??

 

All parts and pieces are believed to be original (not a guarantee!), and not replaced. It seems to have been built/repaired/serviced (?), back in 1913 (according to the writing inside, which seems to be authentic). Please keep in mind that you may need to have it serviced by a professional, prior to making beautiful (and accurate?) music with this lovely instrument.

 

This gorgeous piece of art still functions wonderfully, as it did over 100 years ago, when it sang the songs of the exotic from faraway lands, across the Atlantic, across the Continental US, and through other passages unknown... 

Who knows what mysteries it holds, and what adventures it has been a part of...

 

 

 

(The above information is gathered from many sources, including the web, so I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the statements, but believe them to be accurate, to the best of my very limited knowledge on this instrument. But one thing is for sure, this is an amazing and enchanting piece of history...)

THIS WOULD MAKE AN AMAZING GIFT FOR ALL OCCASIONS, INCLUDING CHRISTMAS, BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY... 😉

Please feel free to ask me any questions; I will try my best to find the answers for you.

Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day.

Cheers,

 

Kevin

P.s. I PACK SAFE and SHIP FAST!

 

 

A VIDEO:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1o-n9Wnw5U

	SUPER RARE VINTAGE 40 KEY L. LACHENAL AND CO ANGLO CONCERTINA MADE IN LONDON UK IN AMAZING SHAPE! www.youtube.com

 

 

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

 

I am a 46-year-old, with a degree in electronic engineering, who LOVES Synthesizers, Music, and Electronics in general. Even though I do not work in the electronic field; I have always loved it, never separated; and as a hobby, I collect and fix them (if broken); and sometimes sell them to make room for others... And, to make sure the next owner would not have any issues, I test them, open them(if necessary), and serviced them.

 

YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES, AND PURCHASE, ON REVERB:

 

https://rvrb.io/l-lachenal-and-co-1wdoe8

 

 

 

FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING, PLEASE MESSAGE ME!

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Kevin Ryann

[David Barnert]

9 hours ago, Kevin Ryann said:

I was told this was the place I needed to advertise it...

So, if I am making a mistake I am not aware of, like advertising in the wrong place, kindly let me know. Thank you!

 

You’re in the right place. I assume you’re aware of the sales/donations policy.

 

9 hours ago, Kevin Ryann said:

First; I want to disclose that I know absolutely NOTHING about concertinas, and all the information shared in here is gathered from hours of research online and talking to experts around the country.

 

What country? There are people here from all over the world.

[Theo]

The Reverb listing says USA.

 

It's a nice find, some of Lachenals best anglos were around this number of buttons. The crosshead screws in the action boards show that it's had work done on it much more recently than 1913!

[Richard Mellish]

The "Wheatstone (ish!) layout" description is spot-on. The extra buttons beyond the standard 30 are in the same positions as standard Wheatstone, but the two D4s in the same direction on the LH end and the two D#5s in the same direction on the RH end seem a very strange waste of buttons unless someone had a strong wish to use particular fingerings. Possibly it was built as a special or someone had these notes changed for their particular requirements, or perhaps some reeds have drifted badly. But some notes seem much too different to have drifted so far, e.g. on the RH end, middle row, first button push D#5 instead of C5, and G#6 instead of A4. If I were to buy it (which I am half tempted to do) I would certainly want it re-tuned and/or reeds replaced as necessary to convert it back to standard.

 

Questions for the OP. How did you identify the notes? Were they close to those you have marked or were some of them many cents out?

 

If it is to be shipped to the UK or Europe, import tax is likely to be a much bigger deal than the cost of shipping.

[hjcjones]

On 11/27/2023 at 9:34 AM, Richard Mellish said:

the two D4s in the same direction on the LH end and the two D#5s in the same direction on the RH end seem a very strange waste of buttons unless someone had a strong wish to use particular fingerings. Possibly it was built as a special or someone had these notes changed for their particular requirements

Possibly the unintended consequence of swapping other notes around to get them in a preferred position/direction. Once you start doing this you can easily end up in a situation where such duplications are unavoidable simply because you run out of anywhere else to put those reeds.

[Richard Mellish]

On 11/28/2023 at 11:37 AM, hjcjones said:

Possibly the unintended consequence of swapping other notes around to get them in a preferred position/direction. Once you start doing this you can easily end up in a situation where such duplications are unavoidable simply because you run out of anywhere else to put those reeds.

That seems very plausible, and might explain the Xs against some of pad holes.

It would be helpful for the OP to post pictures of the reeds, both to show their condition and possibly to reveal their original pitches.

I hope this instrument finds a home with someone on here who can give us a full report on its condition and, preferably, get all the notes restored to the usual Wheatstone ones. As I said, I am half tempted to buy it myself. However I do already have a Wheatstone (Dickinson) G/D which has served me very well for nearly 40 years ...

[Paul Read]

4 hours ago, Richard Mellish said:

That seems very plausible, and might explain the Xs against some of pad holes.

It would be helpful for the OP to post pictures of the reeds, both to show their condition and possibly to reveal their original pitches.

I hope this instrument finds a home with someone on here who can give us a full report on its condition and, preferably, get all the notes restored to the usual Wheatstone ones. As I said, I am half tempted to buy it myself. However I do already have a Wheatstone (Dickinson) G/D which has served me very well for nearly 40 years ...

Richard, the Xs are usually made by some repairers when dealing with minor leaks at specific pads.

[Kevin Ryann]

Hello, all!

Please accept my apologies for not replying sooner, I didn't get any notifications...I will try to turn it on somewhere. I will now answer the questions in order:

 

. I live in Denver Colorado USA

 

. Great observation about the screw heads, WOW, you are good! I put them in myself, because there were holes (covered with some kind of tape), which were leaking a little air. So, I removed the tapes, and put the best fitting screws I could find, that would not interfere with the built 

 

. Assuming I am the "OP"  , it was a painful and long process, using my phone app, in a very quite place, and asking my wife to make the notes! If I remember correctly, I tried a few times (if needed), and only wrote them down when I got a green light, as in a very accurate range. However, I am only relying on a PHONE app, which seems to be accurate, but then I am a green pea!    One of the notes seems to be far off scale, and I am suspecting it would need calibration, as it was also not very loud. I think it was the C7 on the left side. Bottom line, I am sure this beauty is going to need a good tuning/overhaul, if there's such a thing...

 

. Richard, Christmas is near! It's time for you to give it a good home!!! You deserve to treat yourself!  Don't rely on Santa, and don't be half tempted, be full tempted!! LOL  (joking...) 

 

 

I feel so little being here, as you guys are SUPER talented, professionals, and are very knowledgeable about this instrument, and I know nothing...  please forgive this newbie...   

Thank you all for being so kind, and not giving me a hard time for being absolutely clueless! You guys are awesome, and a COMPLETE different breed. So refreshing to see there are still people like this crowd left in the world.

Please call onto me if you have any further questions.

Have a lovely holidays to all.

Cheers

 

Kevin Ryan

 

[David Barnert]

On 11/27/2023 at 4:34 AM, Richard Mellish said:

Questions for the OP. How did you identify the notes?

3 hours ago, Kevin Ryann said:

Assuming I am the "OP"

 

OP = Original Poster. Yes, that’s you.

[Kevin Ryann]

Awesome, thank you!

[Richard Mellish]

Kevin,

Although you said you'd like it to go to a museum, many of us believe that musical instruments deserve to be played. So I am hoping that someone on here will offer it a home, and preferably someone in North America, to save the hassle and expense of overseas shipping. If however no-one comes along, I will seriously consider adding it to my collection. I justify buying concertinas even though I don't play them as much as they deserve, because they retain their value and can be sold if necessary to support me in my dotage. If it does come here I will certainly want all the notes restored to the standard Wheatstone 40-key pattern, but that is a manageable job for a competent concertina maker/repairer.

[Richard Mellish]

The more I look at the charts of the notes, the stranger they seem. I mentioned the two D4s in the same direction on the LH end. In fact the standard Wheatstone 40-key layout would have two, but this concertina has three in the same direction on the LH end (plus one on pull as normal, but no pull D4 on the RH end).

 

I am posting this partly to make that correction to my earlier post but also to bump this thread in the hope of prompting someone across the Pond (from me) to take it on.

[Kevin Ryann]

Hello, and sorry for the late reply. I am still not getting any alerts for these replies...

However, I did get a notification, when I received a direct mail! So, if you have any questions, please send me a message directly.

Thank you!

 

Replies:

 

Bravo, well said Richard! They still have a LOT of love to give; that's why I am passing it along to someone who could play it; instead of me keeping it locked up inside  a glass display in our house, with our other antique treasures.

 

[Richard Mellish]

For the record: I am buying this concertina. Kevin offered a price reduction. As he has to pay the Reverb commission I have paid the 2% for the forum.