Interpretation of Concertina Descriptions

[cupkat]

Hi all! I'm considering buying some secondhand Lachenals online but the descriptions have a ton of abbreviations I'm not familiar with... could someone help "translate"?

Opt 1: Lachenal Anglo Concertina, 20k, BB, RE, SR, 6F, CP

Opt 2: Lachenal 20 key Anglo Concertina 5F WE BB concert pitch refurbished exc. cond.

 

I think "BB" means they have bones buttons and that "WE"/"RE" means wood ends and raised ends, respectively, but I am struggling past that. Thank you!

[Alex West]

SR = Steel Reeds, 6F = 6 fold bellows, CP = Concert Pitch

 

Depending on what you're looking for, I have a couple that you might be interested in

 

Alex West

[d.elliott]

I am surprised that there is no indication of the wood or the keying  of the instruments. RW for rosewood, Eb for ebony. M or Mahog for mahogany.

 

 

 

 

[Luke Hillman]

Maybe I'm just an idealistic designer, but those abbreviations are ridiculous. It isn't like you get charged by the character for web hosting.

 

If this is some kind of actual standard (possibly originating in Victorian newspapers?), I beg—nay, beseech—modern website owners to at least include a prominent legend. 🧐

[Ken_Coles]

In the old listings I used to see (e.g. the way Hobgoblin did it), RE was Rosewood ends, while WE meant wood ends (generally taken to be Mahogany, the lowest-end wood choice in Lachenals long ago).

BB Bone buttons, MB metal buttons, BR brass reeds

If you find listings with pictures you figure it out pretty quick. It's part of the overall madness of concertina addiction...Why be logical, when you are already playing an instrument designed to the ideal of Victorian complexity? 😎

 

Ken

[Mikefule]

5 hours ago, cupkat said:

Hi all! I'm considering buying some secondhand Lachenals online but the descriptions have a ton of abbreviations I'm not familiar with... could someone help "translate"?

Opt 1: Lachenal Anglo Concertina, 20k, BB, RE, SR, 6F, CP

Opt 2: Lachenal 20 key Anglo Concertina 5F WE BB concert pitch refurbished exc. cond.

 

I think "BB" means they have bones buttons and that "WE"/"RE" means wood ends and raised ends, respectively, but I am struggling past that. Thank you!

Option 1: 20 Keys (buttons), Bone Buttons, Rosewood Ends, Steel Reeds, 6 Fold bellows, Concert Pitch

 

Option2: 20 Keys, 5 Fold bellows, Wood Ends, Bone Buttons, concert pitch, refurbished, excellent condition.

 

Rosewood ends should be specifically rosewood.

Wood ends may or may not be rosewood, depending on the seller's level of knowledge.

Bone buttons are common on Lachenals.

5 fold bellows is the basic spec.  6 fold bellows in the same condition would make the instrument easier to play.

Steel reeds are more durable but less mellow than brass.  (Others may have different views on this.)

Concert Pitch is important.  An instrument that has not been retuned to modern concert pitch will be out of tune with modern instruments, but in tune with itself.

 

I have a 20 button Lachenal and have very much enjoyed playing it.  It has a charming simplicity to it: 5 fold bellows, bone buttons, and a clickity click action that makes me feel I am playing something with character.  However, I play it less often these days as I now have a brand new 21b Marcus Traveller in the same keys.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Mikefule

[gcoover]

3 hours ago, Luke Hillman said:

If this is some kind of actual standard (possibly originating in Victorian newspapers?), I beg—nay, beseech—modern website owners to at least include a prominent legend. 🧐

Many of the abbreviations come from the Wheatstone ledgers, and more recently to early Neil Wayne adverts where he was trying to cram as much information as possible into limited print space. It's a secret concertina code language!

[Luke Hillman]

42 minutes ago, gcoover said:

It's a secret concertina code language!

 

Unfortunately after Wheatstone got out of the cereal business, we all had to start relying on vintage Weetstabix decoder rings, which are in shorter supply every year...