Unique Wheatstone C/G Anglo for sale

[English]

34 key C/G Dickenson  Wheatstone Anglo #60137 for sale in Seattle, USA. Eight sided, ebonized ends 

 

[stefciu]

I know and have played this concertina—it’s a wonderful example of the fine work that Steve does! Just the sort of beauty that (sadly) goes into a collection—because it IS such masterful work—and is rarely enjoyed by the likes of normal players, with normal means! Now, if there were some sort of benevolent organisation out there, ready to sponsor someone, say, like me…

[MeezStephanie]

Can we get photos and more info?  maybe via emaiol? I will send you a DM!

[English]

[English]

I can send more info via WhatsApp 

[English]

[English]

 

A large-handed friend played this for me. He apologises for the quality of his playing!

 

[PaulDa321]

That keyboard layout photo has my exact first and last name at the top. Which is odd

[ryan]

Price?

[Margaret Dexter Waldbauer]

On 1/27/2025 at 2:28 PM, English said:

I can send more info via WhatsApp 

 

[Margaret Dexter Waldbauer]

How would I get more info regarding this concertina? 

 

[English]

Update. This instrument, made for Paul Davis is in need of an overhaul. Pads & values, etc. Therefore the price has been adjusted to $5,000 USD. Let me know if you have any questions 

[David Barnert]

2 hours ago, English said:

Update. This instrument, made for Paul Davis is in need of an overhaul. Pads & values, etc. Therefore the price has been adjusted to $5,000 USD. Let me know if you have any questions 

 

I’m surprised that a Dickinson Wheatstone that recent (1980s or 90s) needs such an overhaul. Mine (a 46-key Hayden) from a little earlier (SN 60082) is still in fine shape with original pads and valves.

[Dan Worrall]

Chris sent me this instrument on approval, and I just sent it back, somewhat regretfully. Chris asked me to comment on it, even though he knows my opinion is negative, so here goes. Thanks for letting me look at it, Chris!
 

It was made by Steve Dickinson, which should say enough about its quality. I have owned a Dickinson Wheatstone GD, which is superb in every way. Also, Steve has restored two instruments for me in the past. Absolutely superb.

 

Chris told me straight up before shipping it that it had some playing defects, which forewarned me. When I played it, the defects were readily apparent. It was slow to speak, and you had to really lean in on it to get it to speak with any authority. Very stodgy, unacceptably so I'm afraid, to command any sort of top price.  

 

It was built after the superb Dickinson I had owned, so its defects weren't because he was still learning to build in his salad days. Someone has opened up this instrument and messed it up. No way did Steve ever send this from his shop like this. I wrote Steve about it, and offered to send it to him to set right, but unfortunately he is not able to take more work right now for health reasons.

 

I've come across this problem once more. I have a Jeffries BbF that came to me from England in superb fettle - a truly lovely player - and I made the mistake of sending it to a repairman to have the tuning fine tuned and, what the heck, he said it needed new pads and valves. What was returned to me was unplayable in just the same way....like slogging through mud. It had been destroyed. I sent it to another repairman who complained about "Jeffries reeds" being old and tuned too many times. It came back only very marginally improved. I was heartsick at the loss of this fine instrument.

 

I then contacted Steve, who agreed to take it on. It took him several years to do the work - he has other things to do, of course - but finally I got it returned. It was in glorious form, as good or better than it had originally been before the "repair" work. Steve mentioned several things. The earlier repairman had changed the thickness of the pads, which affects things like the stroke of the action. The valve leather wasn't right for an old Jeffries. And also importantly, the set of the reeds just wasn't right. Steve knows that of which he speaks, and demonstrated it superbly.

 

Chris's Anglo was recently sold to him by an English dealer, in its current state. I did not open up the instrument to look, but then I'm not a pro and likely wouldn't know enough to be able to fully tell. But my guess (and that of Steve, who hasn't seen it in its present condition), is that some 'repairman' somewhere along the line of ownership thought they'd give it a heavy tuneup and ruined it. Does it play? Yes. Would anyone want this for a serious instrument? No.

 

All I can say is Caveat Emptor with repairmen. If I have a really nice old instrument like a Jeffries or Wheatstone that needs repair work, there are only two people on my go to list for whom I have personal experience and great results: Steve DIckinson and Colin Dipper. These old instruments are different than high quality new ones, and I think it takes someone with great experience to get the best out of them when things go awry. Just my two cents worth.

 

I told Chris that if he took it to Colin for fixing, I'd be very interested in it, because I have great faith in Colin. This instrument has great bones, but someone mucked it up. My two cent's worth! Anyway, now you know what I think, and Chris wanted me to pass that along. It is still for sale. 

Edited March 11 by Dan Worrall

[Parker135]

Hurts to read this.

 

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

19 hours ago, Dan Worrall said:

Chris sent me this instrument on approval, and I just sent it back, somewhat regretfully. Chris asked me to comment on it, even though he knows my opinion is negative, so here goes. Thanks for letting me look at it, Chris!
 

It was made by Steve Dickinson, which should say enough about its quality. I have owned a Dickinson Wheatstone GD, which is superb in every way. Also, Steve has restored two instruments for me in the past. Absolutely superb.

 

Chris told me straight up before shipping it that it had some playing defects, which forewarned me. When I played it, the defects were readily apparent. It was slow to speak, and you had to really lean in on it to get it to speak with any authority. Very stodgy, unacceptably so I'm afraid, to command any sort of top price.  

 

It was built after the superb Dickinson I had owned, so its defects weren't because he was still learning to build in his salad days. Someone has opened up this instrument and messed it up. No way did Steve ever send this from his shop like this. I wrote Steve about it, and offered to send it to him to set right, but unfortunately he is not able to take more work right now for health reasons.

 

I've come across this problem once more. I have a Jeffries BbF that came to me from England in superb fettle - a truly lovely player - and I made the mistake of sending it to a repairman to have the tuning fine tuned and, what the heck, he said it needed new pads and valves. What was returned to me was unplayable in just the same way....like slogging through mud. It had been destroyed. I sent it to another repairman who complained about "Jeffries reeds" being old and tuned too many times. It came back only very marginally improved. I was heartsick at the loss of this fine instrument.

 

I then contacted Steve, who agreed to take it on. It took him several years to do the work - he has other things to do, of course - but finally I got it returned. It was in glorious form, as good or better than it had originally been before the "repair" work. Steve mentioned several things. The earlier repairman had changed the thickness of the pads, which affects things like the stroke of the action. The valve leather wasn't right for an old Jeffries. And also importantly, the set of the reeds just wasn't right. Steve knows that of which he speaks, and demonstrated it superbly.

 

Chris's Anglo was recently sold to him by an English dealer, in its current state. I did not open up the instrument to look, but then I'm not a pro and likely wouldn't know enough to be able to fully tell. But my guess (and that of Steve, who hasn't seen it in its present condition), is that some 'repairman' somewhere along the line of ownership thought they'd give it a heavy tuneup and ruined it. Does it play? Yes. Would anyone want this for a serious instrument? No.

 

All I can say is Caveat Emptor with repairmen. If I have a really nice old instrument like a Jeffries or Wheatstone that needs repair work, there are only two people on my go to list for whom I have personal experience and great results: Steve DIckinson and Colin Dipper. These old instruments are different than high quality new ones, and I think it takes someone with great experience to get the best out of them when things go awry. Just my two cents worth.

 

I told Chris that if he took it to Colin for fixing, I'd be very interested in it, because I have great faith in Colin. This instrument has great bones, but someone mucked it up. My two cent's worth! Anyway, now you know what I think, and Chris wanted me to pass that along. It is still for sale. 

 

This represents a massive problem in the concertina making "industry" if we can call it that. There are so few people who can actually be bothered to learn how to fix or make them, and making gives a pretty good hint at fixing. Something is going to have to be done about that at some point.