Double Chambered Treble, Wheatstone

[d.elliott]

Recently a concertina arrived for service and restoration, I have heard of double chambered instruments, and only ever seen one (briefly in a pub, afer.... pints, so I was delighted and horrified to open this instrument up, and find what I did.

 

Horrified to see how a superbly made and very high quality instrument had been butchered over the years, but delighted to find a double chambered instrument, completed with the inner chambers and 'chamber caps'???, I don't know the corect term.

 

This instrument has a serial of 1173 on reed pans and bellows frames, and 1170 on the action boxes. Nickel silver (I think) reeds

 

The owner had not even a clue about what the instrument is (until I told her), and simply wanted it done up for sale.

 

Now I am intrigued to know more about the intention and period of the design; how many were many made, and how sucessful the design was. Clearly not many were made, so the design concept was either a washout, or just too heavy or too expensive

 

Dave

[Stephen Chambers]

Dave,

 

I've never seen a Wheatstone like it !

 

However, it does fit into a mid-19th century craze to attempt to "equalise" the difference in tone between the press & draw reeds. In the 1840's Joseph Scates tried putting "parchment" baffles behind the reed pans, and I know of a Wheatstone "double" with partial wooden baffles mounted behind the pans, in the 1850's George Case used "double pans", as did Louis Lachenal as late as the early 1860's (and they are mentioned in his 1862 Exhibition Price List as costing 2 quineas extra).

 

Do you have any photos of this beast ?

Edited October 8, 2005 by Stephen Chambers

[d.elliott]

Dave,

 

 

Do you have any photos of this beast ?

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Yes Lots, all still in the camera, I shall down load them tomorrow, and see if I can reduce their file size to permit posting on this forum

 

Dave

[d.elliott]

ooooooops

 

D

Edited October 8, 2005 by d.elliott

[d.elliott]

Stephen,

 

 

I have 12 shots, that I have reduced to sensible file sizes, but will be too degraded to reduce further, average file size is around 250k, do you want a pic/ reply, or can someone else help/ advise???, I see we have a limit of 400k per post, is that per message or per string of messages?

 

Dave

[d.elliott]

here is one photo:

 

5 end view of chamber construction

[d.elliott]

one more if it works

 

No 8. the inner chamber cap that sits under the pan to enclose the under pan resonating chambers

 

 

No it failed, help anyone ??

 

Dave

[Theo]

one more if it works

No 8. the inner chamber cap that sits under the pan to enclose the under pan resonating chambers

No it failed, help anyone ??

Dave

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dave

 

try putting the photos on one of the free hosting sites and then post the links here.

 

eg http://photobucket.com/

 

but there are many more

 

Theo

[d.elliott]

Thanks Theo, I have attempted to register, on the 6th attempt it seems to have got through. I will let people know when the pictures are available

 

Dave

[d.elliott]

Hi all, at last, and thanks to Theo

 

look at these pictures on the following address,

 

read only pasword is 'dave'

 

 

http://photobucket.com/albums/a281/ddelliott/

 

cheers

 

Dave

[Stephen Chambers]

look at these pictures on the following address,

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Dave,

 

Thanks for the photos, they've told me what I needed to know.

 

Mystery solved :

 

Yon 1846 Wheatstone is an 1850's George Case, even the mixed-up serial numbers are typical for his instruments.

[d.elliott]

Thanks Stephen,

 

so what was the give away?

 

Dave

[Stephen Chambers]

... so what was the give away?

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Dave,

 

The fretwork and the mother of pearl corner inlays were the most immediately obvious features.