It was cheap, its old, its dirty, it barely works - what to do..

[TinkerPhil]

[TinkerPhil]

Does this concertina have a future?

 

 

[wschruba]

Phil, I picked up a 38 button (really a 40 with whistle/squeaker) in similar condition.  Your instrument is in overall better condition, and mine is now playable (with some fine-tuning of the reeds and valves still to be done) with a little bit over 40 hours of work.  I have no doubt a professional could have done it faster, but I deemed it an acceptable use of my time for what I paid for the instrument. 

 

If you have any fine wood working skills, you can easily (albeit time-consumingly) correct the warped/not sealing reed pans. 

 

Paying a professional for restoration would almost instantly make simply buying an already-restored concertina a much more attractive proposition.

[TinkerPhil]

Thanks

 

That's good news for the concertina but I'm not sure I'm the one to do it.

 

I'm going to go back to learning the english and I doubt I'll ever learn an anglo

 

so my heart wouldn't be in it

 

I've already got a garage full of unfinished projects 😞

 

Maybe someone has a project english but wants a project anglo?!

[TinkerPhil]

Ok, so I found myself an English Mayfair, its actually in better nick - although it was surprisingly larger - almost as big as my Jackie, well across the flats of the hexagon anyway (much shorter handle to handle)

 

I reckon I have a chance with this one and the Lachenal above will go back to living in its box

 

Thanks everyone