Where to find List of Vintage Concertina Make/Models

[Isaiah]

Hello,

I know we have the sitckied thread for makes of current concertinas, but I was curious if there was a resource that had make/model info for vintage models, ie wheatstone, lachenal, etc. I've been really intrigued by the size profile of some Lachenal's I've seen, and would love it if there was a resource with a mix of history and instrument size/finish statistics.

Thanks all!

[4to5to6]

The Concertina Museum Collection

 

Concertina Library: Digital Reference Collection for Concertinas

 

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Edited August 24, 2025 by 4to5to6

[d.elliott]

There is no model list that I have seen, all you can do is look at the surviving old price lists, and compare your instrument to them. Some manufacturers used number reference, others gave models names.

[4to5to6]

You have to dig around a bit:

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http://www.concertina.com/pricelists/index.htm

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https://www.concertinas.org.uk/scates/

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https://www.concertinas.org.uk/others.htm#Scates

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You can’t beat the older 12 guinea and better Wheatstones.  I’m personally a big fan of Rock Chidley, George Case and Joseph Scates although a lot of the minor makers made excellent examples.

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Reading through the Wheatstone ledgers in conjunction with the pricelists is fascinating:

 

http://www.horniman.info
 

 

Edited August 24, 2025 by 4to5to6