Daniel Hersh Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Take a look: http://cgi.ebay.com/Concertina-Squeeze-Box...itemZ7391323652 . Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Take a look: http://cgi.ebay.com/Concertina-Squeeze-Box...itemZ7391323652 .Daniel Fairly typical 20-key German concertina. Certainly not "similar in quality to a Lachenal" as claimed by the seller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted February 17, 2006 Author Share Posted February 17, 2006 Thanks, Theo. I was just wondering: How can you tell? Are the metallic sleeve-like decorations the giveaway, or perhaps the decorations on the leather of the ends? It doesn't look like the German 20-buttons that I've seen, but I know that you've seen far, far more than I have. Daniel Take a look: http://cgi.ebay.com/Concertina-Squeeze-Box...itemZ7391323652 .Daniel Fairly typical 20-key German concertina. Certainly not "similar in quality to a Lachenal" as claimed by the seller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Daniel, The bellows are the tipoff to me. 8 folds, a typical German pattern to the papers and a....a chemnitzer feel to the bellows. Not quite as...robust as Lachenal's, although I don't usually associate that term with lower end Lachenal bellows. Anyway, the more German type bellows you see the easier they are to spot. (Now watch the exception turn up on ebay tomorrow!) This was a more interesting one with the fretwork on the sides of the ends. Thanks for sharing. Regards, Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Check this one out: http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-WOODEN-CONCERT...1QQcmdZViewItem The bellows have more wear and a different end run treatment but the papers and look are consistant with the one you spotted. This one reveals the German/chemnitzer wooden arm action seen through the missing button hole. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 (edited) Now this one is tougher! http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-German-Concertina-...1QQcmdZViewItem The bellows papers are german but this one really looks very much like a Lachenal at first and even second glance. Thank heavens for the identification stamp on the side of the end. This is getting too tricky for me! From now on you are on your own! Greg PS. On third glance the fretwork is significantlly different than a Lachenal and has a more precise, angular feel to it. But closed up, those bellows.... Edited February 17, 2006 by Greg Jowaisas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Thanks, Theo. I was just wondering: How can you tell? Are the metallic sleeve-like decorations the giveaway, or perhaps the decorations on the leather of the ends? It doesn't look like the German 20-buttons that I've seen, but I know that you've seen far, far more than I have. Another fetuare of German ones is the way the buttos are made of wood with a bone or plastic cap. You can clearly see a division between two materials on the ebay photo. On German action the buttons tilt slightly as they move so the holes have to have a significant clearance round the button. On Lachenal and other English makes the hole acts as a guide for the button so must be a close fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted February 17, 2006 Author Share Posted February 17, 2006 (edited) Thanks, Theo and Greg. The seller has now helpfully added several more photos and a couple of comments indicating that it's German. It's a very pretty instrument. http://cgi.ebay.com/Concertina-Squeeze-Box...itemZ7391323652 Daniel Thanks, Theo. I was just wondering: How can you tell? Are the metallic sleeve-like decorations the giveaway, or perhaps the decorations on the leather of the ends? It doesn't look like the German 20-buttons that I've seen, but I know that you've seen far, far more than I have. Another fetuare of German ones is the way the buttos are made of wood with a bone or plastic cap. You can clearly see a division between two materials on the ebay photo. On German action the buttons tilt slightly as they move so the holes have to have a significant clearance round the button. On Lachenal and other English makes the hole acts as a guide for the button so must be a close fit. Edited February 17, 2006 by Daniel Hersh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Thanks, Theo and Greg. The seller has now helpfully added several more photos and a couple of comments indicating that it's German. It's a very pretty instrument. Another thing to note with German made instruments is the screws/bolts that hold the ends onto the bellows. In the first two examples there are only four screws on each end, and they aren't placed in the centre of the sides, like an English made one would have - an easy recognisable give-away of origin. The third does have six screws, but if you look carefully you'll see they are round head screws, whereas English made would have cheese head bolts. Another frequently seen give-away is that non-English anglos often have the rows of buttons running parallel to one of the sides, so if you played it seated the underside point would be digging into your legs. But its interesting how the German makers tried to make their instruments look more and more like English made ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted February 18, 2006 Author Share Posted February 18, 2006 (edited) Another frequently seen give-away is that non-English anglos often have the rows of buttons running parallel to one of the sides, so if you played it seated the underside point would be digging into your legs. Slight thread drift here...but after I read this I took a look at a German concertina that I've got and saw that it's set up this way. I do play seated but hadn't noticed it before. The concertina winds up tilted a little away from me and the angle of my hands is a bit different than with an English-built concertina but I don't find that it causes a major problem in playing. Daniel Edited February 18, 2006 by Daniel Hersh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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