Buying A Chemnitzer

[Daniel Hersh]

I wouldn't quite see I got lucky, exactly--I got lots of help from Ted who very generously looked over and commented on the external pictures of that concertina on ebay and then did the same for the inside pictures that the seller e-mailed to me. The concertina is definitely playable, with tight bellows and no problems (at least so far) with the wooden action. It's close enough to in tune for me to enjoy playing it at home but maybe not close enough for me to play it elsewhere...and at least some of the leathers have curled and will need to be replaced at some point. It's also beautiful to look at (see below). It cost me $500.

 

 

Old Chemnitzers often show up on ebay, usually sold by antique or "junk shop" dealers who have little knowledge about music or instruments. The first one that I bought cost me less than $150 and was just barely playable. I got far enough on it to confirm that I really wanted to learn Chemnitzer, but the action kept coming apart in new places and I had to make a choice about whether to learn and put a good deal of time into Chemnitzer repair or buy a better one.

 

Daniel

 

So what is a reasonable price (and brand) for a beginner's chemnitzer these days?

I think the only reasonable beginners' instruments out there are used ones. The $2,000 you'd spend on the Castiglione "Model 10" could buy a lot in a used instrument.

 

As far as "brands" go, one might get lucky (as our Dan Hersh recently did) and get a good old German one that's playable and in tune. They are hard to find in good shape.

 

Although they will cost more, I'd recommend one of the solid American makes like Star, Patek, Pearl Queen, Glass Bros, as long as it has an aluminum action. Older instruments with wooden actions can be as much of a gamble as the German ones.

 

Depending on features, about the least you'll spend for something playable and in tune is $500.

Edited March 16, 2006 by Daniel Hersh