Riccordi Anglo

[Paul_Hardy]

A friend, knowing I play concertina, brought me one that was her father's. Unfortunately its an Anglo, and I play English

 

It says "Riccordi, Made in Italy" on the outside, and inside has number 65 on various parts. My guess is that it is from the 1950's or 60s, but I'd be interested in any facts to support or deny this.

 

I've dismantled it and put it together again (various buttons had fallen to the interior).

 

Pictures of it, including the action and reeds are at http://www.hardy.34sp.com/pictures/music/riccordi/.

 

My intimation is that it isn't worth spending much time on, because it looks a fairly low-end instrument, using accordion reeds, and as it probably hasn't been played for 40 years or so, the rubber sleeves which hold the buttons onto the levers are brittle, and I think the pads have flattened, as the buttons seem very low. Other than that it seems in good condition.

 

Anyone got any comments on its history, value, or techniques for renovating (if its worth renovating), particularly the key sleeves. I'm used to doing maintenance on an English, but this is a very different beast!

[Theo]

Good advice here including how to replace perished button sleves.

[Daniel Hersh]

Agreed. The instrument was probably made by Bastari (predecessor to Stagi) who made concertinas under a number of names. These are fairly common here in the U.S.

 

Good advice here including how to replace perished button sleves.

[asdormire]

I have a box very similar to that one, but my actions are wooden, but I would swear the reed plates are the same. Not great, but playable, though probably much older.

 

Alan

[Paul_Hardy]

I've managed to restore it to playable condition (primarily replacing the rubber sleeves on the keys, using silicone tubing intended for model aircraft fuel lines!).

 

I'd still be interested in any more precise dating for this than "50's/60's/70s'".

 

I'd like to be able to hammer out a few tunes on it, just to say that I can play an Anglo. However, I've been playing English for 13 years, and I cannot at all get my brain round the concept of different notes on the push and pull, or of the layout of a scale.

 

Do any of the members have any hints on "Anglo playing for the English

concertina user"? Any recommendations for an Anglo tutor book that would be

appropriate?

 

Or should I just forget the idea?

 

(If anyone replied to a previous post on the ICA list or rec.music.makers.squeezebox, then please ignore this).

 

--

Paul Hardy

Email: paul at paulhardy.net, web: www.paulhardy.net

A Brit, temporarily exiled in Southern California

[AlexCJones]

The Anglo shown in the photo in my reply about straps is actually a Riccordi that I bought on ebay for $100, then spent $ 70 on getting restored (rubber sleeves, tunning etc). It was worth it for me, since it was my only 30-key and I learned to play 30-key on it.

Edited October 18, 2006 by AlexCJones