McIsog Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Hi Guys, I saw this Wheatstone Linota on ebay What is 'Linota' a reference to? Thanks, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 (edited) What is 'Linota' a reference to? Dan, That's been puzzling people for years, but it seems to have been simply the Trade Mark that Wheatstone's used for their Anglo range, prior to the Second World War. You will see it described as such in this catalogue from around 1910. LINOTA was stamped into the rails (handles) of the instruments. (Edited to add catalogue link.) Edited October 25, 2006 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Hi Guys, I saw this Wheatstone Linota on ebay What is 'Linota' a reference to? Thanks, Dan Hi Dan, If you use the Forum "search" facility, you'll find several threads about the Wheatstone Linota "badge", or "sub-brand". I was very lucky in that my first "good" Anglo was (still is) a Linota (No.27835), and it's turned out to be one of the best instruments which I have ever played. The one on ebay (No.27964) comes from the "vintage" period of Wheatstone Linotas (in fact, made only a few months after mine). I note the comments regarding tuning, but, to me, it has all the hall-marks of a "top" instrument even though finished as "Rosewood" rather than "Black" . It will probably not go for as much as a top Jeffries (£4000+), but it should do! I'll guess that it will finish up in Ireland, as I would expect it to be ideal for Irish music; "fast" and "tight". Regards, Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 ... to me, it has all the hall-marks of a "top" instrument even though finished as "Rosewood" rather than "Black" . Peter, I wouldn't be so sure about that. Many of the older rosewood-finished Wheatstone Anglos that I've seen, and worked on, have had mahogany action boards (though that's like the early Jeffries instruments) instead of maple, brass-wire levers (flattened in the middle for the rivet, like Jeffries) instead of the stronger sheet-brass ones, and don't have the long-scale reeds. But even so, it should still be a good instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McIsog Posted October 25, 2006 Author Share Posted October 25, 2006 If you use the Forum "search" facility, you'll find several threads about the Wheatstone Linota "badge", or "sub-brand". I was very lucky in that my first "good" Anglo was (still is) a Linota (No.27835), and it's turned out to be one of the best instruments which I have ever played. The one on ebay (No.27964) comes from the "vintage" period of Wheatstone Linotas (in fact, made only a few months after mine). I note the comments regarding tuning, but, to me, it has all the hall-marks of a "top" instrument even though finished as "Rosewood" rather than "Black" . It will probably not go for as much as a top Jeffries (£4000+), but it should do! I'll guess that it will finish up in Ireland, as I would expect it to be ideal for Irish music; "fast" and "tight". Regards, Peter. Thanks for the updates! Point taken on the searching. I'm usually better at using the search features of a forum - but asking is more fun Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidesqueeze Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 The seller says this instrument is not in concert pitch. To what pitch is it likely to be tuned? a fast and tight Wheatstone anglo sounds tempting but pitch could be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 The seller says this instrument is not in concert pitch. Actally, what he says is "I have played the concertina over the phone to someone who says it is not in concert pitch", so it is another would-be buyer who has said that, and they have only heard it over the telephone. In which case they could be mistaken, or even be trying to put off other potential buyers (such tactics are not unheard of!!!!!) To what pitch is it likely to be tuned? Old instruments can be as high as Old Philharmonic Pitch (A=456Hz, which is half a semitone sharp) or as low as Continental Pitch (A=435Hz). a fast and tight Wheatstone anglo sounds tempting but pitch could be a problem. Most old concertinas need tuning anyway, including most of those eBay Jeffries that you see people paying huge money for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Dickey Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 (edited) What is 'Linota' a reference to? Dan Just to get back to the original question. I've been trawling the net a little bit and there is a suggestion that the word "Linota" may be Latin for Linnet i.e as in the songbird, which to me would seem quite appropriate. However as always I stand to be corrected . Pete Edited October 26, 2006 by Pete Dickey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 It will probably not go for as much as a top Jeffries (£4000+), but it should do! I'll guess that it will finish up in Ireland, as I would expect it to be ideal for Irish music; "fast" and "tight". It went to Chris Algar (cocoa111) for £3600. Destination likely to be Ireland! Regards, Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Rosser Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 My first good anglo was a "linota" - a sweet voiced box - in Bb-F and I sold it to a mate some years ago. It was an ebony ended 30 key and a cracking instrument. I used it for several years when playing with Keith Dignam in "Pickled Dill". I'm sorry to say that I pulled the end out of the instrument at a gig while singing the Norton New Bell Wake. It required extensive and expensive repairs!! I recently met my mate again and found that he had done nothing with the instument since buying it from me twenty years ago and I bought it back from him in a sad state and am in the process of rebuilding it. In my opinion "Linotas" are among the best anglos of their time so, if you get hold of one, enjoy it! Cheers! Simon Rosser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 In my opinion "Linotas" are among the best anglos of their time so, if you get hold of one, enjoy it! Agreed, Simon. I'd turn down an offer of twice the market value for mine. It almost plays itself! Regards, Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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