Odd Duck On Ebay

[Paul Read]

Here it is. Is this one of those replacement-end Jones instruments Stephen?http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-ANTIQUE-CONCERTINA-ROSEWOOD-BRASS-FRETTED-ENDS_W0QQitemZ270052165064QQihZ017QQcategoryZ16218QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Edited November 7, 2006 by Paul Read

[Larry Stout]

From one of the pictures you can see a riveted action. It also seems to have duck call (or something similar) buttons on both ends-- an odd duck indeed.

[Greg Jowaisas]

My money is on George Jones and his broad steel reeds.

 

Stephen?

 

Greg

[Stephen Chambers]

Is this one of those replacement-end Jones instruments Stephen?

I never saw anything quite like it, but a combination of features conspire to suggest that it was almost certainly George Jones "wot done it". The ends look to be very much original, but made of nickel silver that has become heavily tarnished.

[Paul Read]

I see they've added more photos, including the inside. Interesting that it has a radial reed pan. It looks to be nicely made.

[Hooves]

Was the "duck-call" a novelty George Jones introduced? I saw another box on eBay that also had a duck call sound.

 

I can imagine a clown playing such a thing, do you suppose any duck-hunters also play concertina... Musical theatre perhaps.

[Stephen Chambers]

Was the "duck-call" a novelty George Jones introduced? I saw another box on eBay that also had a duck call sound.

George Jones called it a "chanticleer" (old name for a cock, or rooster). He may have been the first maker to use them, though you will also find "whistles and squeaks" (a.k.a. "cock-crow and bird-whistle") on Anglos by Jeffries & Lachenal, sometimes even on top-of-the-range Englishes and duets.

[Hooves]

The action on that one looks to be pretty well rusted. The black looks to me like mold.

 

I can see at least 1 reed is misisng a valve, although it is a high one so perhaps it doesn't really need it. With ,my very limited concertina knowledge, I estimate at least 200 GBP to restore it. Any 2nd guesses?

[malcolm clapp]

Was the "duck-call" a novelty George Jones introduced? I saw another box on eBay that also had a duck call sound.

George Jones called it a "chanticleer" (old name for a cock, or rooster). He may have been the first maker to use them, though you will also find "whistles and squeaks" (a.k.a. "cock-crow and bird-whistle") on Anglos by Jeffries & Lachenal, sometimes even on top-of-the-range Englishes and duets.

 

 

I have them on a very high quality raised m/e Wheatstone tenor/treble English I've just finished restoring, though not mentioned in the ledgers. Still can't decide if they are original or add ons.

 

MC

[Theo]

The action on that one looks to be pretty well rusted. The black looks to me like mold.

 

I can see at least 1 reed is misisng a valve, although it is a high one so perhaps it doesn't really need it. With ,my very limited concertina knowledge, I estimate at least 200 GBP to restore it. Any 2nd guesses?

 

What seems odd to me is that the reeds and valves look very clean, and the valves are lying flat, but the pads, levers and acation board are filthy. I suspect that the reedpans have been worked on fairly recently, but the action has been untouched since it was made.

[Stephen Chambers]

The action on that one looks to be pretty well rusted.

Those rusty riveted steel levers, with the bell-shaped brass posts, help confirm that the instrument is indeed a Jones, as he regularly used steel for the longer ones.

 

But it's unfortunate that the seller has removed all the small steel screws to unnecessarily take off the metal end, when the wooden sides are obviously of the split variety (as would be normal with Jones, Lachenal or Wheatstone, not one-piece like Jeffries or Crabb), as usually some will be rusted in and break while they are being removed, and I wonder if he knows that he needs to put them back in the same holes afterwards?

[Hooves]

What seems odd to me is that the reeds and valves look very clean, and the valves are lying flat, but the pads, levers and acation board are filthy. I suspect that the reedpans have been worked on fairly recently, but the action has been untouched since it was made.

 

I noticed that too, perhaps an amateur restorer had his hand at it, or the owner couldn't afford an entire overhaul.

 

Those bellows look like the original leather was green, but the ends are reddish brown, as is the staining on the papers. It looks to me like somebody has had a go at it with with brown leather shoe polish, I would wager that the bellows ends were actaully green at one time.

Edited November 12, 2006 by Hooves

[oldsalt]

Hello

 

I was the winning bidder for the ODD DUCK Jones concertina on eBay. I happened to find your dicussion board and found your comments very interesting.

 

I'm a new member and this is my first time to interact with you all.

 

~I was wondering what the instrument would be worth restored? value unrestored? I was the winning bidder at $1600 US funds.

 

~Who would you recommend for the very best restoration job?

 

Thanks for reply.

Kevin

[Greg Jowaisas]

Hello Kevin. Welcome to this wonderful forum.

 

Obviously a couple of heavy hitters in the concertina world (Neil Wayne and Chris Algar aka Cocoa aka Barleycorn) found your concertina interesting enough to come in 2nd and 3rd in the bidding. You might want to ask them about its historical significance.

 

It's construction was interesting enough to attract the attention of another expert, Stephen Chambers, who regularly posts here. The low serial # was intriguing. The placement of the two novelty buttons was unusual.

 

I think you have an unusual and perhaps significant enough instrument to warrant care in properly restoring it. Colin Dipper in the UK comes to mind (Although he is incredibly busy but might be tempted by such a project. Set aside several years before you see it again!) The Button Box in Massechussetts does good work.

 

Again I'll repeat that his is definitely an instrument that deserves special attention and whose restoration should be handled by a concertina specialist.

 

As far as value, you now have an idea of the ebay "street" value. I'm not sure if Neil Wayne was buying to resell to a musuem collection. Chris Algar knows the market as well as anyone and may have had a buyer in the wings.

 

I hope you intend to play the instrument and give it the restoration and care it deserves.

 

Best of luck,

 

Greg

[Hooves]

I was amazed to see how much it went for. Seeing those heavy hitters in the final minutes really surprised me.

 

Up until a few posts ago, I didn't realize cocoa was Barleycorn.

 

Hopefully you will be able to restore the instrument, I estimated around 200-400 pounds, but you would need to take it to one of the pro restorers and see, it may be less.

 

If you do retore it, I would guess you would make your money back in the very least, especially with all the big shots interest.

[Theo]

If you do retore it, I would guess you would make your money back in the very least, especially with all the big shots interest.

 

But, a buyer of a restored concertina in this price range will want to know that teh work was carried out by someone experienced.

[Paul Read]

Hello

 

I was the winning bidder for the ODD DUCK Jones concertina on eBay. I happened to find your dicussion board and found your comments very interesting.

 

I'm a new member and this is my first time to interact with you all.

 

~I was wondering what the instrument would be worth restored? value unrestored? I was the winning bidder at $1600 US funds.

 

~Who would you recommend for the very best restoration job?

 

Thanks for reply.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

 

Putting a value on this one would be difficult. In general, a 20 ish button Jones instrument would have a limited value. However, this seems to have a rarity/historic value that puts it in a different category and, as stated elsewhere, both Neil Wayne and Chris Algar were willing to pay a good deal of money for it. I would suspect that Stephen could enlighten us about the reason for its attraction to the more knowledgeable concertina folk.

[Stephen Chambers]

I would suspect that Stephen could enlighten us about the reason for its attraction to the more knowledgeable concertina folk.

Did you ever see a smaller Anglo ("4.3/4" inches in diameter") with metal ends and of full compass?