For Sale: Lachenal 30b Ab/eb Metal Ends

[Craig Wagner]

Lachenal 30-button Anglo concertina pitched in Ab/Eb. This is a rare instrument – very few are pitched in this key. 7-fold bellows and metal ends. I fell in love with this instrument when I heard it played at a Noel Hill class in Oregon. To my delight, it came up for sale within the next 12 months or so. Like other lower pitched instruments, it has a deep and rich tone. The bellows are air tight. It comes with a case purchased from the Button Box.

 

In excellent shape, ready to play. In tune, A=440. It is in a Jeffries tuning format. Completely refurbished by the Button Box in 2000 with pads, valves and strap. A really solid and golden-toned instrument. The box shows surprisingly little wear given its age – the metal ends are in very good shape. The serial Number 199103 is on the reed pan (and reproduced by someone on paper affixed to the grillwork on the left side). This seems to peg perhaps in the late 1920s.

 

I’m selling it to help finance my son’s college education. I’m sad to part with this one, since in my 15 years of following concertinas, I’ve not seen another one like it. But, it’s time to let someone else enjoy this great instrument. Price is $2750 plus insurance and shipping. If sold through Concertina Net, I’ll make a donation to Paul for his great work on our collective behalf.

 

Thanks,

Craig Wagner

[Craig Wagner]

I have some sound files I can send you.... Please let me know if you want real audio or Microsoft format... Please send me your email addrses..

 

Thanks,

Craig

Edited December 9, 2006 by Craig Wagner

[Joachim]

Lachenal 30-button Anglo concertina pitched in Ab/Eb. This is a rare instrument – very few are pitched in this key. 7-fold bellows and metal ends. I fell in love with this instrument when I heard it played at a Noel Hill class in Oregon. To my delight, it came up for sale within the next 12 months or so. Like other lower pitched instruments, it has a deep and rich tone. The bellows are air tight. It comes with a case purchased from the Button Box.

 

In excellent shape, ready to play. In tune, A=440. It is in a Jeffries tuning format. Completely refurbished by the Button Box in 2000 with pads, valves and strap. A really solid and golden-toned instrument. The box shows surprisingly little wear given its age – the metal ends are in very good shape. The serial Number 199103 is on the reed pan (and reproduced by someone on paper affixed to the grillwork on the left side). This seems to peg perhaps in the late 1920s.

 

I’m selling it to help finance my son’s college education. I’m sad to part with this one, since in my 15 years of following concertinas, I’ve not seen another one like it. But, it’s time to let someone else enjoy this great instrument. Price is $2750 plus insurance and shipping. If sold through Concertina Net, I’ll make a donation to Paul for his great work on our collective behalf.

 

Thanks,

Craig Wagner

 

 

Dear Craig,

 

this really seems to be a very fine instrument. I've been seaching for a 30 key Anglo already for a long time. But do you know if it is easily possible to retune it to C/G key ? Or is it like building a new one ?

By the way: is it still available ?

 

Regards,

Jo

[Paul Read]

Dear Craig,

 

this really seems to be a very fine instrument. I've been seaching for a 30 key Anglo already for a long time. But do you know if it is easily possible to retune it to C/G key ? Or is it like building a new one ?

By the way: is it still available ?

 

Regards,

Jo

 

Retuning an Ab/Eb to C/G would not really be advisable. It's a long way to retune the reeds. Moving reeds about is possible with replacements but this would be costly and time consuming. You're better getting a C/G. They are also much more common. Ab/Eb is a lovely tuning though.

[Joachim]

Dear Craig,

 

this really seems to be a very fine instrument. I've been seaching for a 30 key Anglo already for a long time. But do you know if it is easily possible to retune it to C/G key ? Or is it like building a new one ?

By the way: is it still available ?

 

Regards,

Jo

 

Retuning an Ab/Eb to C/G would not really be advisable. It's a long way to retune the reeds. Moving reeds about is possible with replacements but this would be costly and time consuming. You're better getting a C/G. They are also much more common. Ab/Eb is a lovely tuning though.

 

 

Dear Craig,

o.k.

So if the concertina is still available please mail me perhaps directly. I think you can see my adress.

Regards,

Jo

[englishcf]

Craig,

 

What about the Suttner?

CE

[Craig Wagner]

Joachim, Thanks for your interest, but retuning an Ab/Eb isn't really a good idea. There are so few Ab/Eb out there, that they really should be preserved. Plus, trying to get it all the way up to a C/G would butcher the reeds pretty severely... May I recommend a good Edgley (or other similar, but I really like the Edgley) .... It would be cheaper, has faster action and comes ready to play in C/G... Thanks, Craig

[Joachim]

Joachim, Thanks for your interest, but retuning an Ab/Eb isn't really a good idea. There are so few Ab/Eb out there, that they really should be preserved. Plus, trying to get it all the way up to a C/G would butcher the reeds pretty severely... May I recommend a good Edgley (or other similar, but I really like the Edgley) .... It would be cheaper, has faster action and comes ready to play in C/G... Thanks, Craig

 

 

Dear Craig,

 

yes I see. I further tought about changing the reeds and adding the missing, not retuning each single reed.

But I think you are right to better letting it like it is.

 

Best regards,

Jo

[Theo]

Jo,

 

its not even just a matter of moving and changing reeds, the Ab/Eb reeds are nearly all going to be physically bigger than typical C/G reeds so the slots in the reedpan would need to be made smaller. Its really not a practical idea.

[Joachim]

Jo,

 

its not even just a matter of moving and changing reeds, the Ab/Eb reeds are nearly all going to be physically bigger than typical C/G reeds so the slots in the reedpan would need to be made smaller. Its really not a practical idea.

 

 

Dear Theo,

 

thanks for your reply. Nice to hear from you in this forum. I'm convinced that it was no good idea, but you see I am still searching.

 

Best regards,

Jo Berger

[Pete Dickey]

Retuning to CG would be too far to go, but it would retune to GD though. There must be an awful lot of GD's that started life in this tuning. Shame to lose the rare Ab/Eb tuning, there can't be many of these left.

 

Pete

[DavidFR]

Retuning to CG would be too far to go, but it would retune to GD though. There must be an awful lot of GD's that started life in this tuning. Shame to lose the rare Ab/Eb tuning, there can't be many of these left.

 

Pete

 

My Lachenal started off life as an Ab/Eb retuned to G/D. And it turned out really really well (though I didn't know it in its previous incarnation). That's the route to go if you're going to retune one of those, but if you can find someone to appreciate and play it in the original key, that's really much better. As other people have said, there really aren't too many of these still around.

 

-David