Greg Jowaisas Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Just when you think you have seen everything on ebay a listing like this comes along: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...p;rd=1&rd=1 The bellows, sides, button arrangement and even the checker board bellows papers are not inconsistent with the 1950s Wheatstones I've seen. The mother of toilet seat ends however, is a first! The seller's description of "best quality Italian made reeds" was another puzzler. Has anyone seen similar Mayfairs? What of the "Italian made reeds"? Do the acetate ends combust like accordions? Is this what it will be like in concertina hell? Someone please tell me! Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Just when you think you have seen everything on ebay a listing like this comes along: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...p;rd=1&rd=1 The bellows, sides, button arrangement and even the checker board bellows papers are not inconsistent with the 1950s Wheatstones I've seen. The mother of toilet seat ends however, is a first! The seller's description of "best quality Italian made reeds" was another puzzler. Has anyone seen similar Mayfairs? What of the "Italian made reeds"? Do the acetate ends combust like accordions? Is this what it will be like in concertina hell? Someone please tell me! Greg Don't underestimate the unique vintage case. It's well worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindizzy Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 (edited) Has anyone seen similar Mayfairs? What of the "Italian made reeds"? Do the acetate ends combust like accordions? Is this what it will be like in concertina hell? I bid on a lovely red version, some time ago ... it was amazingly kitch (sp?) ... and definately seemed to have proper labelling as a Mayfair. They do exist! Chris Edited February 15, 2007 by spindizzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richardcarlin Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 THe Mayfair Concertina was introduced by Wheatstone as an inexpensive beginners instrument in the early '50s. Harry Minting, then a manager at the firm (and a well known performer), takes credit for the instrument's design, and indeed he wrote a tutor (pictured with the instrument on ebay) for it. The instrument was an attempt to use less expensive Italian reeds, something like the Bastari concertinas first introduced in the US by Oliver Heatwole in the late '70s and still made today. Ends were made of metal or "mother of toilet seat" plastic. I own a metal-ended instrument with 30 buttons and found it to be more "playable" than the Bastari instruments and certainly decent enough for a beginner. Stephen Chambers could probably provide the full Mayfair story, including dates when they were made, etc. Richard Carlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Stephen Chambers could probably provide the full Mayfair story, including dates when they were made, etc. Richard, I did go trawling through old copies of the EFDSS magazine English Dance and Song a few years ago, and found both an announcement and advertisements for the MayFair. It seems that they were only available between 1955-60, so they must have stopped doing them when Wheatstone's moved into the Boosey & Hawkes factory (and Harry Minting left). I've seen a few of them finished in mother-of-toilet-seat, and I've even heard tell of a green m-o-t-s Anglo of traditional (not MayFair) construction. For that matter, Lachenal's made their Accordeaphone and "The New Edeophone" models out of it back in the early 1930s. It's not unheard of! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Crabb Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) Just an addition. The 'May Fair' was produced in three models, The 30A, an Anglo in C/G. Hexagonal 6.25 inches across the flats. The 30E, a 30 button English. Hexagonal 6.25 inches across the flats. The 36E, as above but including missing accidentals and a wind button. Hexagonal 7 inches across the flats. Although most of these instrument seen, used Accordian type reeds, some were made to standard internal design using 'individual' reeds where the steel tongues were held in place by displaced alloy reed frame material. An ingenious method that made each reed very light weight. Unfortunately these reeds, which are seen in some other Wheatstone models, were screwed in place somewhat cancelling the weight gain. Geoff. Edited July 20, 2007 by Geoffrey Crabb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Davies Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Just an addition. The 'May Fair' was produced in three models, The 30A, an Anglo in C/G. Hexagonal 6.25 inches across the flats. The 30E, a 30 button English. Hexagonal 6.25 inches across the flats. The 36E, as above but including missing accidentals and wind button. Hexagonal 7 inches across the flats. The reeds were of a design that held the steel tongues in place by displaced alloy reed frame material. An ingenious method that made each reed very light weight. Unfortunately these reeds were screwed in place somewhat cancelling the weight gain. Geoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Davies Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 THe Mayfair Concertina was introduced by Wheatstone as an inexpensive beginners instrument in the early '50s. Harry Minting, then a manager at the firm (and a well known performer), takes credit for the instrument's design, and indeed he wrote a tutor (pictured with the instrument on ebay) for it. The instrument was an attempt to use less expensive Italian reeds, something like the Bastari concertinas first introduced in the US by Oliver Heatwole in the late '70s and still made today. Ends were made of metal or "mother of toilet seat" plastic. I own a metal-ended instrument with 30 buttons and found it to be more "playable" than the Bastari instruments and certainly decent enough for a beginner. Stephen Chambers could probably provide the full Mayfair story, including dates when they were made, etc. Richard Carlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Davies Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Stephen Chambers could probably provide the full Mayfair story, including dates when they were made, etc. Richard, I did go trawling through old copies of the EFDSS magazine English Dance and Song a few years ago, and found both an announcement and advertisements for the MayFair. It seems that they were only available between 1955-60, so they must have stopped doing them when Wheatstone's moved into the Boosey & Hawkes factory (and Harry Minting left). I've seen a few of them finished in mother-of-toilet-seat, and I've even heard tell of a green m-o-t-s Anglo of traditional (not MayFair) construction. For that matter, Lachenal's made their Accordeaphone and "The New Edeophone" models out of it back in the early 1930s. It's not unheard of! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Davies Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Stephen Chambers could probably provide the full Mayfair story, including dates when they were made, etc. Richard, I did go trawling through old copies of the EFDSS magazine English Dance and Song a few years ago, and found both an announcement and advertisements for the MayFair. It seems that they were only available between 1955-60, so they must have stopped doing them when Wheatstone's moved into the Boosey & Hawkes factory (and Harry Minting left). I've seen a few of them finished in mother-of-toilet-seat, and I've even heard tell of a green m-o-t-s Anglo of traditional (not MayFair) construction. For that matter, Lachenal's made their Accordeaphone and "The New Edeophone" models out of it back in the early 1930s. It's not unheard of! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Davies Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Stephen Chambers could probably provide the full Mayfair story, including dates when they were made, etc. Richard, I did go trawling through old copies of the EFDSS magazine English Dance and Song a few years ago, and found both an announcement and advertisements for the MayFair. It seems that they were only available between 1955-60, so they must have stopped doing them when Wheatstone's moved into the Boosey & Hawkes factory (and Harry Minting left). I've seen a few of them finished in mother-of-toilet-seat, and I've even heard tell of a green m-o-t-s Anglo of traditional (not MayFair) construction. For that matter, Lachenal's made their Accordeaphone and "The New Edeophone" models out of it back in the early 1930s. It's not unheard of! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 (edited) Geoffrey Crabb said: The reeds were of a design that held the steel tongues in place by displaced alloy reed frame material. An ingenious method that made each reed very light weight. Unfortunately these reeds were screwed in place somewhat cancelling the weight gain. Geoff, I've often seen those "crimped" individual reeds, either screwed or clamped into post-war Wheatstones with reed pans. But all the MayFairs that I've ever come across used Italian accordion reeds, riveted one each side of rectangular plates which were screwed onto flat reedblocks. By the way, I was delighted to acquire an old Crabb price list recently, showing quite a large range of models. I think it probably dates from the 1930s, after Lachenal's closed down. You can see it here and here. Edited August 21, 2019 by Stephen Chambers Edited to add "flat" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Crabb Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Hi Stephen, I remember that some of the early 'in house' instruments had these 'crimped' reeds. It is sometime now since I was fully engaged with tinas and the memory gets a bit vague now and then and of course you are right in the use of the accordian type reeds in the majority of May Fairs. Regarding the Crabb pricelist, yes this would be onward from 1930 when the '& Son' was added. The content however was the same as previous pricelists right back to 1900 except for the addition of the 'Triumph' reference and 'T' model numbers. A Butterworth type was however made in Hex and Oct from the turn of the century. I shall, hopefully, be over to Kilrush in August so maybe we shall meet again after many years. Geoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 I shall, hopefully, be over to Kilrush in August so maybe we shall meet again after many years. Geoff, I'll look forward to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now