Dieppe Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 Okay, so I buy this Wheatsone 48 key concertina on eBay. I really wanted it, so I watched it all weekend. I think I got a good deal on, but who knows. Hopefully I'll get it later this week, and it won't be a scam or completely broken. If it is, needs tuning, or fixed up. For West Coast dealings, are there any recommendations or should I ship it back east? In any case, I've read the concertina buyers guides, etc.. but still any advice? Anything I should look for once I get it for instruments of this age? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animaterra Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 It looks like a lovely instrument. Hopefully someone here with more knowledge about English than I will give you some advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeeclipper Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Looks nice - but the proof is in the playing. The case may not be original with the instrument, as the label shows a more recent address than on the concertina. Then again, it is possible that mixed labels were applied in the late 1890s when your concertina was made and Wheatstone was in transition from Conduit Street to the Charing Cross location. Whichever, if only your 'new' squeezebox' could talk, it would have over a century of delightful adventures to tell you! Best wishes for many more years between your hands! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Read Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Looks nice - but the proof is in the playing. The case may not be original with the instrument, as the label shows a more recent address than on the concertina. Then again, it is possible that mixed labels were applied in the late 1890s when your concertina was made and Wheatstone was in transition from Conduit Street to the Charing Cross location. Whichever, if only your 'new' squeezebox' could talk, it would have over a century of delightful adventures to tell you! Best wishes for many more years between your hands! Does it have brass or steel reeds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Looks nice - but the proof is in the playing. The case may not be original with the instrument, as the label shows a more recent address than on the concertina. Then again, it is possible that mixed labels were applied in the late 1890s when your concertina was made and Wheatstone was in transition from Conduit Street to the Charing Cross location. Whichever, if only your 'new' squeezebox' could talk, it would have over a century of delightful adventures to tell you! Best wishes for many more years between your hands! The number 22764 definitely sets this in the period when we don't have any records for Wheatstone - the last in the old ledgers seems to be 21635 in December 1893 (they start again at 25000 in 1910). Wheatstone changed address in 1905, so perhaps the case label was changed and the position label overstamped when it was returned for tuning or service. The overstamping suggests that the case is the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieppe Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 Looks nice - but the proof is in the playing. The case may not be original with the instrument, as the label shows a more recent address than on the concertina. Then again, it is possible that mixed labels were applied in the late 1890s when your concertina was made and Wheatstone was in transition from Conduit Street to the Charing Cross location. Whichever, if only your 'new' squeezebox' could talk, it would have over a century of delightful adventures to tell you! Best wishes for many more years between your hands! The sad thing is.. I don't have it yet. I'm eagerly waiting for it though. So, once I do. Yeah, I just wonder where it has been all these years. It's like I'm waiting for the birth of a child.. or the delivery of my new Russian bride or something. Hm, bad analogy I suppose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieppe Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 Looks nice - but the proof is in the playing. The case may not be original with the instrument, as the label shows a more recent address than on the concertina. Then again, it is possible that mixed labels were applied in the late 1890s when your concertina was made and Wheatstone was in transition from Conduit Street to the Charing Cross location. Whichever, if only your 'new' squeezebox' could talk, it would have over a century of delightful adventures to tell you! Best wishes for many more years between your hands! Does it have brass or steel reeds? I don't know yet, but I'll find out when I get it. Can I tell by listening? Or will I need to open it... if the reeds are all brassy then they must be brass, but if the reeds are all irony, then they must be steel? It's a shame that it's from when there weren't records though. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Husmann Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I don't know yet, but I'll find out when I get it. Can I tell by listening? Or will I need to open it... No, not necessarily. If you´ve heard a steel-reeded instrument before you will for sure hear a difference if it´s brass. Some instruments have a mixture of both... It´s an exciting time, isn´t it? I remember wainting for mine to arrive and it drove me insane greetings Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Read Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I don't know yet, but I'll find out when I get it. Can I tell by listening? Or will I need to open it... No, not necessarily. If you´ve heard a steel-reeded instrument before you will for sure hear a difference if it´s brass. Some instruments have a mixture of both... It´s an exciting time, isn´t it? I remember wainting for mine to arrive and it drove me insane greetings Christian Some brass reeds can be quite loud and responsive. Really you should look at it to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeeclipper Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Wheatstone changed address in 1905. ?! From Neil Wayne's online history: In 1897, the Wheatstone concertina business moved to 15 West Street, off Charing Cross Road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieppe Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 Wheatstone changed address in 1905. ?! From Neil Wayne's online history: In 1897, the Wheatstone concertina business moved to 15 West Street, off Charing Cross Road Is that from this one? The Wheatstone English Concertina by Neil Wayne? Very interesting history there. I sure hope it's one of the better quality concertinas from that period! Ah well, here's to waiting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 (edited) Wheatstone changed address in 1905. ?! From Neil Wayne's online history: In 1897, the Wheatstone concertina business moved to 15 West Street, off Charing Cross Road Neil's article is perhaps 20 years old, and contains a few errors - not surprising considering source material is so rare. Conduit Street was given up because of the death of Edward Childey Snr. in 1899, and they were still there in the 1902 PO directory. The best source so far gives 1905 as the date. So don't believe anything you read on the internet as totallyacccurate. Latest research on Wheatstone addresses, genealogy, company ownership, etc, are summarised on my website. The reeds will almost certainly be steel, but more important will be the mounting - will they be riveted or screwed? Edited September 19, 2007 by wes williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeeclipper Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Wes - Thanks for the correction, and link to a really good, informative website! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieppe Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 I sure hope they're screwed! I guess I get to find out ... soon I hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I sure hope they're screwed! I guess I get to find out ... soon I hope! But don't confuse 'rivited' with accordion- and multi-reed plate construction. The rivited Wheatstones are single reed per shoe, almost exactly the same as the screwed reeds, and this doesn't reduce the value in anyway - in fact, all Wheatstones were built this way from about 1866 up to around 1900. You can find some more information in this thread and others linked from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieppe Posted September 21, 2007 Author Share Posted September 21, 2007 You can find some more information in this thread and others linked from it. From one of the posts it sounds like it might be screwed reeds... I guess I'll have to take it apart when I get it huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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