Bill N Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 (edited) A Barnett Samuels & Sons concertina was listed very briefly today, and disappeared before I could check to see what it went for. (link is working again- I see it went for 245 pounds) I was curious, as it looked in good shape, and very similar to a 20 button Lachenal. With 5 minutes to go the top bid was 200 pounds. Was this for real? http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPERB-VINTAGE-CONCERT...1QQcmdZViewItem Edited September 15, 2008 by Bill N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Read Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 A Barnett Samuels & Sons concertina was listed very briefly today, and disappeared before I could check to see what it went for. (link is working again- I see it went for 245 pounds) I was curious, as it looked in good shape, and very similar to a 20 button Lachenal. With 5 minutes to go the top bid was 200 pounds. Was this for real? http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPERB-VINTAGE-CONCERT...1QQcmdZViewItem Bill, this is a Lachenal. Barnett Samuel was a dealer. I thought you were looking at 30-button instruments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill N Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 (edited) Bill, this is a Lachenal. Barnett Samuel was a dealer. I thought you were looking at 30-button instruments? Yes, a 30 button GD would be nice. I've just been trying to establish the lay of the land by watching what's out there and what prices things are going for. Decent 20 key Lachenals seem to be in the 400 pound range, so was this a deal? Also, trying to develop some e-bay smarts after reading about scams in various threads. So, I wasn't so much interested in this particular concertina, but rather in opinions from members on this auction. Possibly this should have gone under General Discussion? Edited September 15, 2008 by Bill N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Bill, Not all concertinas were created equally, and neither were all 20-key Lachenals. A 2-row brass-reeded Lachenal with mahogany ends isn't very interesting to anybody, in fact I knew this very concertina was previously for sale at an auction in Eastbourne earlier this month, and I didn't even bother to put a bid on it. The person selling it on eBay bought it from that auction... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KerryFrank Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 A Barnett Samuels & Sons concertina was listed very briefly today, and disappeared before I could check to see what it went for. (link is working again- I see it went for 245 pounds) I was curious, as it looked in good shape, and very similar to a 20 button Lachenal. With 5 minutes to go the top bid was 200 pounds. Was this for real? http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPERB-VINTAGE-CONCERT...1QQcmdZViewItem Bill, This was a authentic Lachenal 20-button Anglo concertina. It was common for retail stores to buy lots of Lachenals, then relabel them under their own store or company label. The tip-off was that the registered trademark was left intact on the instrument. (ie; the reed icon, surrounded by the words "Trade Mark" and "English Make") As earlier mentioned, they are of little value, compared to 30-button Anglos, Englishes or McCann Duet Lachenals. KerryF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill N Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 As earlier mentioned, they are of little value, compared to 30-button Anglos, Englishes or McCann Duet Lachenals. KerryF Assuming that it is in good playable condition, would such a Lachenal be a viable starter instrument compared to say a Hohner D40, or Stagi C-1, which is in the same price range? Would the brass reeds still be considered "concertina reeds" , and more desirable than an accordion reeded starter box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Assuming that it is in good playable condition, would such a Lachenal be a viable starter instrument compared to say a Hohner D40, or Stagi C-1, which is in the same price range? Would the brass reeds still be considered "concertina reeds" , and more desirable than an accordion reeded starter box? Bill, Why waste your money on any of those, you'd be better off with a 30-key Rochelle for a starter box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill N Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 Bill, Why waste your money on any of those, you'd be better off with a 30-key Rochelle for a starter box. Yes, I have a Rochelle and am very happy with it, so my question is really just academic. I found some good information on Lachenals in the "Buyers Guide" section of this site, so understand now about the wide range in quality. Still I wonder, with all the discussion re: accordion vs. concertina reeded instruments, if a lower end Lachenal in good condition might be worth having just for the concertina reed experience. My next, and probably last, concertina purchase will almost certainly be one of the hybrids. I don't anticipate ever owning a quality vintage instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 I'd personally say yes, but then I'm quite fond of the concertina reed sound. That "in good condition" is a big issue too. Bill, Why waste your money on any of those, you'd be better off with a 30-key Rochelle for a starter box. Yes, I have a Rochelle and am very happy with it, so my question is really just academic. I found some good information on Lachenals in the "Buyers Guide" section of this site, so understand now about the wide range in quality. Still I wonder, with all the discussion re: accordion vs. concertina reeded instruments, if a lower end Lachenal in good condition might be worth having just for the concertina reed experience. My next, and probably last, concertina purchase will almost certainly be one of the hybrids. I don't anticipate ever owning a quality vintage instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 I'd personally say yes, but then I'm quite fond of the concertina reed sound. That "in good condition" is a big issue too. I'd go further and say that I'm extremely fond of the concertina reed sound, which is the definitive one for me. But I wouldn't recommend an unrestored 20-key brass-reeded Lachenal, at a higher price, ahead of a 30-key Rochelle. Even "fully restored" it wouldn't play half as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Assuming that it is in good playable condition, would such a Lachenal be a viable starter instrument compared to say a Hohner D40, or Stagi C-1, which is in the same price range? Would the brass reeds still be considered "concertina reeds" , and more desirable than an accordion reeded starter box? Bill, Why waste your money on any of those, you'd be better off with a 30-key Rochelle for a starter box. What?!?! A brass reeded Lachenal is even worse sounding than a Rochelle? If I were a Lachenal, I'd sue you for libel! (Tried out a Rochelle recently. It did, admittedly, have 30 buttons, but ... do brass reeded Lachenals sound THAT bad?) Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy123 Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Hi, I am new to this site .I always wanted to play the concertina since I was a kid. In actual fact I purchased this concertina on ebay to start off with and am still waiting delivery. After reading the articles on this page I am now wondering have I bought a piece of Cr.p. What are your thoughts on it. Thanks Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Paddy, The quality and condition and history of a 20b Lachenal can vary wildly. As a generality the lower end, brass reed models were produced in great numbers and the quality control was not exact. I've repaired some and been disappointed after trying all my tricks to get them to play better. On the other hand I've had a number of brass reed instruments that had good sound and response to the point that without looking inside you would have thought they had decent steel reeds. Condition of the instrument plays an important part. Brass reeds need all the available air to sound their best. Any compromises such as leaky bellows or an improperly supported reed pan can result in a weak sound or unresponsive reeds. Many of the lower end Lachenals had bellows that were only passible at best and the wages of time and abuse often take their toll upon them. Working on brass reeds and tuning them requires care and patience. (They are subtle and quick to anger!) They can be ruined in a few moments of inattention. But with care, a set of brass reeds with good tolerances can provide a warm rich sound that often is lacking from steel reeds. While I agree that a Rochelle is the best "off the shelf" choice for the money, I would not sell the charm, sound and playability of a properly reconditioned 20b Lachenal concertina short. Compromises indeed need to be made in key selection and repertoire choice but a decent instrument with a concertina reed sound can be a joy to play. Don't give up on yours until you see what you've got. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy123 Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Thanks Greg for your input, The concertina arrived today and looks to be in very good condition from the outside at least. I think regardless now, this is the one for me to learn on. I will play it by ear (excuse the pun) and see how things progress. I must commend this site , It is a hive of information on concertinas. Thank you........... Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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