Ptarmigan Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I just came across this page, where someone is, or was, selling a Concertina. Anyway it is, or was, a Wheatstone {#26906} made in 1915. They then go on to talk about it's tone, saying it has a: ... haunting tone that belongs to a Wheatstone concertina from the golden age of concertina making. Did the seller make this up, or was there really a Golden Age? If so, how long did it last & was it only a Golden Age for Wheatstone Concertinas? Golden Age? Cheers Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marien Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 If you look at the prices it looks as if the golden age of concertinas starts about 2000.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirge Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I just came across this page, where someone is, or was, selling a Concertina. Anyway it is, or was, a Wheatstone {#26906} made in 1915. They then go on to talk about it's tone, saying it has a: ... haunting tone that belongs to a Wheatstone concertina from the golden age of concertina making. Did the seller make this up, or was there really a Golden Age? If so, how long did it last & was it only a Golden Age for Wheatstone Concertinas? Golden Age? Cheers Dick The theory is that the technology got more and more refined as time went by so concertinas improved steadily until you get into the 1930's when you had a world depression closely followed by mass availability of gramophones, radios etc etc and 'down-to-a-price' took over increasingly from 'up-to-a-quality'. So we're told it's nice to see a 1920's date on a box. Later ones, I gather, can be very good or a bit indifferent, depending on what they were made for. That sounds fair. I've heard it applied specifically to Wheatstones too, but the reasoning has to apply across the board, surely? Maybe the point is that you can actually KNOW the date of your Wheatstone from the ledgers, unlike the others. Haunting is an odd word to use, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I just came across this page, where someone is, or was, selling a Concertina. Anyway it is, or was, a Wheatstone {#26906} made in 1915. They then go on to talk about it's tone, saying it has a: ... haunting tone that belongs to a Wheatstone concertina from the golden age of concertina making. Did the seller make this up, or was there really a Golden Age? If so, how long did it last & was it only a Golden Age for Wheatstone Concertinas? Golden Age? Cheers Dick Opinions on this Forum suggest that the Golden Age for Wheatstones was c1900 to c1930. My understanding is that the Golden Age refers to the period during which Wheatstone introduced the eight-sided Aeola design of English concertina, as the pinacle of their designs, and before the quality of materials started to deteriorate. Whilst I appreciate that some Forum members will have owned, repaired, played, or listened to, far more Wheatstones than I have, my opinion is that the Golden Age actually finished a little earlier, maybe c1925. That's not to say that Wheatstone did not make some excellent instruments after this date, but I think that, generally, material quality had deteriorated. Specifically on Anglos, I believe the Golden Age to have been even shorter. My Wheatstone Anglo No.27835 dates from 1918, by which time WW1 was in its fourth year. I used to own No.26250 (now owned by another C.net member) which was made in 1914, just before the war started. This was an amazing instrument; loud, if a little heavy (it was 40 key), but I used it for the Morris. Both Anglos were worked on, by Colin and Rosalie Dipper, within a very short timescale, so Colin could make a direct comparison. No.26250 might have been a special commission, but Colin's view was that he could see the reduction in material qualities between these two instruments. So; for Anglos, the Golden Age might have ended soon after 1914. Regards, Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marien Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Opinions on this Forum suggest that the Golden Age for Wheatstones was c1900 to c1930. Are wheatstones made between 1900-1915 than any wheatstone made before that time, or do older Wheatstones exist that have the same quality or even better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Opinions on this Forum suggest that the Golden Age for Wheatstones was c1900 to c1930. Are wheatstones made between 1900-1915 than any wheatstone made before that time, or do older Wheatstones exist that have the same quality or even better? Whilst many earlier Wheatstones would have been superbly built, using top quality materials, I'm guessing that they would not have played as well, and would not have had the sound qualities of the later instruments. The Aeola was supposed to be an improvement on earlier designs, and was marketed as Wheatstone's "flagship" model. The catalogue prices support this. Anyone here have instruments from both pre and post 1900, and able to give a comparison? Regards, Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplayer Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 hi all I have a wheatstone linota anglo 40b s/n 23703 this had to be retuned to concert pitch,my pal has a 30 button anglo (wheatstone) the s/n is just a few months on from mine.The point is that the 30b concertina is louder than my 40button. He also has a steve dickinson wheatstone from the early 80s when we play together its hard to tell the difference between the two but there is a diffrence when played solo. But I hasten to add that I am very pleased with my linota its in c/g. This may help in as much as instruments from the good old days can vary!! can any body help I went to a good tune up two weeks ago there were five jeffries concertinas in fulll swing I came away thinking why do the all sound better than my jeffries (sorry concertina)??? all the best cplayer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 I went to a good tune up two weeks ago there were five jeffries concertinas in fulll swingI came away thinking why do the all sound better than my jeffries (sorry concertina)??? all the best cplayer But did they sound better? A session is not the best place to try out concertinas belonging to others (if you did this). If you base your judgement from your playing position, remember that what you hear, perched about one foot above the concertina, will not be the same as the sound heard by others in the room. Regards, Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hereward Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 ...remember that what you hear, perched about one foot above the concertina, will not be the same as the sound heard by others in the room. Regards, Peter. I don't know if others agree with this but I find that what I hear when playing does not sound as nice as what the audience hears. I hasten to add that I speak of the sound of the instrument and that the audience is a digital sound recorder; the mistakes remain. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeeclipper Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 It was fun to see an identical sibling of my Wheatstone EC here on the forum. That one is #26906, mine is #26908, they're on the same ledger page and probably shared the same workbench at the same time! Mine was retuned to A440 in 1983 and given new 6-fold bellows by a craftsman in rural Yorkshire by the name of Mick (can't recall his surname). The retuning did not detract from the sound quality, and the bellows are still excellent. The concertina is in beautiful condition, but its value is of no concern to me - I'm still playing and have no intention of parting company with it (confession: I bought it for £100 in Glasgow in 1982!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 I bought it for £100 in Glasgow in 1982! Hey, how would you like to make a 100% profit? ..... I'll give you £200 for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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