Stephen Chambers Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 (edited) OK, so it's not so strange, though still unusual. It plays a different note on push and pull, with semitones on the extra buttons of each row, making it Anglo-German in system and, if the note names are those actually produced by the buttons (rather than relative), it's in the keys of C and G. Edited May 11, 2009 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSulsona Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Stephen, Thank you for the great analysis to the shabby description I gave you to work with. I am hoping to get enough info to discern what I actually have. First, I would like to know the approximate origin, then age, then of course the value. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaryK Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 If you're not too shy about it, you may want to open the box up by removing the outer perimeter of screws on one end (those at each corner of the hexagon) and gently lifting up the end piece. You might find a lable or information within that would give you a clue to the origins of this concertina. Replace the screws in the same holes they came from. Try it on the other side as well. Good luck. You've an interesting little box there and it may turn out to be from a little known branch of the Anglo-German concertina family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 First, I would like to know the approximate origin ... Italian, and possibly made for a French importer. ... then age ... Somewhere between the late 1940s and early 1960s. ... then of course the value. Not a lot, I'm afraid. The somewhat similar Corelli, in my photos, was offered on eBay (Rare*Corelli Concertina Black #230 Excellent Case **WoW) with a Buy It Now price of $275, and sold for an offer of $195. Of course the Corelli didn't have the (useful) extra semitones but, then again, it did have the wind key on the right side - which helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 ... then of course the value. Not a lot, I'm afraid. The somewhat similar Corelli, in my photos, was offered on eBay (Rare*Corelli Concertina Black #230 Excellent Case **WoW) with a Buy It Now price of $275, and sold for an offer of $195. Of course the Corelli didn't have the (useful) extra semitones but, then again, it did have the wind key on the right side - which helps! $195? WoW, indeed!I was thinking my Corelli might be worth about $20... after I put a new bellows on it. Maybe I'll look into getting a new bellows, after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 $195? WoW, indeed!I was thinking my Corelli might be worth about $20... after I put a new bellows on it. Maybe I'll look into getting a new bellows, after all. Jim, Truth be told, as we both know, they're not very good concertinas and it probably did quite well to sell for that price - maybe the real value lays somewhere between your $20 and that $195, but that's what it went for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 (edited) I bought a Corelli for $75 off eBay in September -- it's one of the cute little square-ended black and white ones. Here's a pic of one of those from the web site of an accordion collector who dated it at 1951, which sounds plausible to me: Daniel $195? WoW, indeed!I was thinking my Corelli might be worth about $20... after I put a new bellows on it. Maybe I'll look into getting a new bellows, after all. Jim, Truth be told, as we both know, they're not very good concertinas and it probably did quite well to sell for that price - maybe the real value lays somewhere between your $20 and that $195, but that's what it went for... Edited May 13, 2009 by Daniel Hersh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I bought a Corelli for $75 off eBay in September -- it's one of the cute little square-ended black and white ones. That's more like the one Jim has, though (if I remember rightly?) he bought his from a New York city music store in the late '60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSulsona Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 A big thank you to one and all that replied to my inquiry. Now I have more info to go on. I hope to be in Europe, in September. I plan on taking pictures of the concertina with me, and stop by a few music shops. Once again thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I hope to be in Europe, in September. I plan on taking pictures of the concertina with me, and stop by a few music shops. Who knows, you may walk into my music shop with them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I bought a Corelli for $75 off eBay in September -- it's one of the cute little square-ended black and white ones. That's more like the one Jim has, though (if I remember rightly?) he bought his from a New York city music store in the late '60s. Not a "music" store. A pawn shop. (And early '70's, but you were close.) The bellows were already badly in need of repair, so it could well be the same age as Daniel's. But after having had the loan of a Lachenal English for 6 months and then having to give it back, my Corelli kept me from complete withdrawal symptoms until I managed to get an English of my own, even though it was clear that the anglo wasn't what I really needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 My husband has a drawing I will try and explain it in words the best I can. starting with the left hand top row push notes C, G, C, E, G, A# pull notes on same keys G,B,D,F,A,C# left hand bottom row push notes B,D,G,B,D,F# pull notes on same keys A,F#,A,C,E,G# right hand top row push notes C#,C,E,G,C,E, pull notes on same keys D#,B,D,F,A,B right hand bottom row push notes F#,G,B,D,G,A# pull notes on same keys C#,F#,A,C,E,G# I find this a fascinating enhancement of the 20-button system! The four extra buttons provide the notes you need to break out of the confines of 2 keys, without cluttering up the arrangement. The press A#/Bb on the 6th button, top row, LH is just what you need for a full press C7 chord to lead to an F - this chord is pretty thin even on a standard 30-button. And the draw C# on the same button gives a full draw A major chord. Seems like scales of A major and D major would also work fine with the additional C# and G#, and with the D#, E major should be possible too. It would be interesting to know what octaves the various C#'s and F#'s are in. One additional note puzzles me: why would button 6, inner row, LH be an F#? If this were an F natural, it would yield a nice, fat G7 on the press, and there are enough other F#'s around. If I saw a layout like that on a traditional-reeded or good hybrid Anglo, I'd be sorely tempted! Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 (edited) I bought a Corelli for $75 off eBay in September -- it's one of the cute little square-ended black and white ones. That's more like the one Jim has, though (if I remember rightly?) he bought his from a New York city music store in the late '60s. Not a "music" store. A pawn shop. (And early '70's, but you were close.) The bellows were already badly in need of repair, so it could well be the same age as Daniel's. Jim, I'd love to know on what basis the Canadian collector, who Daniel is citing, dates his instruments - usually to a particular year! Sometimes he's obviously wrong, though 1951 (or thereabouts) seems quite possible for the Corelli in Daniel's photo. Otherwise, I've an undated (but no earlier than 1955) catalogue, from the Italian Accordion Manufacturing Company of Chicago, that shows they were selling the same model at that time. They described it as an "English Style Concertina. [sic] Any child or adult can play any simple tune quickly on this very fine concertina. An ideal gift for anyone. A real concertina - not a toy ... Fully guaranteed for lifetime. Price $45." Edited to add scan from catalogue. Edited May 22, 2009 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 (edited) Well, I had been wondering about that too since I had noticed some of those errors myself. Unfortunately, he seems to have died a few months ago, so we will probably never know. I'd love to know on what basis the Canadian collector, who Daniel is citing, dates his instruments - usually to a particular year! Sometimes he's obviously wrong, though 1951 (or thereabouts) seems quite possible for the Corelli in Daniel's photo. Edited May 14, 2009 by Daniel Hersh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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