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Here's a chance for "you in the know" to get a good laugh..or not..I'm not sure..thus this post. :unsure:

I bought this Lachenal, Crane duet for 350 GBP or $536. Feel free to give your opinions, good or bad.

Be kind, I'm the #%&* sensative type ye know. :angry:

Here's the description:

 

35 BUTTON CRANE SYSTEM DUET CONCERTINA

MADE BY LACHENAL FOR CRANE & SONS, LIVERPOOL

Maker’s Number L631 stamped into frame inside Instrument and on Bass Button End Label

 

Treble Button End Label States:- CRANE& SONS LIVERPOOL PATENT CONCERTINA 2173

 

Manufactured by: LACHENAL & Co, LONDON

 

When Lachenal & Co first made instruments for Crane, the early ones were labelled as “Crane & Sons, Patent-Concertina,

London & Liverpool”. Lachenal apparently used a new range of serial numbers, completely different from the range of

numbers on their Maccann Concertinas. However, at a later date the two number series were merged together. The Lachenal

Series of Instrument numbers are reported as ranging from 256 to 5960. This was further complicated at a later date when

Crane & Sons introduced their own series of Instrument numbers.

 

• 6¼ inches across flats (158mm).

• 5 N° Bellows Folds.

• 5 inches overall closed length (127mm).

• Mahogany Fretted ends

• Steel Reeds.

• 20 Bone Treble Buttons – 11 White (engraved with note lettering) + 8 Black + 1 Red (C note)

• 15 Bone Bass Buttons – 8 White (engraved with note lettering) + 5 Black + 2 Red (C notes).

• Black End Leather Banding.

• Black Leather Edged Bellows.

• Black Leather Hand Straps on Wood Grips.

• Weight - 2lb 5oz - 1.05kg.

 

CONDITION – EXCELLENT

 

This Instrument has undergone complete restoration throughout by Barleycorn Concertinas, UK (internal label) at some time

and is in excellent condition. One or two fine cracks in the end frets commensurate with age and use - but secure. Please refer to photos.

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duet.jpg

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05df_1.JPG

Edited by drbones
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Well if it's been through Barleycorn's (Chris Algar's) hands it should be in reasonable nick. I actually have a very similar concertina - currently on long term loan to a friend. They are not particularly brilliant concertinas and as Crane duets go I'm told 35 buttons are restrictive. If you like the system you'll soon be looking for a larger concertina. That's the down side. Now here's the up side. You will be well able to see if you like the Crane system with this box. Either way, 350 was a fair price and you should be able to get that amount back when the time comes to sell it.

 

So, on balance, I'd say a wise purchase if you are interested in the Crane system, which I am told is one of the easier duet systems to learn. Certainly in the hands of a good player the system can be made to play wonderful music. Have fun with it.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

Edited by Chris Timson
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Well if it's been through Barleycorn's (Chris Algar's) hands it should be in reasonable nick. I actually have a very similar concertina - currently on long term loan to a friend. They are not particularly brilliant concertinas and as Crane duets go I'm told 35 buttons are restrictive. If you like the system you'll soon be looking for a larger concertina. That's the down side. Now here's the up side. You will be well able to see if you like the Crane system with this box. Either way, 350 was a fair price and you should be able to get that amount back when the time comes to sell it.

 

So, on balance, I'd say a wise purchase if you are interested in the Crane system, which I am told is one of the easier duet systems to learn. Certainly in the hands of a good player the system can be made to play wonderful music. Have fun with it.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

Thanks for the kind words, Chris.

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Great thing about Ebay, chances are that if you're not happy you can pass it on for what you paid.... :D

 

* Then again you could always convert it to a 35 key Anglo and sell it for loadsamoney! :rolleyes:

 

 

Edit: Given that this is a very specialised internet discussion forum, perhaps I should point out that this comment is not entirely serious!

Edited by TomB-R
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Then again you could always convert it to a 35 key Anglo and sell it for loadsamoney! :rolleyes:

Hey! I kinda like the anglo idea! Of course adding the air button on that right side might be tricky, it looks pretty full already. I could swap the handles around since there is an open area on the left reed pan or just put the air button on the left.

I'd also have 5 other buttons to customize with. Whistle, drone, foghorn, cat call and maybe a siren.

Yeah, that's the ticket!! Thanks for the suggestion! ;)

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Hey! I kinda like the anglo idea! Of course adding the air button on that right side might be tricky, it looks pretty full already. I could swap the handles around since there is an open area on the left reed pan or just put the air button on the left.

I'd also have 5 other buttons to customize with. Whistle, drone, foghorn, cat call and maybe a siren.

Yeah, that's the ticket!! Thanks for the suggestion! ;)

 

A 4-row Anglo? Now there's a thought! :o

 

No, just leave it as it is, and welcome to the club!! I haven't been counting, but could it be that the Cranists now outnumber the Maccannists and Haydenists here in the forum? (Anyone know for sure?)

 

As a still relatively "young" Crane learner, I'm glad I got a 48-button, because some of the pieces I play would go off the top of a 35-button.

On the other hand, the whole idea of duets is that they're chromatic, and you can play anything in any key. And the lack of high notes might just have the educational effect of forcing you to learn more keys, just to keep the tunes on the button pad!

 

Apart from the range, you've got a complete instrument. If I recall my pre-purchase studies correctly, you can form any chord in the bass, though not all the inversions will be possible. On the LH, you've got a fully chromatic scale from C to C, plus a D and E which overlap the RH.

And the upper range is not so limiting - I had a quick leaf through a few songbooks and hymnals in my bookcase, and didn't find any tunes where the melody went above the top G of the 35-b Crane. So it's a useful enough instrument for accompaniments. I only decided on the 48-b version because of a couple of instrumentals in D that I play with my group (on the Anglo hitherto) that go up to A.

 

So have fun! There are wonderful moments awaiting an old Anglo player, like when you realise you're actually playing a tune in Bb, and it's not even difficult! :lol:

 

Cheers,

John

 

PS: I downloaded a Crane tutor from the Concertina Library at

http://www.concertina.com/crane-duet/Wilto...Crane-Tutor.pdf

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Given the relative price of Anglos I wonder that it isn't worth someone mass-producing ends and reedpans to fit the small Maccans and Cranes then just moving all the bits over as a business.

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It looks alright. Did you accidentally buy it? It's not too bad for the price I guess, IF it's what you're after. :rolleyes:

It sure looks old as well. BUT, one more thing: you notice how the seller took a picture of the inside? I wonder if he closed it back up before he sent them away. :huh: I wonder if anyone would notice and try and knock you down on it if you sold it for $450? :D

Edited by Patrick King
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Sounds liek you got a fair deal: it may only be 35 button, but price a similairlly restored 48.

 

Rather than mutilate the poor box into a delightfully-crude anglo, I would look at the open space in the reed pan, seems like additional buttons and reeds could be added, or even some novelty sounds or an air button.

 

Having a small duet is better than no duet, and the Crane is a great box, pretty much all I play now.

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Sounds liek you got a fair deal: it may only be 35 button, but price a similairlly restored 48.

 

Rather than mutilate the poor box into a delightfully-crude anglo, I would look at the open space in the reed pan, seems like additional buttons and reeds could be added, or even some novelty sounds or an air button.

 

Having a small duet is better than no duet, and the Crane is a great box, pretty much all I play now.

Gee, Hooves, sounds like you're right. There's no air button. :o It would be a bit hard learning one of those and at the same time, learning/playing the Anglo.

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Gee, Hooves, sounds like you're right. There's no air button. :o It would be a bit hard learning one of those and at the same time, learning/playing the Anglo.

 

If you really need the air release, contact David Leese for a similar button and make an air release button. There is place enough to add one, at least there is on the LH side.

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Gee, Hooves, sounds like you're right. There's no air button. :o It would be a bit hard learning one of those and at the same time, learning/playing the Anglo.

 

If you really need the air release, contact David Leese for a similar button and make an air release button. There is place enough to add one, at least there is on the LH side.

 

My concertina (Anglo layout) has an air-button on the RH side. :rolleyes:

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Dr. Bones,

 

Welcome to the Crane side of the street. Life is a little different here but you'll come to like it.

 

May I recommend that you check out the Concertina.com website. It's about Duets, primarily Maccanns, but there's some very valuable information for all Duet systems.

 

You may find this page of particular interest:

 

http://www.concertina.com/cornell/

 

I'll have to change my Signature line -- I'm no longer the only Crane player in Florida! The world just got considerably smaller.

 

Again, welcome,

Henri VIII

48 button Lachenal "Sally Army" Crane / Triumph

Deltona, Florida, USA

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Here's a chance for "you in the know" to get a good laugh..or not..I'm not sure..thus this post. :unsure:

I bought this Lachenal, Crane duet for 350 GBP or $536. Feel free to give your opinions, good or bad.

Be kind, I'm the #%&* sensative type ye know. :angry:

Here's the description:

 

35 BUTTON CRANE SYSTEM DUET CONCERTINA

MADE BY LACHENAL FOR CRANE & SONS, LIVERPOOL

 

I think you got a super deal! (Assuming you want to try out the Crane Duet System).

Not long ago I'd have gladly paid $500+ for a starter Crane to see what I thought of that system.

 

You can think of this as similar to the Rochelle and Jackie and Elise -- a starter to see how you like the system -- except that you have a "real" vintage concertina (Lachenal).

Useful as it is, you can always sell it for what you paid and move up to a 48 Crane, or try something else.

 

Congratulations, and I'm just a little jealous, tho at this point I'd better stick to the Hayden.

--Mike K.

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Thanks to everyone for the info and encouragement.

Henry VIII, I'm in no way a crane player having never seen one in person. I'm merely an owner so you can keep your title.. for now.

I bought it because I read many different posts on the matter of duets. I didn't see much on the Haydens, but lots on Crane vs Maccann and it seemed most thought the Crane would be the easiest to start on.

I'm still struggling with the anglo so I think this will be a real challenge. I'll try it for a while but I'm easily frustrated so It might go back up on the block.

I know some of you probably cringed at the thought of altering it to anglo. Don't worry, I would never desecrate any instrument by changing it's purpose in life, especially one that has endured and probably given happiness to so many over it's many years. Regardless of her past, she'll be safe with me as long as I don't catch her messin' with another dude. <_< :ph34r: :P

Edited by drbones
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