- 20-button anglo concertina
- Lachenal #178178
- no external label
- "restored" some time in the past (I don't when or by whom)
- Ab/Eb - concert pitch
- Features:
- steel reeds
- rosewood(?) ends
- unbushed bone buttons
- original 5-fold, black bellows, with papers
- original wooden case, but broken hinges & lock, missing handle & key
- The restoration:
- At some time in the past this instrument was given new valves, pads,
and handstraps, and retuned to A440.
- The work done, including parts, was competent, but not expert.
- The bolts fastening the left end have been replaced by modern bolts,
which have a different thread, but the right-end bolts are still
original. At least there's no mixing of the two types on a single
end.
- I felt that this was a fair player, but could be improved. In
particular, both the valves and reeds seemed to be leaking air.
So I gave it new valves and adjusted many of the reeds, and the result
is a significant improvement. But see below under
"Further Comments" for... further comments.
- The accompanying pictures are intended to give a reasonable idea of the condition.
- Further Comments:
- Before I replaced the valves and adjusted the reeds, I thought this was a very nice instrument. Now I think it's beautiful!
- The response and dynamic range of the reeds exceeded my expectations, with even the lowest Ab able to start at a whisper, as well as speak out strongly.
- This instrument is tuned to the keys of Eb and
Ab. This means it wouldn't fit into your usual Irish session, but
it could be nice for solo work, song accompaniment, or playing with
those fiddlers who like to tune a half step sharp to get a more
"brilliant" sound. In that last situation, it would be played as
if the fiddle were tuned normally but the concertina were in G/D.
- A
simple retuning could turn this into nice G/D concertina.
However, I think it would be nice to keep it as one of the few
remaining Ab/Eb anglos that has *not* been converted to a G/D.
And I think it would be an especially nice instrument for anyone who
likes to sing in those keys.
- I've never done a side-by-side examination of low-key (G/D or
Ab/Eb) instruments before, but I notice that the lower reeds in my G/D
Jeffries are about 10% shorter than those in this Lachenal. The
lowest reeds in the Jeffries are weighted with solder, but none of the
reeds in this Lachenal are weighted. The lower unweighted reeds
in the Jeffries are also shorter than those in this Lachenal.
Because of my inexperience, I don't know whether these Lachenal reeds
are standard for low-key Lachenals, or longer than "standard".
What I do know is that they sound lovely and respond beautifully.
- The bellows appear to be original and in excellent condition, with no leaks.
- There's a fair amount of clacking in the action. Nice percussion
if you like it, annoying if you don't. I think that new bushings and
pads (the current ones seem stiff, though they close tightly) could reduce the noise.
I have not done that, because I don't have the proper materials.
Also, the noise doesn't bother me.
- I think this concertina has a nice rich sound and is very playable
as it is, though I wonder whether an overhaul by a real expert might
not improve it even more.
- I hope that the accompanying sound files that I've
recorded with this instrument will give some idea what it's like, in
spite of my inexpert playing.
- These sound files were made after I replaced the valves
and adjusted the reeds.
I also made sound files before those changes, which can be made available, if anyone wants to hear them.
The sound files include recordings demonstrating the response of individual reeds.
- Listen especially to the "dynamic range" examples. Don't miss the quiet beginnings.
- Some sound files of this instrument:
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