Notes
The 6-sided New Model is generally considered Lachenal's "next best" concertina, after their deluxe 12-sided Edeophone, though in my experience the two models overlap in quality. The New Model has raised ends, best steel reeds, and top-quality materials and craftsmanship throughout.  This is a fine example, an ebony-ended, 48-button treble in superb condition, unusual in that it has a 7-fold bellows, rather than the usual 5-fold.

This instrument was "restored" by Colin Dipper in the early 1980's and he touched up the tuning in March 2005.  I put "restored" in quotes, because it looks as if he really didn't need to do much.  The instrument has new valves, but the pads appear to be original.  The thumb straps are probably replacements, but the rest looks original.  The bellows is 7-fold, and the ends are standard size, 6-1/4" (16 cm) across the flats.  According to my kitchen scale, the concertina weighs 1314 g (2 lbs. 14 oz.).

The few marks in the finish suggest that it was not refinished, and the lack of other obvious wear leads me to wonder whether the 7-fold bellows, though virtually unmarked, may be original.  But whether original or replacement, they are excellent, firm, but not stiff.

This instrument has a low F in place of the low Ab in the left hand (in my opinion, a more rational location than replacing the right-hand low G#).  The push reed on the highest C (top button of the right hand) is missing, and I assume that in the past someone removed it so that they could use that button as an "air valve" for quietly closing the instrument.  The pull reed is still there, though, for anyone who wants to use that note.  I put in a valve (the little white one in the right-reed-pan photo) so that the "air valve" won't steal air from that pull reed when it's being played.

Spring strength seems about average, about the same as an Ĉola and an Edeophone that I have.  This concertina is very tight and responsive, with a wide dynamic range.

This instrument comes without a case.

I think this is a beautiful instrument.  I also feel that it has a "richer" sound than most other concertinas.  But judge for yourself.  Below are some photos, followed by a number of sound files where I've used the instrument to demonstrate various styles of tunes, arrangements, and song accompaniments.



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Photos
Below are a few digital photos I've taken.  I didn't bother opening the action of the left end, since there's no indication of any noticeable difference from the right end.  But I could also open the left-end action and take photos there if someone insists.

Note:  The full-size photos, which can be viewed by clicking on the individual images below, range in size from 57 Kb to 184 Kb.






ser-no.JPG

The serial number.

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The side of  the bellows that faces the player.

bellows-under.JPG

The underside of the bellows.
Notice the lack of wear.

label.JPG

The Lachenal & Co. label.


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The left end.

R_end-f.JPG

The right end, with flash glare.

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Inner side of the right end.

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Underside of the right end.


R_action-f.JPG

Right-end action, from above.

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A close-up of the action.

R_pan-f.JPG

Right reed pan, sitting in the bellows.

R_thru-f.JPG

Through the bellows to the left reed pan.



L_underpan-f.JPG

Underside of the left reed pan.

L_pan-f.JPG
Left reed pan, sitting in the bellows.

L_thru-f.JPG

Through the bellows to the right reed pan.


Sound files
These sound files were all recorded in my living room, a moderately "dead" space, soundwise.  They were all recorded with the above instrument, using a single microphone, and except for the removal of a few displays of gross incompetence in my playing, the only "processing" that has been done is to double the mono tracks so that you can hear the sound with both ears.  I believe this provides a more realistic reproduction of the actual sound.  Though I'm not a virtuoso player, I hope these recordings give some idea of both the sound and playing capabilities of the instrument.  There are a few spots where strong notes sound briefly distorted.  Those are due to "clipping" in the recording equipment, not the instrument itself.


Harvest Home (2619 Kb)
A well-known hornpipe, played twice through.
In the B part the second time through I've used a few bellows reversals for demonstration, though I don't normally do that in this tune.

Boys of the Lough (1079 Kb)
A well-known Irish reel, played once through.
This one has a better demonstration of bellows-reversal triplets, to show off the reed response. It's a technique I use infrequently, and it only occurs on one note in this tune, but the response is typical of all the reeds. (If I can find the time, I'll try to work up a tune using that technique on other notes, as well.)

Jamie Allen (735 Kb)
A well-known Northumbrian polka, played once through.
The purpose here is to contrast playing quietly in the A part with playing much louder in the B part.

Soldiers Joy (1547 Kb)
A tune claimed as native by nearly every country in Europe, here played twice through.
The first time I play an octave higher than usual, just to demonstrate the upper range.

Humours of Castlecomer & Road to Lisdoonvarna (2227 Kb)
Two jigs, once through and twice through.
Demonstrating some different styles of playing, including harmony the second time through Road to Lisdoonvarna.

The Merry Blacksmith (897 Kb)
An Irish reel, once through.
Nothing special here.

The Musical Priest (664 Kb)
Another reel, once through.

Off to California (1351 Kb)
A common hornpipe, once through.
Some bits of harmony, but not many.

Maggie in the Woods (1449 Kb)
An old Irish polka, twice through.
A bit of ornamentation the first time through, a bit of harmony (and a bit of sloppiness) the second time through.

The Coulin (4071 Kb)
A "well known" Irish slow air, twice through.
The first time through I do this just with ornamentation, the second time with broad harmony.
I put "well known" in quotes, because I think this tune has more -- and more widely varied -- versions than any other "common" tune. What I play here has changed only slightly since I learned it 35 years ago, yet it differs significantly from most versions I find on recordings or in books, and they differ greatly from each other.

Bobby and Joan (624 Kb)
A Cotswold Morris dance from the Fieldtown tradition, once through.
A different rhythmic style from the Irish, and with harmony throughout.

a Swedish polska (872 Kb)
This is a well-known polska, once through.
I think this polska is from the region Dalarna, though it (and much Dalarna music) has become popular throughout Sweden. I don't have a name for it, because Swedes tend not to name their tunes the way the Irish and Americans do. It is commonly played either as just the melody or with a traditional second part on a second "melody" instrument. Some day I should record it with the harmony.

Johnston's Motor Car (1251 Kb)
An Irish song: concertina intro, 2 verses with concertina, then once through the tune.
The full song is longer than 2 verses, but this illustrates one style of accompaniment.

Paddy West (746 Kb)
A popular sailors' song, one verse and chorus with concertina.
The accompaniment style is similar to that in Johnston's Motor Car, but the tempo is rather different.

The Mole Catcher (3057 Kb)
An English song, the whole thing.
This accompaniment is even simpler than the preceding. I did remember to throw in the low F at the end, which most treble concertinas don't have, but this one does.

Bold Reilly (1591 Kb)
A sea shanty, done with accompaniment: chorus, 1 verse, and chorus.
Shanties are work songs and really shouldn't be accompanied, but if I'm doing this one solo, it's nice to use the concertina to simulate additional voices.

Rosin the Beau (763 Kb)
Intro, one verse and refrain of yet another Irish song.
A different sort of accompaniment, one that doesn't include the melody.

Fiddler's Green (1908 Kb)
A contemporary song, once through on concertina, then one verse & chorus.
I've had the pleasure of meeting and sharing a stage with the author of this song at a shanty festival in Poland.

Whose Garden Was This (866 Kb)
Just the chorus of a song by Tom Paxton, and a concertina tag end.
Showing the effectiveness of simple sustained chords.

You Can't Make a Turtle Come Out (560 Kb)
One verse of a song by Malvina Reynolds.
Here the accompaniment isn't sustained chords, but oom-pah broken ones.

Wot Cher (1117 Kb)
A song from the old English music hall, one verse & chorus.
The accompaniment combines the melody with sparse off-the-beat chords.