Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Other Free Reed Instruments => Topic started by: John MacKenzie (Cugiok) on January 19, 2018, 06:13:30 PM
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I am looking at this Anglo on Ebay. Now I know nothing about them really, I just have a hankering to try one, and as such I'm not in the market for some costalot racing model. I wondered whether anyone thought this might be worth the asking price?
Sir John
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Anglo-Concertina-with-Box/112685966245?hash=item1a3c9b63a5:g:xdwAAOSw~vpaLxtp
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May well be OK but my worries are
- No indication of keys
- No indication of wether it plays or not
- Too many pictures of the case :)
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And strictly speaking it's not even an Anglo it is a German concertina got up to look like a Lachenal. Divide the price by 10 and it might be worth considering. Even for an unrestored Lachenal the price is a bit steep.
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Sir..!!...drop your wallet 'n' step away from the listing.. ::)
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Yes - what Lester said and Theo have said. At first I thought it was a Lachenal but now I'm fairly sure it's not. The fretwork and the bellows papers don't look quite right somehow, and the four large screws on the ends are not right. So I agree with Theo that it is probably an over-priced cheap German-made instrument. The hexagonal box looks like a typical Lachenal case though.
There's very little to go on, really. It's always a risk buying concertinas unseen and unplayed. I'd be inclined to let this one go.
If you really fancy trying out an anglo, my advice is to go to a reputable dealer like Chris Algar of Barleycorn concertinas. At least you will then know that the instrument will have been checked over and any renovations/repairs needed will have been done. Here's a reasonably cheap 20-key anglo:
http://www.concertina.co.uk/stock-selection/?concertina=3024
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If you look closely at the buttons you can see that they are caps on wooden stems. This is standard German technique and wasn't used by the English builders, as far as I know. Tend to fall off.
The ends are secured by four woodscrews instead of six bolts. The cheapest German ones used only three woodscrews, so it's not entirely bottom end. They are rusted and might be b*ggers to get out.
The arc of the buttons is fairly flat, hinting at the parallel wooden German action.
It may be perfectly fine as a beginner's box, probably better than some. It appears to be in good shape, although the air button looks suspiciously low.
But as others have said...
The case might be handy for storing pens or knick-knacks.
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Yes, it's categorically German, but built to mimic an English-made Anglo.
In fact I'd describe it as a "German imitation-Anglo", whilst "Anglo" is short for "Anglo-German" - meaning an English concertina maker's interpretation of a German concertina, which this one is the antithesis of... :(
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There is often a shady reason for "buy it now" items. That's my experience - possibly to bump people into the purchase without taking enough time to ask the right questions. Nice case though.
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Now we have all thoroughly discredited this particular concertina, I have to come clean and say that it was on a cheap German-built instrument just like this that I originally learned to play. I was probably about 13 years old and a school friend lent me a two-row instrument in pitched Bb/F. It was in pretty rough condition but I took it apart, cleaned the action and pinged a few of the brass reeds to get them sounding. The bellows had quite a few holes in the corners and, not knowing any better, I patched them up with self-adhesive carpet tape :o (It worked!).
I learned how the push-pull system worked and taught myself to play a few tunes and hymns. My friend never wanted the concertina back and he never wanted any money for it, so it didn't cost me anything at all (apart from a reel of carpet tape). I kept the instrument until I was in my 20s and then gave it to someone else, by that time having moved on to a Hohner one-row two-stop melodeon in C (and that's another story).
So - these sorts of instrument do have some practical use, but definitely not worth the price being asked for this one.
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I have decided not to buy it then (:) >:E
Sir John
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There is often a shady reason for "buy it now" items. That's my experience - possibly to bump people into the purchase without taking enough time to ask the right questions. ...
Maybe sometimes, but I've actually bought some of my best instruments (e.g. mint-condition 4-voice Casali 2-row, amboynawood Wheatstone Aeola tenor-treble) as Buy it now bargains... :D