A
magnificent, 150-year-old virtually unplayed concertina. Amboina burl was the
premium material for the finest vintage concertinas, and this one is no exception.
It is in almost unplayed new condition; most flaps and pads are original; the
finish is bright and unworn, the bellows and their papers are immaculate, The
reeds are the incredibly rare silver-brass alloy used only on the best instruments,
having the sweet tone of brass reeds but additionally a bright crisp sound from
the silver. It has been checked and made perfect by Michael Arralde, Seattle's
concertina and accordion magician. Only the thumb straps have been replaced
(in green leather to match the bellows and original straps), the reeds cleaned
and their old high pitch ( about A-445) tuning adjusted. A half dozen pads and
flaps were replaced as worms had eaten into them on the edges. Five fold bellows,
metal buttons, gold tooled green leather bellows with green, white and gold
papers. One small break to burl lattice on one end (easy to glue).
It comes in a matching thick, knife cut amboina burl box with ivory keyhole edging (no key, alas). As usual the leather hand strap has perished, some of the corner splines are broken and need replacing, and a piece of burl is missing from the back of the top. (I had my Lachenel wood case redone when it has similar problems and it was not a difficult or expensive fix.)
All in all a most rare museum piece that is a great playing instrument. Modern instruments of this quality, such as Dipper, sell for far more and involve a wait of years. The concertina can be retuned to concert pitch for some $800, but on such old and rare reeds I would argue against it.
Joseph Scates began his association with the concertina as a Wheatstone tuner. Around 1847 he set up in Frith Street, London as a seller and teacher of the concertina in his father's house. Joseph Scates Senior ran a "Stationer and Porteusian Bible Warehouse", and Joseph Jr. is listed at the same address as a "musician". In 1847-1849 he is listed at 32 new Bond Street, but he sold out to George Case in 1851 and moved to Dublin, Ireland. There he advertised himself as:
Joseph Scates, Manufacturer and Professor of the Concertina
27 College Green, Dublin
In this new location he prospered as a proponent of the new instrument. In 1860 he moved to 15 Westmorland Street and was still in business in 1865, disappearing about that time. His self-labeled instruments were made for him by Wheatstone, and later by Lachenel or Jones. This one was certainly made by Wheatstone. The bellows papers match a known Wheatstone pattern of the 1850s, the action (pictured below) is an early Wheatstone action, and the makers serial number of 8349 dates it to Wheatstone 1859.. If it were a Lachenel number it would date to 1872 which is after Scates closed shop. Further proof is found in the Wheatstone sales books, which were acquired by Neil Wayne and passed on to the Horniman Museum and posted online. They show Scates made 10 purchases of 55 concertinas from Wheatstone between June, 1856 and December, 1857, and this one is found in Wheatstone ledger C1051, page 086, for 5 October, 1859.
In 1994 Joel Cowan had an almost identical 44 button model dating to 1838 about which he said: “this collector’s item is in splendid condition and with original bellows, straps and baffles, in its original variagated woodden case, and considering its age it still plays amazingly well.” I would echo those statements about this Scates model. Joel thought his example worth a full page ad in Concertina and Swueezebox No. 31.
The concertina is for sale only because I play Anglo. I have a wealthy friend who, in his travels, looks for concertinas for me. This is the second, wonderful English concertina he has given me that I can not use. What frustration -- the gift of a lifetime but all wrong. It can be seen and tested in Seattle.
As a sample here are two tunes played on the concertina by Chuck Plisky, noted Seattle English concetina player. He did report that although it played and sounded fine the bellows were a little “weezy” and both needed playing (after 150 years on the shelf) and possible a little pad and flap adjustment. The pads and flaps are 95% original and are pretty stiff with age.
$3,500.00 [1,800 Pounds], or trade for a comparable quality Anglo.
The images are: top left; half of one end; top right keyhole; middle left, new thumb strap and buttons close up (note how tight they are in the holes!); middle right, the case; bottom left, one of the broken splines on the case; bottom right, serial number.
Below are four photos of the action and interior.
To purchase this concertina, or for more information, contact: Stephen Herold