For sale now
Reserved
Given that it is 107 years old, this is a truly remarkable and original Aeola.
In any restoration, the first job would normally be to strip out all the original pads, valves, bushes etc. But not in this case. The pads were all fine, and the original bushes still held all the buttons in a firm embrace, with no trace of a wobble. I have replaced a handful of valves which had stiffened up with age (don't we all?) and were closing with an audible slap. But apart from that, my only intervention has been to fit new straps and tune the reeds to modern concert pitch. (One curiosity is that it was tuned consistently around 15 cents flat of MCP.)
The other curiosity is that it has brass reeds - though I defy you to spot the difference in sound or performance. It is fast, loud, and as lively as any Aeola that has ever passed through my hands. You will not be disappointed.
Price: £3000
Wheatstone Aeola 48-key treble
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Click on any gallery picture to enlarge it.
This is a top-quality instrument from what is arguably Wheatstone's best period, and has just been the subject of a comprehensive restoration, including new pads, valves, bushes, thumb-straps and wrist-straps, re-finished woodwork, a cosmetic bellows rebind, and tuning to modern concert pitch.
Now, I'm well aware that few English concertina players dream of owning an instrument with those extra bat-squeak notes at the top end. But this one is a cracking performer, and I'm offering it for less than you would have to pay for a 56-key of similar quality.
Price: £3250
Wheatstone Aeola 64-key tenor-treble
SOLD
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8-sided Crabb 64-key tenor-treble
Made in 1931, this is a rare example of a Crabb "Aeola", made even rarer by the amboyna veneers, gold-plated buttons and fittings, and tan leather bellows and straps.
It offers a range of four and a half octaves, which includes the bottom end from a tenor-treble, and the top end from an extended treble, and it is every bit as fast and responsive as you would expect of a top-quality vintage Crabb,
It has been the subject of a comprehensive restoration, with new pads, valves, bushes and springs. New wrist and thumb-straps have been fitted, the bellows have had a cosmetic re-bind, and the woodwork has been refinished in French polish. Finally, it has, of course, been tuned to Modern Concert Pitch (A=440Hz).
On the minus side, the left-hand end has had some slightly agricultural repairs to the fretwork, but it is sound and solid, and I thought it better to leave honest repairs visible than to try to disguise them. (And these imperfections are reflected in the price.)
It plays beautifully, and it could well be many years before you see another one like it offered for sale.
Price: £3250
Click on any gallery picture to enlarge it.