This is a lovely Lachenal Edeophone 48-Key Crane (Triumph) Duet. It has been fitted with new pads and valves, and tuned to concert pitch. The serial number of this instrument is 4370, which dates it to c.1925.

This really is a rare and wonderful instruments. There were so few Duets made in comparison to English and Anglo concertinas, most of these Duets were Maccann system (making Cranes much harder to find) and to have a 48-Key Crane, one of the more basic numbers of keys, on a top-end Lachenal Edeophone makes this an extremely rare thing. As you can see from the original hands-straps and the inscription on the instrument itself, this concertina was made for The Salvation Army who adopted the Crane-system and renamed it ‘The Triumph’.

Apart from the usual finger wear around some of the buttons, this is a beautiful instrument in fantastic original condition, and it both plays and sounds great. A lovely, balanced tone. Whilst it might not have enough buttons to be the most practical Crane for some players, it’s beauty, rarity and playability make this a really wonderful concertina that will make somebody very happy!

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