This is an amboyna Wheatstone 48-Key Treble with brass reeds. It has been fitted with new pads and valves, and tuned to concert pitch. All the rest of the instrument is original.

These concertinas are incredibly beautiful thanks to the gorgeous wood used, and they are an incredibly sweet and mellow sounding instrument. However, as is generally the case, the earlier a concertina was made, the less playable and practical it is. This isn’t to say that somebody would love to play a concertina like this to achieve a specific tone, or for a different feel, but a concertina made in this period will never match one of Lachenal/Wheatstone’s later instruments.

As stated, the pads and valves have been replaced and the reeds tuned to concert pitch, as well as some pinholes on the hinges of the bellows being repaired internally. Otherwise, it is all original. It was made in 1846 for somebody from the Wirral.

Whether it’s bought to be a part of a concertina collection or to play soft and sweet music, this is a lovely thing.

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