Restoration of
a Concertina
Restoration/repairs of concertinas is one of our main activities. We can
usually do the job within 3-4 weeks.
contact us for prices
and additional information.
This section should give you an idea what 'restoring a concertina'
entails. Musical instruments need periodical
maintenance in order to perform as
intended. Although concertinas tend to 'live' a long time, they are not
free
of maintenance. Especially when an instrument has been stored for a long period
of time, chances are it
needs a complete overhaul.
Restoration can be divided into two parts, 1) replacement of parts affected
by age, such as felt, leather, brass, 2)
repairs, such as cracked sides and reed
pans etc.. Every instrument will need to be tuned.
The following list shows the materials used in a concertina and the possible
problems they might have.
- wood: sides (rosewood, mahogany, amboyna), pad board, bellows
frame, reed pan. possible problems: cracks, woodworm, warped.
- brass: action levers, reeds, reed frames, keys, springs.
possible problems: oxidation, cracks, loss of tension (springs)
- steel: keys, reeds.
possible problems: rust, oxidation
- felt: key hole, key base circle, peg hole, pads
possible problems: deterioration, dirt.
- leather: bellows, valves, pads, lever end leather circles, thumb
straps
possible problems: cracks due to drying out, stiffness.
- cardboard: bellows, pads.
normally no problems.
The following pages deal with the specific problems that occur.
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