Replacement
Bellows
7 fold all leather bellows for a Lachenal Edeophone
We use the finest quality goat skin for our bellows, tested for impurities and air tightness. and use traditional construction methods and materials to traditional concertina bellows.
Our bellows are constructed out of individually cut card panels, not the 'accordion type' folded card board. Because of this and the usage of leather hinges, our bellows are very flexible.
The standard colors available are black, Amboyna brown and Victorian green. Depending on preference, our standard bellows have either four, five or six folds. Additional folds are, of course, available.
Bellows papers
See our Bellows Papers page for more details. We offer (almost) every bellows paper design used by Wheatstone, Lachenal, George Case etc..
Example of 'fancy' Victorian Lachenal bellows papers. The bellows are Victorian green and 'glazed'.
The same papers on black bellows.
a common design found on Victorian concertinas used by both Wheatstone and Lachenal. The same design is also available in black and green.
a
a
modern variation on a classic theme: gold stars and stripes on black paper.
English/Duet
versus Anglo bellows
Not all bellows are the same. There is a difference between bellows made for an
English or Duet concertina and for an Anglo.
Bellows made for English/duet concertinas have thinner folds and are very supple. They should not 'pull back' when you play on them.
The weight of the bellows in relation to the ends is very important. For English and Duet concertinas the bellows should be as light as possible. Just like the bow on a violin, it should almost be weightless in order not to interfere with the musical movement.
Anlgo
Anlgo
bellows folds are thicker. They allow less side movement of the bellows. The
most important asset of anlgo bellows is stability. When playing an anglo, the
bellows movement is very short and irregular. Because of the rapid changes it is
important that the folds themselves do not move. When the folds 'bounce' when
you change bellows direction, you lose energy which results in slower bellows
changes and less control over volume.
This does not mean that they should be stiff. We use an acid-free type of card
for our anglo bellows, with a higher weight. The card does not bend itself and
provides a solid base for the typical anlgo movement. The heavier bellows feel
more stable and give the player maximum control over movement.
prices and
time schedules
We
We
make a very large number of bellows per year. Because of this, we buy our
materials in large quantities (over 100 hides per year)and get the best quality
(first pick). We have a wide selection different leathers and other materials
which allows us to make bellows in several gradations of weight, balance,
suppleness and expansion. We make different models, ranging from hexagonal early
Victorian with a narrow waste, to 8 and 12 sided ones for aeolas and edeophones.
We developed our own specialized machines for leather skiving, cutting etc. This
guarantees a constant high quality at a very affordable price.
all leather anglo bellows
Time Schedule
We usually are able to deliver within 4-6 weeks.
Prices for both English and Anglo bellows:
Standard bellows, in black:
How to order
To place an order, please follow the 5 steps in "How
to prepare your bellows for shipping to us". You only need to send
the bellows frames or old bellows.
Warranty
We offer a five year warrantee on materials and workmanship.
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