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.

• The sides of a concertina
• Action and pads
• Reeds
• Bellows
• Before and After, a detail description of a restoration project