Concertina Tuning, Repairs and Restoration

Whenever I receive a concertina for any sort of repair work I am conscious of the skill with which it was made, and the quality of the materials that were used. I endeavour to make repairs that are sympathetic to the instrument, and to use the same materials and methods as went into the creation of the instrument. For example I normally use animal glue for woodwork repairs, shellac polish for refinishing external woodwork and best woollen baize for bushings.

In a typical English made concertina the greatest part of the value of the instrument is in the reeds. The special tone and responsiveness of the best concertinas is entirely dependent on the reeds being treated with great care, especially while being tuned and voiced. With accordions and melodeons replacement reeds are available “off the shelf” and are relativly inexpensive. In contrast good concertina reeds are in short supply. They can be obtained secondhand from instruments that are beyond repair, but worldwide there is only a handful of people who have the skill to make good new concertina reeds.