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Leather Case For My Wheatstone Anglo


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So after some months of waiting, my new case has arrived for my Wheatstone. I must say, the case is a really lovely thing, so I thought I would share photos.

 

I purchased from Simon Brock, founder of http://leatherforfolkies.co.ukand can highly recommend him. The price was reasonable and everything is made by hand (even hand stitched) and Simon has a range of other case types available - even a hexagonal case should that take your fancy :)

 

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Nice job although I can't help thinking you'd want a lid that fully closes over the case rather than leaving gaps open at the sides like it does now.

You make a valid point, but there is a suede wrap inside that covers the concertina. I could have opted for a fully closed lid, but my budget maxed out!

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I assumed the extra work would add a bit. Water and damp getting in, I worry about those things. But it's a lovely case.

I am an indoor/fair weather player so that doesn't bother me too much, but if I were to be a travelling concertina player, that would certainly be a consideration!

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The case should have some blocking to hold the concertina securely so it does not rattle around.

It’s actually custom made to perfectly fit so no need for blocking :)

 

 

The photo of the instrument in the case shows otherwise ... unless that's a photograph before the blocks were put in? The bellows are open, loose, and uneven. A properly-fit blocked case means the bellows are snugly closed, compressed, and even.

Edited by wayman
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The case should have some blocking to hold the concertina securely so it does not rattle around.

 

It’s actually custom made to perfectly fit so no need for blocking :)

The photo of the instrument in the case shows otherwise ... unless that's a photograph before the blocks were put in? The bellows are open, loose, and uneven. A properly-fit blocked case means the bellows are snugly closed, compressed, and even.

Well I’m happy and it is snug. Perhaps some blocks for the back wouldn’t be a bad idea :) will order some and fit them myself :)

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Will,

 

your lovely case is coming in for some criticism , please do not take it to heart.

 

But I'll add my bit, as someone who has made several cases over the years. Several times I have seen original cases for sale on ebay... Chris Algar sometimes sells them, and I did buy one from him a few years ago for something like £50 post included.However, I think it would be good if your case maker took a look at an original version as supplied by Lachenal or Wheatstone etc. There is a certain degree of rigidity about them due to the carcas being thin plywood to which the outer leather layer has been glued. This allows for the corner blocks to be glued in place which adds to the strength of the box as well. :)

 

Mind you Jeffries used single layer leather hexagon (Jug) cases and they have no blocks..... ;)

 

Happy music,

Geoff.

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Will:

 

Very handsome case.

 

If you are still expecting to come to Canada next spring then you need to give some thought on how to dehumidify your concertina in the summer and then how to humidify it in the winter. The UK is damp, but it is a consistent dampness so instruments adjust and stabilize. The humidity levels in northern North America swing all over the place and can cause all sorts of problems.

 

This has been discussed in the past (use of desiccants, humidors and/or room humidity control).

 

Instead of blocking you could try a velcro (hook and loop) strap to hold your concertina closed when it is in its case.

 

Don.

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Thanks for all the feedback :) I really do appreciate it. Simon (the maker) actually contacted me after reading this thread and has come up with a plan to fully block the case so that these issues go away.

 

That's the beauty of something handmade I guess - it can be updated easily by the person who made it! :)

 

With regards to rigidity - the case is actually very stable as it uses thick leather and a very modern high density foam in combination. There is of course more give than plywood - but not enough to worry about.

 

Buckle opening time? For me that is a bonus as it means my kids can't open it! :P That said Simon offers other fast close locks too - I requested buckles as I like the look of them :)

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I'm all in favour of buckles, as every latch I've ever had on any case has come open at least once unexpectedly (and only having multiple latches or good fortune has prevented disaster!). I think that was definitely a good call.

 

I hope my criticism didn't come across as overly harsh. It comes from having done a lot of custom case blocking for six years (and having seen, from the repair side, a lot of instruments that had been in unblocked cases) so I guess it's one of those topics I've gotten curmudgeonly about at a young age :unsure:

 

I know Simon in real life and have seen and admired some of his work up close, and know of his extensive training and expertise. He is an astonishingly good craftsman, and I think this is only a "case" (... ;) ) of not being familiar with what happens many months or years down the road to concertinas stored or carried in various sorts of cases.

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And, all that curmudgeonliness has led me, for my instrument, to use a simple velcro strap - which accomplishes the goal of good bellows maintenance - which is glue-ed inside a cheap insulated lunchbox, on the theory of many morris musicians that the thing that doesn't look like a nice instrument case is far less likely to wander off (which to me is the greatest concern). I look at Simon's craftsmanship and think if I ever become serious about performance, I'd better get one of his so I look presentable!

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wayman - discourse is what moves us forward :) without your (and others) comments on the bellows, I would have been happily ignorant, thinking that the case was perfect, then in 20 years time, I would need new bellows as I hadn't been storing them properly compressed. I appreciate any comments.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just to give you an update, Simon has now made a fitted foot for the case which precisely fits the concertina and keeps the bellows nice and compressed now :) Thanks for the advice, on this - I am really really happy now!

 

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