Concertina Cases: New is Often Better

Praise abounds for vintage concertinas–e.g., Wheatstones, Jeffries, Crabbs, and the best-grade Lachenals and Jones--but does not extend to their cases. At best, the vintage case may be impractical. At worst, it may have negative value, because improper use may damage the concertina inside.

Cases for English, anglo, and duet concertinas can be divided into the following categories:¹

(1) vertical wood cases, (2) vertical leather cases, (3) horizontal leather cases, (4) hardshell fitted cases, (5) hardshell unfitted cases, and (6) softshell cases (gigbags). Vertical refers to the design for storing a concertina in an upright position–i.e., standing on end (see Exhibits 1-2 below). Horizontal refers to the design for storing a concertina in a sideways position–i.e., resting on the sides of its ends (see Exhibits 3-6).

The vertical wood case shown in Exhibit 1 is a fairly typical example of the thousands of standard cases provided with Lachenal and Jones concertinas. Similar cases were provided with 19^th century Wheatstone and inexpensive German-made concertinas.² Third-party suppliers made many of the cases, following specifications provided by the concertina makers. The case maker usually was not identified, but specialty leatherette-covered cases, advertised by Lachenal, were sold under the company name of Blackwood.

Design flaws of the vertical wood case can lead to several problems:

• The gravity problem. Gravity is an arch enemy of the valves in a stored concertina. By standing a concertina on end in a vertical case, leather valves on each end are subjected to the effects of gravity, which can cause the valves to sag and curl.
• The key-and-handle problem. Because the handle is on the top, a vertical wood case must be closed and locked to use the handle. But the key is often missing, making the handle unusable for concertina toting. The handle itself--a leather strap embedded in the wood top--is missing on many old cases.
• The push-through problem. If the key is available and the lock works properly, the case can be closed and locked, and the handle on top can be used for toting. However, for many of the vertical wood cases, closing the top causes the concertina to be tightly pushed into the bottom of the case, leading to enough pressure to push the bottom out of the case and/or to produce a break across the bottom of the case. In addition, squeezing the concertina into the case is rather hard on the hand straps.
• The strap-screw problem. On most vintage anglo and duet concertinas, a thumb screw holds the adjustable end of the hand strap to the side of the concertina end. The vertical wood cases have relatively close tolerances for the fit of the instrument in the case. A slight indentation is usually provided on the inside of one hexagonal side, to accommodate the thumb screw and hand strap. In slipping the concertina into the case, the loose end of the hand strap may catch on the side of the case, thereby providing wear on the threads of the hand-strap thumb screw. In time, this wear can contribute to stripping of the threads of the thumb screw. This problem is most likely if the thumb screw is threaded directly into the wood end, rather than into a threaded metal insert recessed in the side of the wood end.
• The over-tight-fit problem. "Do not to push or pull on the bellows without depressing a button" is a caution for all new concertina players. However, pulling a concertina by the hand strap from a too-snug vertical case can have just that result–i.e., pulling on the bellows without a button being depressed. The advisable method is to invert the case using one hand and "pour" the concertina into the other hand.

Three vertical leather cases for Jeffries concertinas are shown in Exhibit 2. The hexagonal Jeffries case was much more prevalent than the rectangular Jeffries case. The Jeffries cases are made of heavy leather–top, sides, and bottom–and do not suffer from the "push-through problem." The case latches–often without locks–may or may not be in working order. Their side-mounted handles overcome the "key-and-handle problem."

Being vertical, they have the "gravity problem" described above, and often have the "over-tight-fit problem" in the extreme. The leather bodies of many cases have shrunk to such an extent that the concertina will stay fixed in place when the case is inverted, rather than sliding out. It can be a virtual "tug-of-war" to extract the concertina. Unless great care is exercised, the tugging will lead to bellow pulling without a button being pushed.

The leather-hinge problem is a design flaw of the vertical leather cases. The vertical wood cases have metal hinges which often are in working order. In contrast, the leather case uses its back leather side as a hinge between the case top and body. For many cases, the leather hinge has split resulting in complete separation of the case top and bottom. Even if the hinge is still intact, continued use will eventually (maybe quickly) split the hinge leather.

Horizontal leather cases for two Wheatstones–a 1921 Linota anglo (left) and a 1937 Aeola English–are shown in Exhibit 3. These cases allow the concertinas to fit snugly, without the "over-tight-fit problem," and overcome the "gravity problem" of the vertical cases. Most of the other problems with the vertical wood cases are avoided as well. The horizontal leather cases, as well as the vertical leather cases, make use of the back side of the case as a hinge between the top and the body. These cases are practical for concertina storage and toting if the hinge is in excellent shape or if the owner is amenable to repairing the hinge if it breaks.³

Exhibit 4 shows a hardshell fitted case for a Wheatstone concertina from circa 1970–shortly before Stephen Dickinson acquired Wheatstone. Even though the Mayfair and other Wheatstone concertinas from the 1950s through early 1970s do not generally match the quality of the pre-war Wheatstones, their fitted hardshell cases (even for Mayfairs) were among the best made. These cases usually have good hinges, latches, and handles. They hold the concertinas snugly without the "over-tight-fit problem."

Exhibit 5 shows hardshell fitted cases of types supplied with new custom-built concertinas or purchased separately for vintage concertinas. Such cases are usually black lacquered wood but otherwise vary in style–i.e., with one or two latches, with or without a lock, with the handle on the top or side, with or without metal corner protectors, and with various types of cloth lining.⁴ They hold the concertinas snugly and are practical for day-to-day use. Someone may object to (1) the price, which is currently about US$100-140, (2) no storage space around the concertina, or (3) no shoulder strap for toting. Rebuttals are: (1) a fine concertina deserves a fine case, (2) your sheet music (or whatever) can be toted in a backpack or whatever, and (3) a homemade shoulder strap, if really needed, can be fit through the handle.

Hardshell unfitted cases

The most common type of hardshell unfitted case, shown in Exhibit 6, is the vinyl-covered plush-lined wood case that is sold as an separate accessory or is included in the purchase price of a new non-custom-made concertina. The current stand-alone price of such cases is about US$70-90. A less common type is the fiberglass unfitted case which is cloth lined or unlined and sells for about half the price of the plush-lined case.

Some of these cases are a little bigger than others, but most are of sufficient size to allow a little storage space (e.g., for a few sheets of music or a small tune book). Because it is unfitted, the case will allow the concertina to move around a bit while being toted. In the absence of rough use, the plush lining is usually sufficient to absorb the jostling of the concertina. If desired, a small block of foam or sponge can be wedged between the concertina and the case wall, thereby eliminating jostling but relinquishing storage space.

Concertina gigbags are available in various colors, shapes (usually, cylindrical or hexagonal), and styles with prices ranging from about US$12 to US$75 or more. Exhibit 7 shows an example of a heavily padded gigbag (left) and an unpadded gigbag. Gigbags have zippered, drawstring, or buckle closures. The unpadded or fleece-lined nylon gigbags are usually of sufficient diameter to avoid the "over-tight-fit problem." Some more expensive foam-padded gigbags, however, are small enough in diameter to result in serious "over-tight-fit problems." Most cylindrical foam-padded gigbags (not shown) have sufficient diameter to avoid the "over-tight-fit problem" and even allow for a little storage space around the concertina. Although usually of vertical design, gigbags are adequate for storage purposes if laid on their sides so that the concertinas are not subjected to the "gravity problem." Even the unpadded gigbag is adequate for concertina toting if the utmost care is taken to ensure that the concertina is not knocked around, not subjected to temperature extremes, and not in a vertical position for long periods.