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Repair my Wheatstone


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I have a concertina, previously owned by my great grandfather, who migrated from UK to Ontario.

I have absolutely no knowledge about, or ability to play this instrument.

A young son took it out of the rosewood box some years ago, then jammed it back in, with the thumbscrews not in the slot. The bellows were torn removing it from the box again.

In ignorance I recently took it to a local person, who claimed years of experience repairing bellows (on accordians). He patched it with some kind of yellow tape which sealed the bellows allowing operation.

 

The concertina has 48 buttons. The labeling on one side says:

C Wheatstone Inventor

20 Conduit St Regent St

London

A serial number on the other side is 1343.

Can anyone provide advise about the following:

Is it worth getting repaired properly?

Is there a repair person in BC Canada that you know about? Alternatively, where would I send the instrument for repair?

Pictures below.

 

Thank you for any info you may provide.

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This is a fine vintage concertina, one of the very earliest Wheatstones. It is a great pity that it has suffered the bellows damage, more so because of the travesty of a repair job that has been carried out.

 

The Wheatstone Sales Ledger dates it to 6th May 1847:

http://www.horniman....ES/C1P0690L.HTM

 

 

Please don't even think of throwing this concertina away. As well as being a valuable antique, it is also a player's instrument and it is definitely worth repairing properly and it should be able to restored to excellent playable condition. But it needs some very loving care and attention. As well as a general overhaul, it will almost certainly now need new bellows, made by a real concertina maker. As you are located on the west side of the Atlantic, I would recommend that you contact Wim and Karen Wakker of Concertina Connection, who not only make superb modern concertinas, but are also experts at repairing vintage concertinas such as this.

http://www.concertin...com/contact.htm

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Hi Navalair

 

In January, Frank Edgley announced he is accepting repairs of vintage-style concertinas.

http://edgleyconcertinas.blogspot.com/2010/01/repairs.html

 

He is in Windsor, Ontario

http://www.concertinas.ca/ordering.html

 

Frank in the East CA, and Wim in the West US. Both worth a phone call to ask their opinion and expertise. I think there is another in Canada, but his name escapes me for now and a couple more in the US.

 

And YES! it's worth repairing properly.

 

Thanks

Leo

Edited by Leo
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