Successful Repair Workshop at Northeast Squeeze-In

[Matthew Heumann]

I just returned to Michigan from the 2024 Northeast Squeeze-in at Wisdom House in Connecticut. Friday night I ran a workshop on routine concertina maintenance and repair. It was well attended and by time we were finished, folks weren't afraid anymore to "take a look inside". I used my 1951 metal-end Aeola as the "victim". You should have seen their faces when I answered the question "How do you replace a valve", by ripping one out of the Aeola......looked like they would drop dead with horror. Once they realized it wasn't much different than replacing a band-aid (with proper leather of course), they found it quite approachable. Someone came in complaining a newly refurbished concertina they received had a note that fluttered. We looked inside (expecting a bad valve) only to have the reed fall out of the slot because it came loose in shipping.....another much ado about nothing that is to be expected in a "living, breathing, vibrating" instrument. All in all, it was quite an eye opener to most of them, who otherwise would never take on routine upkeep & repairs (debris in reeds, stuck buttons, bad springs or valves). They left much less intimidated and their concertinas will be all the better off for it. That was worth it all

Thanks to all who attended!!!

[d.elliott]

I always found running these workshops so much fun for all the reasons you set out. One different experience I had: I remember one elderly lady who turned up with an instrument for me to look at. I took it and played it, then asked her what the problem was, as the instrument seemed reasonable but a bit un-played. I looked at her and she was crying, I did not think my playing was that bad, but all she had wanted was to hear the instrument played as it had been her Dad's who was killed in the second world war. She had not heard it played since.

 

I always like to ask for 'volunteer' instruments, take them apart then coach the owner to re-assemble the instrument them selves. Ends off, reed pans out, action boxes split open, then tell them that they are running out of time..... 

[Matthew Heumann]

 

6 hours ago, d.elliott said:

I always like to ask for 'volunteer' instruments, take them apart then coach the owner to re-assemble the instrument them selves.

I was originally going to ask for volunteer instruments, but I was only given an hour and to be honest, they all looked really nervous about cracking open their concertinas. However, before it was over, we did have a young woman volunteer her "new" anglo and even offered to stay longer and take it apart and put it together all by herself. Pretty sure I'm going to be asked to repeat this every year. But I did have to draw the line when I reminded them that I am not a "Concertina Repair" business, just an individual whose takes very good care of his beloved 'tinas. I showed them my repair kit and that anyone could assemble a basic one (minus all the spare parts I make and purchased over the years). They felt closer to their boxes when they left. I think all of us in the concertina community need to promote "squeezer education & responsibilty", so that simple problems are fixed promptly rather than disabling an instrument for weeks or months. They were amazed that I as a "non-professional" could make springs, valves, pads and straps as well as replace bushings, tune reeds, and ever do major structural repairs. When asked about making bellows, I jokingly said "I leave that to the concertina gods", meaning its a specialization best left to professionals (I don't replace car mufflers either).

[Wally Carroll]

I think it is a great service you are providing Matthew.  There does seem to be a good deal of hesitancy among concertina owners to open their instruments in order to make simple repairs. For many it is a lack of confidence and workshops like yours are incredibly useful in this regard. I have told clients that if they are not willing to open the instrument and follow some basic repair instructions, they should not buy a concertina. Stringed instrument players have to regularly change their strings and no one complains about it. Concertinas, though usually requiring less overall maintenance, do need to be adjusted from time to time, and once an owner gets a little instruction, they usually get over their fears, learn a bit more about how their instrument works and gain the confidence to roll up their sleeves and make the repair.  So thank you for helping educate the owners out there!

[Jesse Smith]

I agree, a bit of a confidence booster is always helpful. I think a lot of new concertina players are intimidated by the expense of a concertina (especially of a vintage one), and afraid of breaking their significant investment.

 

I learned to do a lot of my own bicycle maintenance (including building a bike up from the frame), and I found that concertinas are quite similar to bicycles in the sense that all of the mechanisms are right there in view. You only have to look at it and think about it enough to understand how it works. (Compared to a modern car which is practically opaque to understanding.) So I was not too afraid to tinker with care. But I can imagine people without existing mechanical experience could use some encouragement in this direction.

[Clive Thorne]

Jesse, I get what you are sying about being able to look at it and work out how it works, and what might be wrong. I am pretty good at that myself. However I know some peolpe who could look at a concertina or a bicycle all day and still have absolutely know idea of how it works! The problem is often that they don't think they understand such things, and therefore , perhaps subconciously, don't really try.

 

[Matthew Heumann]

Wally, David, et al: Thanks for the compliment on the repair workshop. I'm only returning the favor extended to me by earlier friends/ repairers who helped me learn. Barry O'Neill, who was a grad student at University of Michigan when I was a Senior there. He generously guided me with reassembly, repairs and playing my first English in 1973. But, most of what I learned was while visiting my best friend Frank Edgley. We played in a band together before he played concertina (he is a world-class piper). He started playing concertina 10 years after me, and he set up a small garden repair shed in his backyard and we'd hang out there learning repairs as we went. When he opened Edgley Concertinas, it was almost a 2X a month ritual to visit the shop, play tunes, get Fish & Chips, then set to making parts or repairing, after dinner we'd play for the Irish dancers at Kildare House pub, then spend the night. . Every time I asked him to check something out, he point to the bench and say "There's the tools and there's the materials, have at 'em" I've helped him punch pads & valves, wind springs, trim button stock & a few other odds and ends. So its only right to pay it forward to others.