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A Couple Of Qustions Re. George Case E.c.


rob_mcsweeney

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I am getting to know my new friend, and will be ordering new pads and various other bits and pieces from David Leese come next payday.

 

Q1 I was very surpised to discover that she has a hook type action ( I thought they all had rivetted on fancy shaped pillars) - could this be a result of Case outsourcing some of his parts, possibly from Lachenal, or could she be a Boosey production, after G. Case sold out to them ?

 

Q 2. at present she has a Wheatstone thumbstrap one end and a Lachenal the other - both obviously later replacements, I will be making her a new pair, so could the experts please tell me if a Case should have Wheatstone style holes or Lachenal style slots in the straps?

 

many thanks,

 

NEW YEARS GREETINGS TO ALL

 

 

Rob.

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Hi Rob, I can't answer any of your questions about Case concertinas but I would recommend that you use punched holes on the thumbstraps rather than the slots seen on many Lachenals, I have no idea what the original Case pattern might have been. Slots aren't really an option with the David Leese kit because they have a strong fabric core rather than solid leather so it would be quite difficult to be neat with a slot. Practicality is far more important than sticking slavishly to historical accuracy, you want to play it not stick it in a museum!

 

I presume holes vs. slots is what you are referring to when you say there's a Wheatstone at one end and a Lachenal at the other because the supporting brass brackets are drilled differently and aren't really interchangeable, goodness only knows how the original Case brackets were mounted.

 

Another bit of advice I would give you is that you should use contact glue (Evo-Stick) to make the straps up, they will be much more supple than straps made up with PVA. The kit from David Leese is excellent, you'll be really pleased with the padded straps because they are so comfy. They'll stretch a bit at first so you'll need to take them up a notch after a couple of weeks. Have fun! - and let us know how you get on.

 

Pete

 

Edited to correct horrendous spelling mistake. Bad Peter! :angry:

Edited by tallship
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Thanks Pete,

 

I would prefer holes anyway.

 

the thumbstraps do have different drillings in the L-shaped plates (experts please feel free to teach me the correct name!) neither are original, one being black and the other a different green/type of leather to the bellows.

 

The old girl has been 'got at' quite a lot over the last 150ish years -there is an old dealers label on one end of the bellows and I suspect he was responsible for 'tarting her up' probably about 100 years ago - she has garish gold and green bellows papers over the original Case gold and white together with a biggish (but well done) repair at the L H end of the belows by a repairer with a penchant for royal blue leather - he replaced about a dozen pads using the same leather.

One thumbstrap screw appears to have been engraved originally, subsequently obliterated with a 'snailing' crudely done with a dental burr or similar.

 

'if only they could talk' - well she may never tell me her life story but I'll sure get her singing again! - lovely set of reeds in her.

 

I was planning on making my own thumbstraps following David Elliott book, I have some nice green leather on the way to me and will be using it to make baffles as well.

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

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