I would also recommend Dave Elliott's book.

At Whitby a couple of weeks ago I attended a couple of concertina clinic workshops where Dave Elliott offered quick fixes for simple complaints such as stuck reeds or wheezing valves, and more detailed analysis for more serious problems.

On first examination the leaky bellows on my G/D Salvation Army Lachenal Anglo seemed to be amenable to re-binding with new leather and replacement gussets, and Dave was confident that this was work I could carry out myself. But a closer look revealed the leaks were substantial, and any such work undertaken would begin to fail as the underlying structure continued to deteriorate. His recommendation was a new set of bellows from http://www.concertina-spares.com/spareslist.htm . David Leese's old business is now run by Mark Adey in Wales, and offers a comprehensive range of bits and pieces to bring almost any concertina back to full working order.

Appropriate embossing is available for the leather on the bellows end-frames, and appropriate papers can be supplied to replicate the originals. By arrangement seven-fold bellows can be ordered, and the new bellows can be affixed to the original end-frames to give a perfect fit to the original parts.

When I can a) afford a couple of hundred pounds and b) can afford to let my G/D go away for a couple of weeks, I shall be looking to follow the replacement path. Meantime exercising extreme bellows control!

Ross